Based on population shifts and continued growth in Johnson County, the Board of County Commissioners in July voted on new district borders that took effect immediately. The borders define the six voting districts, and from each district one county commissioner is elected. With the Chairman, who is elected by all voters in the county, the six commissioners comprise the Board.

The public was invited to provide comment using a mapping tool available on jocogov.org and an online form. The county also hosted a series of public engagement sessions in June that included a meeting in each district and a virtual session.

BOCC Chairman Mike Kelly said he appreciated the residents who provided feedback during the redistricting process. “All Johnson County residents should be fairly and equitably represented,” he said. “It’s a key tenet of our democracy, and I’m grateful for the participation of our community.”

Kansas statute requires the BOCC to review the county’s districts every three years to ensure the populations are not fluctuating too much between districts, so representation remains fair. Redrawing the voting district lines, also known as redistricting, was needed because the current districts varied in population by 11.02%. Redistricting is required when population variation goes over 10%. The county’s most recent redistricting was done in 2013.

To rebalance the commission districts, the BOCC voted to accept an option that assigned just over 18,500 residents into a different district. With the boundary adjustments, the districts will vary in population by only 4.39% and should not need to be redrawn for at least five years.