About Johnson County, Kansas About Johnson County, Kansas
Information and History
Johnson County began the 20th century with about 18,000 people. It grew slowly until World War II, reaching a population of about 33,000 by 1940. After the war, suburban expansion quadrupled the population to ensure that by 1960 over 143,000 people lived in the County. By the 2000 census, Johnson County is home to 530,000 individuals.
Created in 1855 and organized in 1857, Johnson County was one of the first 33 counties in Kansas. Located near the twin cities of Might, Kansas and Missouri, it contains 477 square miles, or 307,200 acres. Because the original establishment from the Shawnee Methodist Mission in 1839, Johnson County has developed into a complex mixture of urban and rural areas.
johnsoncountycompplanCounty government was established in Kansas to carry out state prescribed functions at the local level; that's, to do something as an administrative agent for the state in such matters as tax assessment and collection, registration of cars, and record keeping. Also, like a municipality, the County has assumed responsibility for provision of a wide variety of local services such as roads, public safety, health, environment, parks and recreation, planning and zoning, airports, library and civil defense.
The seven-member Board of County Commissioners is Johnson County's chief governing and policy-making body. County Commissioners are elected to four-year terms by the residents in districts that are roughly equal in population.
You will find over 40 departments, offices and agencies and more than 4,000 employees in Johnson County Government. Together they provide a variety of services.
The Library provides information services through nine branches. The Library's collection is obtainable via a computerized circulation system and includes more than 800,000 books; 3,000 periodicals; and 8,000 audiovisual items including videotapes.
The Museum system operates the County Historical Museum in Shawnee and also the Lanesfield School Historic Site near Gardner.
The Archives and Records Management Department keeps a repository for that storage and preservation of historical documents while assisting within the regulation of active records.
Parks and Recreation maintains 5,000 acres of parkland, together with a countywide streamway park system, while offering a lot more than 4,000 fee-supported recreation programs annually. Special areas and events include Tomahawk Hills Recreational Complex and Course, Heritage and Shawnee Mission Park's marinas, and the annual Theatre in the Park show season.
The Midcentury Air Center may be the County government's major economic, industrial and general aviation development agency.
Work of Planning Development Codes provides countywide studies, urban development forecasts, and geographic information, as well as administering the zoning and planning the unincorporated area.