As we near Independence Day, I want to reflect what that means. I didn’t get an A in American History but I am pretty sure I remember that our founding fathers risked their lives as they abandoned and fought against a monarchy to create a democratic republic. That simply means, this is your government. You get to elect your representatives. If you don’t care for them, don’t think they are doing a good job, you can clean house and pick new ones. Elected officials automatically care what you think because you are their boss.

No offense to bureaucrats but someone who works in government is loyal to whoever put them in their position. They may have an elected official several levels above them and in a way, they should still care what you think but it is not the same as having someone you choose because they know you can easily replace them.

We attribute the phrase, “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people” to President Lincoln in his famous Gettysburg speech. This means, we can make this government what we want it to be. We democratically elect our leaders then we hold them accountable as they represent us in the decisions that need to be made.

Despite many efforts to activate the electorate, in election cycles like the one upcoming this November, we still only have about 60% of the population registered to vote, and only a little more than half of those will historically vote in a gubernatorial general election. This means the state and some local government leaders are selected by about one-third of the population. Even then, many voters are not sure who the candidates are or who they want to support.

Here's the point: there is a fresh discussion on the best form of county government. Some believe we should replace the elected County Treasurer, Clerk, and Register of Deeds with appointed directors similar to Purchasing and Finance. These elected positions are administrative in nature but they are charged with enormous responsibility. They manage billions of dollars, file critical legal documents, and protect your private property.

Someone could argue, these offices ‘could be’ more efficient if they were run by professional managers. “It would save taxpayer money’”, they say. But here’s the issue: do you want Elected Leaders that see you as the boss? Or is potentially saving a little money a good reason to make these bureaucratic appointed positions? Sure, staff intends to please you but they won’t view you as the boss.

NOTE: Board of County Commissioner Meetings will continue to take place on the third floor of the main courthouse, 525 N. Main. Meetings will continue to broadcast live on the Sedgwick County YouTube and Facebook pages.

While the number of COVID-19 cases remains low in Sedgwick County, many residents still struggle to recover financially from the pandemic. Since April 2020, the Board of County Commissioners has distributed millions of dollars in federal assistance from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act (CARES) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Many more funding options for individuals, businesses and nonprofits are still available:

As a reminder, the Treasurer's Office also offers online, drop box and mail payment services.

For more information visit: https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/treasurer/

Contact Commissioner Jim Howell