Miami County weighs joining Kansas Workforce 1 instead of Southeast Kansas Works as state redraws workforce regions

Miami County commissioners held an extended discussion on Sept. 3 about whether to seek redesignation from the Southeast Kansas Works workforce area to Kansas Workforce 1, which serves Johnson, Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. The conversation focused on commuting patterns, service offerings, funding formulas and deadlines tied to the state's proposed consolidation of workforce regions.

Janet McCray, Miami County director of economic development, introduced the topic and asked Kansas Workforce 1 leaders to brief the board on what a change would mean. Don Roberts, mayor and chairman of the Kansas Workforce 1 elected officials board, and Jeff Myers, a Johnson County commissioner, traveled to Paola with materials describing the metropolitan area partnership. Katie Gibbons, executive director of Southeast Kansas Works, also addressed the commission and summarized the factors that prompted her board to consider consolidation.

Officials said the state is proposing to dissolve Southeast Kansas Works and fold it into a larger statewide district (Kansas Workforce 1 would cover about 96 counties in the proposed map). Katie Gibbons told the commission that Southeast Kansas Works has lost about $1.1 million in federal allocations over the past eight years and that the Department of Commerce asked CEOs to consider consolidation because operating funds were dropping; she said local boards followed governance procedures during their review. "Over the last year 8 years, Southeast Kansas Works has lost about $1,100,000 in federal allocation," Gibbons said.

Mayor Don Roberts and Commissioner Jeff Myers told commissioners Miami County has strong commuter ties to the Kansas City metro area and that alignment with Kansas Workforce 1 could improve service coordination with employers and federal and state grant opportunities. Roberts said the workforce partnership brings a variety of programs, including WIOA-funded training and employer services, and described it as having diversified funding. "The lines should be looked at," Roberts said, and he urged commissioners to weigh a redesignation request quickly because the state's public comment period ends Sept. 12 and the reorganization is slated to take effect Oct. 1.

Commissioners asked for more information and recommended staff solicit input from Southeast Kansas Works and nearby jurisdictions such as Spring Hill. County staff indicated a draft letter advocating reconsideration of the proposed regional alignment had been prepared and could be sent to the governor if the board supported seeking inclusion in the Kansas Workforce 1 region. No formal action was taken; staff said they will continue outreach and may present a formal request for the commission to consider before the public-comment deadline.