Geary County resident tells commissioners KAC underrepresents small counties, raises concerns about “3-mile” jurisdiction and interlocal agreements

A Geary County resident identified in the meeting as Desiree said during the commission’s public comment period that the Kansas Association of Counties (KAC) and the Kansas League of Municipalities favor city interests over small counties and that Geary County needs better representation at the state level.

Desiree told commissioners she attended hearings at the Statehouse and was “appalled” that counties seemed to lack a strong voice there. She said lobbyists and city-aligned groups dominated the room, and that an interim committee formed to examine the “three-mile” jurisdiction — the area immediately outside municipal boundaries — was likely to favor city interests unless counties pushed back. She urged more county commissioners or officials to file testimony and attend hearings rather than leaving the work to private citizens.

Why it matters: Desiree said changes to interlocal agreements or planning arrangements that alter decision-making in the three-mile extraterritorial area could weaken county control over land-use decisions outside city limits. She told commissioners that, if an interlocal agreement were adopted with terms favoring cities, county influence could be effectively reduced and decisions that affect unincorporated areas could be decided by a larger city-majority vote.

Commissioners and staff spoke briefly in response. A county official, Crystal, noted that KAC board meetings are open to the public and that the next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 26 in Topeka (broadcast availability noted in the meeting). Other names mentioned in the comment included Jay Hall and Mike Taylor as lobbyists or association representatives, Ken Corbett as an observer of legislative practice, and Senator(s) from Concordia who were involved in the committee referenced by the resident.

The resident said Geary County does not currently have an interlocal agreement with its nearby city and described that as fortunate in the present moment; she asked commissioners to consider how any future interlocal terms would allocate voting authority. She also encouraged officials to monitor KAC and related legislative work, file testimony when appropriate and coordinate county-level outreach to the state interim committee.

The commission returned from an executive session during the meeting and announced that no formal action resulted from it. The public comment and the exchange over KAC representation concluded with staff offering to share meeting links and notice of the KAC board meeting for commissioners and other residents who want to follow or attend.