City reorganizes governing body early to comply with new state laws

City commissioners reorganized the governing body during their first meeting in January rather than April to comply with new state law which move municipal elections from April to November.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The next Hays municipal election will take place in November, 2017, with the new city commissioners seated in January, 2018.

The local change reflects new state law which passed last year and moves all local elections in Kansas from April to November.

In adopting the new ordinances, the Hays city commission changed the reorganization meeting from April to January of each year. That reorganization of the governing body was done during last night’s meeting.

Commissioners voted unanimously to have Eber Phelps continue serving as mayor through the first work session in September. Shaun Musil, currently the vice-mayor, will become mayor at the first regular meeting in September and serve until the next reorganization meeting in Jan. 2017.

During the 2015 legislative session, the Kansas legislature modified the state laws governing municipal elections. Municipal elections were moved to November with the newly-elected officials taking office in January. Elected officials that were scheduled to be up for election in April of 2017 will now face election in November of 2017 and take office January of 2018.