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Minutes for HB2619 - Committee on Local Government
Short Title
Requiring the total compensation of elected county and city officers be posted on such county's or city's website.
Minutes Content for Wed, Feb 16, 2022
The Chair opened the hearing on HB2619.
Revisor Jason Long briefed the Committee on the bill (Attachment 1). He explained that the bill creates new requirements for cities and counties to annually publish via website the total compensation paid to elected officials; compensation includes salary, wages, other moneys received as an elected official, as well as healthcare, retirement, and other benefits. Responding to questions, Mr. Long replied that such information is already required to be available through the Open Records Act and that the bill makes no exception for those cities with limited resources.
Representative Dave Baker, District 68, testified as a proponent for the bill (Attachment 2). He explained that the bill does not introduce any new concepts, but simply expands on the Open Records by enhancing the transparency of the Open Records Act. He commented that the bill will simplify a citizen's ability to access public information, will help eliminate misinformation, and may encourage more citizens to run for public office.
Representative Baker responded to members' questions:
- Presently there is neither consistency nor uniformity in what information a city or county publishes about its officers.
- For small cities without digital resources, the county could act as a repository of city information.
- The Open Records Act makes information available, but it is not always easily accessible.
Revisor Long noted that the bill applies only to city and county officials.
Erik Sartorius, Executive Director, League of Kansas Municipalities, presented neutral testimony regarding the bill (Attachment 3). He stated that the desire for transparency is commendable, but the likely cost to smaller cities is problematic. He noted that all the elements described in the bill are public information, but some Kansas cities do not have websites nor would their budgets support the costs for building and maintaining a website. He explained that over 100 cities have a population under 100 residents with limited staffing. Responding to a question, he replied that a central repository for smaller cities accentuates the problem, since many of them ignore requests for survey information.
Jay Hall, Deputy Director, Kansas Association of Counties, also presented neutral testimony (Attachment 4). He likewise commended the intent of the bill but said that for some counties social media, not the county website, provide the primary sources of communication. He also stated that some of the smaller-population counties do not have the resources to create or maintain a website.
The hearing on HB2619 was closed.
