Olathe, Kansas
Olathe, Kansas is a city located in Johnson County, Kansas. Olathe's population is 125,872.[1]
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Website evaluation
- Main article: Evaluation of Kansas city websites
This website was reviewed on November 21, 2011.
The good
- Building permits are posted.[2]
- Zoning information is posted.[3]
- Interactive GIS maps are available.[4]
- Council members are listed with phone numbers, term information, and an email form.[5]
- Local tax rates are posted.[6]
- Current and previous years' budgets are posted.[7]
- Current and past years' budgets are posted.[8]
- A directory is posted with contact information for administrative officials.[9]
- According to the budget, the City Communications department is responsible for state and federal lobbying.[10] It does not state the dollar amount spent on Taxpayer-funded lobbying.
- Bid opportunities are posted.[11]
- Public records request forms and procedures are posted.[12]
The bad
- Email addresses are not provided for council members. ( A contact form for emailing council members is available at the bottom of each council member's profile page. Individual email address are not posted to avoid excessive SPAM.)
- Contracts are not posted.
- The city does not publish the amount it spends on Taxpayer-funded lobbying.
- To compare Olathe with other Kansas cities, see Evaluation of Kansas city websites.
Government
Olathe's has a modified mayor-council-manager government. The mayor and two council members are elected at-large, and four council members are elected by wards. Officials are elected for four-year terms. The council hires the city manager.[13]
City council
| Name | Ward | Term | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Bacon | At-large | 4/11-4/15 | Member |
| Bob Montgomery | At-large | 4/09-4/13 | Member |
| Larry Campbell | Ward 1 | 4/11-4/15 | Member |
| Jim Randall | Ward 2 | 4/11-4/15 | Mayor Pro Tem |
| Ronald Ryckman | Ward 3 | 4/09-4/13 | Member |
| Marge Vogt | Ward 4 | 4/09-4/13 | Member |
Mayor
Olathe's mayor is Michael Copeland. Copeland's fourth term as mayor will end in April 2015.
City manager
The city manager is J. Michael Wilkes. Wilkes has been Olathe's manager since 1999.[14]
Budget
In 2012, the city is beginning a "slow back in" approach, by which they will gradually increase city services after bold cuts over the past years. For example, after cutting nearly 100 city positions since 2008, the city is adding back six positions. Expenditures for 2012 are up 1% from 2011, but still down 10% from 2008. While Olathe's population has been rising, the cuts have not prevented the city's satisfaction index from rising consistently as well.[10]
| Source | 2010 Actual | 2011 Projected | 2012 Adopted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning Balance | $87,935,894 | $90,684,953 | $82,093,963 |
| Property Taxes | $45,227,943 | $43,235,154 | $44,512,935 |
| Sales Tax | $37,463,332 | $38,294,021 | $38,661,065 |
| Franchise Tax | $9,264,850 | $9,609,481 | $9,397,063 |
| Guest Tax | $838,247 | $805,508 | $850,000 |
| Licenses and Permits | $813,254 | $772,463 | $797,244 |
| Intergovernmental | $4,825,323 | $4,779,045 | $5,080,266 |
| Charges for Services | $73,004,386 | $76,885,976 | $80,042,518 |
| Fines and Forfeits | $3,323,570 | $3,649,577 | $3,593,300 |
| Interest | $-224 | $307,292 | $246,125 |
| Transfers | $8,526,830 | $8,157,644 | $7,750,946 |
| Miscellaneous | $3,441,784 | $1,442,701 | $1,521,628 |
| Year End Accts Receivable | $0 | $0 | $-9,600,000 |
| Total Revenue | $274,665,189 | $278,623,815 | $264,947,053 |
| Function | 2010 Actual | 2011 Projected | 2012 Adopted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Services | $64,937,430 | $65,837,343 | $67,514,716 |
| Contractual Services | $51,684,049 | $54,382,974 | $55,723,714 |
| Commodities | $16,546,304 | $17,281,231 | $21,412,313 |
| Capital Outlay | $38,342,062 | $42,217,100 | $100,994,355 |
| Transfers | $12,550,019 | $16,806,204 | $19,301,955 |
| Total Expenditures | $184,059,864 | $196,524,852 | $264,947,053 |
Retirement costs
Pensions
- Main article: Kansas public pensions
Olathe employees are in the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) or the Kansas Police and Fire Retirement Plan (KP&F). Both are defined-benefit pension plans. In 2010, the city spent $1,873,310 in KPERS payments and $2,452,288 for KP&F.[15]
OPEBs
Olathe has $18,789,317 in unfunded liabilities for its other post-employment benefits other than pensions (OPEBs). That represents 39.9% of covered payroll.[15]
Taxes
Property tax
The city's mill levy is 24.840. With the Olathe Schools levy, the state and county property taxes, and others, the total millage rate for Olathe property owners is 128.154.[16]
Sales tax
Olathe's sales tax rate is 1.125%. With the state and county sales taxes, this leads to a total sales tax rate of 8.650% for Olathe residents and businesses.[17]
Economic development
Olathe's top 5 employers are: Farmers Insurance, Garmin International, Johnson County Government, Olathe School District #233 and Olathe Medical Center.[10]
Top digital city
In 2011, Olathe was named the "top digital city" in the United States for the city government's use of technology in increasing efficiency and dealing with budget constraints. Olathe Mayor Michael Copeland said, "Fewer resources do not have to translate into lower service levels."[18]
SmartVet headquarters
Also in 2011, Australian veterinary company SmartVet chose Olathe as its U.S. headquarters.[19]
Transparency
After receiving an open records request, the city of Olathe refused to answer questions about the allocation of funds in the budget. Officials repeatedly cited the website as the source, however the website does not provide answers to specific questions regarding funding allocations. They have the budget posted which gives broader overviews, but did not answer specific questions.[20]
External links
- Olathe government website
- U.S. Census Bureau Olathe, KS, QuickFacts
- Olathe School District USD 233, Kansas
- Olathe Chamber of Commerce
- The Olathe News
References
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau "QuickFacts," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "Building Permits," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "Subdivision Zoning Lookup," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "GIS," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Olathe, KS "Council Members," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "Taxes and Fees," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "Operating Budget," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "City Directory," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Olathe, KS "2012 Budget," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "Current Bid Opportunities," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "Record Requests," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "Council Overview," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "City Manager," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Olathe, KS "2010 CAFR," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "Property Tax," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Olathe, KS "Sales Tax," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ InfoZine "Olathe Named Top Digital City," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Bizjournals "SmartVet picks Olathe for its U.S. headquarters," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Budget
