CANDIDATES FOR CHAIR OF THE BOCC:

ED EILERT:

 Ed Eilert stated he has been a resident of Johnson County since 1965. Eilert began his career as an educator. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Business Education. He left education to join the business community as a financial advisor to Brache & Company and then A.G. Edwards and Sons Inc. Eilert was elected Mayor of Overland Park. As Mayor he worked with schools and the business community to make Overland Park a great city. With annexation of unincorporated areas his goal was to get the most value for the dollar. He retired after serving as Mayor for twenty-four years.

 Commissioner Eilert reported that he is serving his first term after being elected to the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners for District 4 in 2006.  Johnson County is the economic engine for the State of Kansas. It is important that county government establishes credibility and trust with all the governing bodies from the cities, the Metro area and the state. In order to accomplish that goal Johnson County needs to provide a structure for economic growth, job growth and provide needed services. Johnson County governs 35-36 agencies.

 County government needs to eliminate the structural deficit in the budget. The deficit began in 2003 and continues today. The spending must be brought under control. Cities are in the best position to provide for economic development and job growth. Schools, colleges and legislators all need to work together to foster economic development. 

Eilert stated that the current economy requires that governments need to adjust spending as taxpayers are struggling. The days of ever increasing revenues are over. Eilert’s priorities as Chairman of the BOCC are: efficient government, effective leadership and economic opportunity. He asks for your vote and support.

ANNABETH SURBAUGH was represented by Anne Hodgdon:

A family medical emergency prevented Chairwoman Surbaugh from attending in person.

Hodgdon related the information for Chairwoman Surbaugh.

 Surbaugh’s top three priorities are accountability, accountability, and accountability. Government belongs to the people. Surbaugh pioneered the position of internal auditor. Under her leadership the county has had five years of a constant mill levy. In 2008 the salaries of county employees were frozen, spending was reduced and hiring in departments was put under a structural plan. Throughout this period Johnson County has maintained a Triple A Bond Rating from the top three bond agencies in the nation. Surbaugh fought to maintain healthy reserves to keep the county strong and has fought to maintain those reserves.

 Surbaugh believes that the best government is closest to the people. Government should be from the people up rather than the top down. She urges people to attend BOCC meetings and express their concerns. Surbaugh believes the county should be proactive and “be green”.

 Surbaugh began as a citizen activist before being elected to the BOCC as a Commissioner. She advocates that all county records be on line. She advocated for BOCC meetings be viewed on line. Surbaugh is an independent person and listens to all sides before making a decision. She understands we are in trying times. She believes that county government needs to operate with a lean budget and not increase taxes.

 CANDIDATE FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER IN THE 1^ST DISTRICT:

ED PETERSON

Ed Peterson, Commissioner for the 1^st District was unable to attend the meeting due to business requirements. At this time Commissioner Peterson is unopposed. He sent a statement to be read. The main points of the statement are:

 Johnson County was built on basic government services that are the four S’s: Streets, Schools, Safety and Services. The county and the twenty municipalities within the county have excelled in all four categories. We enjoy this high level of services with the lowest mill levy rate in the state. The first priority is to continue to deliver this high quality of service for these four basic functions.

 hools are not a direct County Government function but Peterson does support continued public school funding whenever the opportunity arises. Peterson supported the temporary use of a ¼ cent sales tax. Public schools are a hallmark of Johnson County living and maintaining them at current levels of excellence if our community is to retain its competitive edge.

 At the county we like to say,  “Public Safety is Job 1”. We take this responsibility very seriously by devoting 40% of the budget to Public Safety. Public Safety includes Sheriff operations, incarceration, corrections, juvenile detention and emergency communications. A new state of the art crime lab for evidence review and inspection is under construction.

 County government has 39 departments that cover many services and serve as models for other county governments. Libraries, parks, public transit, mental health, public health, programs for adults with learning and physical disabilities, aging programs, meals on wheels, low income assistance programs are some on the list of services.

 Outside the scope of basic functions Peterson strongly supports local government as the best hope for a better life. Johnson County belongs to the citizens and local government decides on the type of community it’s resident desire. People chose to live in Johnson County because they want a high quality of life that result from high levels of services. The job of County Commissioner is primarily focused on continuing these levels of services.

 In addition to the general duties of a Commissioner Peterson has elected to concentrate on developing strong environmental and sustainability practices. The leadership of the management team has resulted in saving millions of dollars through reduced consumption, recycling and more efficient practices. The county is building LEED certified facilities that use 40% less energy. One example is a wastewater treatment plant that will produce enough energy to operate the plant and save $600,000 per year in electric costs.

 Peterson’s statement included his regrets for not attending the meeting but would answer any questions by phone or email.

CANDIDATES FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER FOR THE 4^TH DISTRICT:

 JASON OSTERHAUS

Osterhaus stated he has a background in finance when he worked at Sprint PCS. Currently he is director of young adult programs, Theology on Tap and Christmas in October for a Kansas City, Kansas Arch- Diocese. Osterhaus ran for Overland Park City Council. Even though he did not win the election, his idea that the City of Overland Park put the full budget online, was put into practice. As County Commissioner he would focus on government accountability, strong schools and libraries, property rights and balanced budgets. He invited everyone to visit his website for more information.

 DONNA OWENS

Owens stated she is in her 6^th year as an elected official on the Overland Park City Council. She had worked in corporate management for 25 years. After retiring from the corporate world she has offered her leadership and management skills as a way of giving back to the community. County government is a big business. It has a budget of $800 million. As member of the Overland Park City Council she serves on the national committee for economic development. She has a record of fiscal conservatism on the city council since 2005. The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners must addresses many diverse and complex issues. Cities piggyback on the county sales tax. She will work to ensure there is no bad policy in county government.

CHUCK VOGT

 Chuck Vogt stated that as a Johnson County Commissioner he would represent principled leadership. After graduating from Westminster College he served in the Army. He worked in the corporate world. He left the corporate world to join the family business. He has held numerous positions in community organizations. Currently he serves on the Leadership Council for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). Vogt stated that a healthy community is good for business. As a business owner he understands there are times when it is necessary to make cuts. As Commissioner from District 4 he would maintain the current tax rate or cut taxes. Johnson County needs to take advantage of our strengths, keep our schools strong. He has experience in making hard decisions when necessary.

 LARRY WINN III was unable to attend due to a previous commitment. Chet Hanson, Mr. Winn’s brother-in-law,  represented Mr. Winn.

 Mr. Hanson stated that he has known Larry Winn for many years and described him as an intelligent man who is patient with others. He takes public service seriously. There is a long history of public service in the Winn family. Currently Winn is President of the Shawnee Mission School Board. The SMSB had to cut school spending $10 million a year for two years. These were intelligent cuts that strived maintain quality education for the children. Winn has held many public service positions and is committed to community service. He is an attorney for real estate law and development. As an attorney for developers he has helped bring about billions of dollars in development to Johnson County. He will work for a right size for county government. The easy growth in the county no longer exists. He is an example of trusted leadership that will help the county through these difficult times.

CANDIDATES FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER FOR THE 5^TH DISTRICT:

MICHAEL ASHCRAFT

Mr. Ashcraft announced that he filed for the office of County Commission just this morning and this would be his first speech as a politician. Ashcraft asked, “What produces value?” Are 40 governments in Johnson County providing the services we expect in the cost-effective manner we deserve?” It takes $2 billion to maintain all the government agencies. A 1% decrease would be $200 million. Johnson County government needs to lead by providing value for all taxes. These are tough times so it is the best time for people to review and talk about what is important, needed and cost effective. It is time for the wealthiest, best-educated people in the country to engage in the process, provide ideas and become part of the decision-making. Ashcraft stated he is the fiscally conservative leader who believes in civic engagement, transparent government and civility.

DOUG WOOD

 Mr. Wood stated he has served as a County Commissioner for the 5^th District for eleven years. The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners was created when the electorate adopted a new charter. The BOCC would consist of a chairman and seven commissioners.

Wood stated he is an attorney. As an attorney he helps people solve problems. The BOCC helps solve problems for all the people in the county.

Wood stated that as a commissioner he would be a good steward of taxpayer dollars, provide services for the money available and continue to work to make Johnson County a place of choice to live and work. Johnson County has grown by 100 thousand people in the last 10 years. Full time employment and the budget in the county have grown commensurate with that growth and revenue. In the last five years taxes have remained constant. He believes in budgeting revenue conservatively and taxes aggressively. Johnson County has many good employees. Staff is responding to the new policy to correct the structural imbalance and to right size the work force. The goal is to reduce employees from 4100 to 3800. Cross training employees is a measure that needs to be implemented to increase efficiency. Agencies need to be consolidated. The charter did not eliminate five county boards. Agencies need to report directly to the County Manager and County Commission.

Wood explained he pays attention to detail in project spending. Over the years he has saved the taxpayer $7 million through due diligence.