The City of Lawrence and Douglas County will have new leaders, Kathy Richardson and Kim Criner Ritchie, for their separate Sustainability Offices. Both offices will follow their respective priorities while continuing to collaborate on projects that improve sustainability efforts throughout Lawrence and Douglas County. Previously, Lawrence-Douglas County Sustainability was a combined office that worked on initiatives for both the City and the County. 

The Douglas County Clerk’s Office is sending 45,852 property owners a notification in the mail this week (Aug. 10-11) about estimated property taxes for 2022. It is not a bill.

In March 2021, the Kansas Legislature passed a law that requires county clerks to send a notice that explains each taxing jurisdiction’s intent or non-intent to exceed the revenue neutral rate. Taxing jurisdictions (municipalities, counties and districts) are prohibited from levying property tax that exceeds the revenue neutral rate without having a public hearing and passing a resolution.

Researchers will present findings from their examination of pedestrian and traffic stop data during a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10, in the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St. The data has been collected in conjunction with the Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) and with Douglas County law enforcement agencies.

Douglas County has hired Katy Fitzgerald as Criminal Justice Coordinator. Fitzgerald will primarily work on justice issues, including facilitation and coordination of the Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Katy’s first day with Douglas County will be July 29.

Douglas County Commissioner Shannon Reid is joining a select group of local officials as the inaugural cohort of the National Association of Counties’ Familiar Faces Leadership Network for their commitment to improving life outcomes for high-needs residents with complex behavioral health conditions.

The Board of County Commissioners reached an agreement July 20 on an approximately $163.7 million budget for 2023. They agreed on a mill levy of 46.380 mills, which is a decrease of one mill from 2022. One mill is one dollar per $1,000 of assessed value.

The 2023 budget included growth in property values (assessed valuation) of 12.44%. This higher than traditional rate of growth allowed the Commission to reduce the mill levy by $2.2 million in the general fund. The 2023 budget does not eliminate any current county services.

The proposed 2023 Douglas County budget is $166.3 million with a mill levy of 47.419 mills, which is a flat rate from last year. One mill is one dollar per $1,000 of assessed value.

Fireworks can be legally discharged in the unincorporated areas of Douglas County as long as the property owner has given permission and provides supervision. Fireworks should not be discharged on a public street or roadway. Fireworks are allowed at the following times:

The Douglas County Elections Office completed recounting the votes for the constitutional amendment on Friday afternoon, Aug. 19, and a canvass was held shortly thereafter at 3:30 p.m.

The hand-counted recount results from a total of 47,657 ballots are:

• Yes - 8,718

• No - 38,703

There were 217 under votes, which means no choice was marked on the ballot, and 19 over votes, which means the voter marked in both the yes and no target oval.

The primary results were:

• Yes - 8,716

The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office has taken the position not to aggressively prosecute end users for possession of small quantities of THC products. This is a matter of prosecutorial discretion based upon effective allocation of resources and prevailing community interests.

This office has never ceased to pursue illegal distribution of controlled substances. These operations pose significant and substantial community health and safety risks and frequently result in ancillary criminal conduct.

For 23 years, Jolene Cullen has worked in criminal justice. She has provided service in child abuse investigations, foster care placement, corrections, and house arrest programs. She currently serves as the Adult Services Officer in the Douglas County Behavioral Health Court program.

On May 19, she witnessed Amanda Klopfenstein and Joshua Walters graduate from the program and get their criminal charges dismissed. That’s what she loves most about her job.

A dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for the Treatment and Recovery Center (TRC) will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 23, followed by an open house until 7 p.m.

The dedication will include brief remarks by Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center CEO Patrick Schmitz, LMH Health President and CEO Russ Johnson, Douglas County Commission Chair Shannon Reid and Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Secretary Laura Howard.