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Committee recommends chartering out of pre‑home‑rule state bonding statutes following population recertification
Summary
The committee voted 6-0 to recommend passage of Charter Ordinance No. 106 to remove reliance on certain pre‑home‑rule Kansas statutes that could limit municipal bond authority now that Overland Park’s certified population exceeds 200,000.
Staff presented Charter Ordinance No. 106 for the committee’s recommendation. Michael Koss explained that the Kansas Secretary of State certified Overland Park’s population at 202,893, surpassing the 200,000 threshold in a 1959 statute (K.S.A. 13‑10‑24(c)) that authorizes cities over 200,000 to issue bonds up to $200,000 annually. Because the city has home‑rule authority and issues bonds under its own charter ordinance, staff recommended chartering out of that and several other pre‑home‑rule statutes (KSA 13.J.4.8 and KSA 12‑17‑37 as cited in staff report) to avoid confusion over the source and limits of bonding authority.
Staff said Wichita has already chartered out of the statute. Committee members noted practical implications — for example, street projects that routinely exceed $200,000 — and voted unanimously to recommend adoption of Charter Ordinance No. 106.
The item will be forwarded to City Council for final action.
