February 11, 2025
Well, well, well public comments at BOCC meetings are suddenly being broadcast??? The first edict of Chairman Kelly’s Johnson County reign being thrown into the trash bin of REALLY BAD PUBLIC POLICY with no notice, no vote? Suddenly appearing from the dark mists of censorship?
Me thinks I dost see Chairman Kelly’s retreat as a dog with his tail between his legs.
This tale of crushing restraints on free speech began in January, 2023. Chairman Kelly informed the JoCo District Commissioners that public comments would no longer be broadcast. The excuse was the LURKING, SINISTER DANGER of our streaming service kicking us off because of disinformation being disseminated during public comments. What about the disinformation being disseminated during the BOCC business meetings such as the efficacy of the COVID shots? The necessity of a DEI Coalition? The brilliance of creating a Sustainability Coalition? The necessity of JoCo sending $1.5 million to KC2026 (a Missouri NGO) for the World Cup?
But I digress. The Kelly censorship, which began in January of 2023, suddenly, inexplicably ended with the broadcast of public comments on January 30, 2025. Or was it inexplicable? Perhaps it had to do with the SB 70 Kansas Senate Judiciary Committee hearing? This bill would require local government public business meetings, which are broadcast, to also broadcast PUBLIC COMMENTS. It appears Chairman Kelly capitulated. WE WON!!!!
Ah, but don’t fret, Chairman Kelly’s WOKE, Green Energy, tax and spend agenda is alive and well with 8 buses being leased by JoCo to ferry the World Cup crowd to and from KCI to the various Johnson County venues and hotels, at YOURexpense. This is on top of the $1.5 million of YOUR JoCo tax dollars already sent to KC2026 on which Chairman Kelly is a board member at large and he refused to recuse himself from the vote
But Chairman Kelly is not done fleecing YOU, the taxpayer. At the January 27th BOCC retreat (I was there videoing in the afternoon) he stated that Johnson County government could no longer rely mainly on property taxes. He stated that additional revenue streams must be found. Really? The 40% increase in OUR property taxes in the past 5 years is not enough to satiate his appetite for spending? What additional tax venue streams is he considering?
Federal Grants? Johnson County currently takes boat loads of money from the federal government. All of these grants are at risk because of President Trump’s war on DEI and “Green” energy. There’s no free lunch there and most likely JoCo will lose federal grants.
Sales Tax? The Public Safety Sales tax for the JoCo Courthouse is scheduled to end March 2027,so that will be a cache of money both the county and the cities will be eyeing. Heaven forbid our sales tax rate would be reduced.
Earnings Tax? Well, KC Mayor, Quinton Lucas, is a close friend of Chairman Kelly. Birds of a feather do tend to flock together.
The 2026 budget cycle looks to be another expensive one for the JoCo taxpayers. It seems our elected officials are the vultures and we; the taxpayers are the roadkill.