By Kansas statute, the Appraiser’s Office is responsible for determining the value of all taxable property in Douglas County, which includes real estate and personal property like boats, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, jet skis and planes. As of October 28, the county had 40,943 parcels, including 31,144 residential homes, 1,519 commercial properties, 1,710 farms with a home and 2,956 plots of agricultural land.

Douglas County is scheduled to launch a pilot Drug Court in January and the program will accept 15 participants. Douglas County District Court Judge B. Kay Huff will preside over the specialty court in addition to her regular judicial duties.

Drug Court is a 16-month, four-phase program for adults who have been arrested and charged with a non-violent felony offense and are having difficulty staying substance free.

You can now reserve Douglas County buildings for parties, reunions or car shows online!

Douglas County rents buildings, grassy areas and an outdoor arena at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 21st and Harper streets, and a community building at Lone Star Lake. Fees vary depending on the facility, duration of event, and other services such as use of a kitchen or equipment setup.

To view rental options and availability or to make a reservation, visit: dgcoks.gov/fairgrounds.

Douglas County Government’s general and satellite offices will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 28-29, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Dispatch Center and Criminal Justice Services will be operating. If you have an emergency, please call 911. If you have a non-emergency, call 785-843–0250.

Web GIS resources will be unavailable Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 27, for a scheduled upgrade. Applications for Property Viewer, Survey Lookup and all others in the Map Gallery will be affected.

We apologize for any inconvenience this will cause.

If you have questions or GIS assistance needs, contact Douglas County GIS Coordinator Bryce Hirschman at 785-832-5190 or email bhirschman@dgcoks.gov.

Criminal Justice Coordinator Mike Brouwer wanted to pursue a career where he could help people. “Before there was a Dr. Phil, I was going to be Dr. Phil,” he said, with a chuckle. “I was passionate about behavioral change and envisioned this idea that I would be a Freudian therapist.”

2019 Real Estate, Personal Property, Big Truck and Watercraft bills will be mailed out on November 14th.    2019 Information Sheets for all residential properties will be mailed on November 15th.  To avoid interest, payments must be postmarked December 20th.

There is an extra mill levy line on bills and information sheets this year. It is not a new levy.   School capital outlay has been separated from the original school levy.  This change affects all school districts.  

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center will present its findings and recommendations to improve Douglas County’s justice and behavioral health systems during the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council meeting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, in Flory Meeting Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper Street. The meeting is open to the public.

Today is Election Day! Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  If you have an advance mail-in ballot, it can be dropped off today at any polling location in Douglas County.

Find your polling location here: http://dgcoks.org/pollingplaces

The Douglas County Food Policy Council invites the community to a “Local Food System Update and Reception” 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at the historic Santa Fe Depot in Lawrence, 413 E. Seventh St. The event is free and will feature foods from locally-owned ethnic food retailers who are participating in a research study that will be highlighted during the program.

The community meeting scheduled for tonight (Oct. 30) in Baldwin City about zoning regulations has been cancelled due to the weather forecast.

The Douglas County Zoning and Codes Department is continuing to seek feedback about proposed changes to the Zoning and Subdivision Regulations for unincorporated Douglas County. Residents can provide feedback by:

• Completing an online form.

• Emailing zoning@dgcoks.gov through Nov. 15

Douglas County is postponing the groundbreaking ceremony that is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 30, due to the weather forecast. The county is under a winter weather advisory from 9 p.m. today until 10 p.m. Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service in Topeka, a wintry mix of precipitation and accumulating snow are expected across the area.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Treatment and Recovery Campus of Douglas County has been rescheduled for noon Friday, Nov. 8. The campus is located north of the Community Health Facility at 1000 W. Second Street.