For the first time since 2013, population growth patterns in Johnson County have necessitated a change in the boundary lines that determine which areas, municipalities and neighborhoods county commissioners represent.
Commissioners kicked off the redistricting process Thursday with an introductory meeting with an official from HaystaqDNA, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm that specializes in political marketing and redistricting.
New maps are required when the county’s district populations become out of balance, which generally means there is at least a 10% deviation between them, said Haystaq President Anrdrew Drechsler.
The county’s districts now have about an 11% deviation, he said.
Kansas law requires a review of the districts every three years. The population has remained even enough since 2013 to avoid redistricting.
What are the current districts?
Johnson County’s six commission districts would be affected.
They are:
- District 1, currently represented by Becky Fast;
- District 2, represented by Jeff Meyers;
- District 3, represented by Julie Brewer;
- District 4, represented by Janeé Hanzlick;
- District 5, represented by Michael Ashcraft;
- and District 6, represented by Shirley Allenbrand.
The county chair would not be affected by redistricting, since that position is elected countywide.
The county population has grown steadily, but there has been especially high growth in the south and southwest, around Gardner, De Soto, Edgerton and Spring Hill.
Commissioners discussed the issues that will have to be considered when Haystaq draws up new boundary lines, and some of those issues conflict with each other.
Boundaries will have to weigh competing priorities
Commissioner Becky Fast, who represents a chunk of densely populated northeastern Johnson County, said she’d like to keep cities all within one commission district when possible.
Fast’s District 1 currently includes several smaller cities in their entirety, including Fairway, Mission, Roeland Park and Westwood.
District 4 Commissioner Janeé Hanzlick, whose current district borders are entirely within Overland Park, asked whether boundaries could follow roads whenever possible.
Commissioner Michael Ashcraft, whose central District 5 covers parts of Lenexa and Olathe, hoped for the smallest possible changes in district boundaries.
Monday, Jan. 13, at the Johnson County Administration Building in Olathe. Photo credit Kylie Graham.
There also may be an effort to keep communities of interest — such as school districts — together when possible.
Generally, commissioners asked the consultant to draw a map that would minimize the possibility that new lines would have to be drawn three years from now.
Another concern was whether new boundaries would change the amount of time between votes for commission in some areas.
Commissioners have staggered elections for their four-year terms. So if someone who voted last year for a particular commissioner was assigned a different district in 2026, that person might end up having to wait six years or only two years before the next chance to vote on a commissioner.
What happens next?
The redistricting timeline envisions the process to be complete by August — in time to be ready for the 2026 election.
The HaystaqDNA consultants will be back with draft map options May 8.
Public feedback meetings will follow starting in May and last through early July.
Additional public input will be through a county redistricting website and regular commission meetings.
The consultants also plan to offer an online mapping tool for users to create their own options as part of the feedback.
The county commission is tentatively expected to make a final selection of a redrawn district map on July 31.
