Allen County commissioners voted Tuesday to discontinue the county’s membership in the League of Kansas Municipalities after hearing a defense of the organization from Humboldt City Administrator Cole Herder.
Herder encouraged commissioners to continue participating in the organization, describing the league as a valuable resource for legislative updates and policy guidance for local governments. He said the organization tracks hundreds of bills each legislative session and advocates for issues affecting both cities and counties.
“They continually fight for local control, local government, and home rule,” Herder said.
Herder used Humboldt’s financial recovery efforts over the past decade as an example of why local governments need flexibility to address their own situations. He said when he arrived in Humboldt 12 years ago, the city’s infrastructure and finances were in poor condition, with only about $3,000 remaining in budgeted funds despite operating on a $3.5 million budget.
“We were essentially broke,” Herder said.
He said Humboldt had to rebuild reserves and infrastructure in ways that may not apply to every community in Kansas, arguing that state lawmakers should avoid limiting local governments’ ability to make financial decisions.
“The issue is that every town in the state and every county in the state has different situations that they deal with,” Herder said.
Herder also discussed the importance of Home Rule protections, explaining that before Kansas adopted Home Rule authority in 1961, even small local ordinance changes required approval from the state legislature. Home Rule allows communities to make decisions locally rather than relying on state lawmakers for routine municipal matters.
“I think it’s well worth the money that we invest,” Herder said about the league. “They fight for us during legislative season, and it wears me out just reading what they have done. There’s no way I can go to Topeka and represent Humboldt — so, I rely on them to do that.”
The league also provides salary surveys, training materials, governing handbooks, zoning and annexation references, economic development publications and legal resources that local officials can access throughout the year.
HERDER encouraged commissioners to continue the membership for another year if they remain uncertain about its value.
“If you’re unsure, I’d do it for another year,” he said. “Tap into some of this stuff. Give yourself a chance to see if next year you want to follow through.”
COMMISSION Chair David Lee noted that the annual fee for the county to participate in the league is $1,086.68.
“We’ve got our own organization — Kansas Association of Counties — and they probably provide mirrored services,” said Lee. “The only reason I see us being a part of this is to be a support. Our dollars go towards helping the organization as a whole.”
Commissioner Jerry Daniels asked whether the county should discontinue participation and see whether the county misses the services provided by the organization.
“I’m sure there’s some benefit to it,” he said. “But, it’s already May and we’ve not missed it yet this year. If we see the need in the future, we can readdress it.”
