Little has changed in county governments over the years

Dec. 12, 2004

By Sharon Montague

The Salina Journal

When Kansas counties were established in the 1860s, their governments were modeled after the "weak government" system used by the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

"There were a lot of elected officials, but the counties were basically creatures of the state, administrative arms of the state," said Joe Aistrup, associate professor and head of the political science department at Kansas State University. "There were a lot of elected officials, but they had no power. They did what the state told them to do."

That changed in the mid-1970s with the advent of home rule, which freed counties to develop programs and deliver services based on their particular needs.

"The needs of society drove the need for counties to provide services," Aistrup said. "There was pressure from the public."

Now, with the start of a new century, some are pressing for more changes in county government, saying professional management - as opposed to management by elected officials - is the model of the future.

Others disagree.

"I hear some complaints it's outdated," said Lonie Addis, who has served as a commissioner in Labette County for 22 years. "But the more I get into it, the better it is. I'm a firm believer in county government."

But Nalbandian considers the election of county officials such as sheriffs, treasurers and clerks, "an artifact of the past."

Operations would be more efficient and professional, he said, if county commissioners hired an administrator who appointed the sheriff, clerk, register of deeds, county attorney and treasurer. Such a system mirrors the city manager/city commission form of government. That allows for more professionalism in government, Aistrup said.

"The department heads are more like civil servants, hired on the basis of qualifications as opposed to their ability to win election," he said.

That becomes more important, Aistrup said, as government becomes more complex.

"People who are elected can get the hang of things, but there tends to be a ramp-up time," Aistrup said. "It takes time to learn the trade and craft."

Get rid of our jobs

Carol Marinovich, the mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County in Kansas City, said she didn't know if county government was antiquated in general. But she said her county had outgrown the old form of government.

Wyandotte County is the state's only completely consolidated local government.

"Having dual city and county government didn't make sense for us," Marinovich said. "It was antiquated for my community. We were a little unique in that we didn't have that unincorporated area where the city didn't provide services for it."

Consolidation is difficult, she said, because people in elected offices essentially have to advocate the elimination of their positions.

"I think it's very difficult," Marinovich said, "to get elected officials to campaign to eliminate their elected positions, quite candidly, assuming consolidation makes sense for their community."

John Divine did just that. The Salina Democrat ran for election to the Saline County Commission this fall as a proponent for change. If elected, Divine said, he would call for a public vote to commission a study of three approaches to county government - variations on the current arrangement, a strong manager form or consolidation with the city.

"The structure of the county has to come into the 21st century," Divine, who had served eight years as a Salina city commissioner, said during the campaign.

The 61-year-old Divine lost to Republican incumbent Craig Stephenson, 47, Gypsum.

Nalbandian said it's often difficult for people to consider a change in government, especially when it could mean an elimination of elected offices.

"It has to do with people wanting a sense of identity, a sense of control, a sense of having some anchors in their lives," Nalbandian said. "It doesn't matter whether they're making good decisions or not, because we don't know if they are. But if we don't like what they're doing, we can un-elect them."

Elect good people

Addis, the long-time Labette County commissioner, said county government can be tweaked to meet the needs of 21st century Kansans, but it doesn't need a major overhaul.

In many counties, Addis noted, commissioners have hired administrators to help them manage day-to-day operations without actually changing the form of government.

"He doesn't have an administrative role, or a supervisory role, over the other departments," Addis said. "He does legwork for us. Right now, he's looking into different insurance Addis said the structure of county government provides for checks and balances.

"The treasurer and clerk check each other, and the bills go to commissioners every month so they check those," he said. "There are all sorts of checks and balances. That's why county government is such a good system."

Addis said he's worked with different elected officials during his 22-year tenure, and most have done a good job.

"For the most part, the electorate knows what they're doing," he said. "They usually elect good people."

"There are flaws with every system," he said, "but this is a system that, for the most part, works."