The Kansas Association of Counties will hold its 38th-annual conference and exhibition today through Thursday in Wichita, and among the nearly 700 attendees will be members of the Barton County Commission.
It’s a chance, said Barton Commission Chairman Don Cates, to interact with peers from other counties.
“There are a 105 counties in Kansas and over 100 are members of the KAC,” he said. “We each have our individual issues, but all deal with a lot of common problems. It is great to get with other counties and ask ‘what are you going to do about this,’” Cates said.
There are also  more than 100 exhibitors expected.
The opening session on Wednesday morning will feature David Limardi, who will speak on “Leading in the New Order of Things.” The closing session on Thursday will feature Elsa Wolff. Wolff will entertain attendees with her character role in “Amelia Earhart: Heart of Courage.”
One of the key moments will come at the Thursday morning business session with the adoption of the KAC’s  2014 Legislative Policy Statement, Cates said. This platform was adopted by the Barton County Commission at its Oct. 21 meeting.
Cates said among the major topics are the attempt by large corporations to list their equipment as real estate instead of machinery, which would hurt county tax revenues, and an effort to bar counties from using tax money to lobby for issues that impact them. Both of these have been failed in the Legislature in the past, but will likely resurface.
It’s funny, Cates said he used to have a negative view of lobbyists. However, as a commissioner, he sees the value.
“We don’t have the ability to keep an eye on things all the time,” he said. It’s nice knowing someone is tracking these matters on a full-time basis.
Other presentations at the conference included eight hours of continuing legal education for county counselors and other attorneys; discussions on the usage of social media, an update form the property valuation director, the findings in the 24-month health department project, overview of the new concealed carry laws, managing communication and officials in emergencies, a conversation with the secretary of transportation, update on the shared 911 systems, the right steps in recruitment, selection and hiring and other topics.
Cates said the five Barton County commissioners will split up and sit in on as many of the sessions as possible. Since he is on the Local Emergency Planning Committee, he will attend the workshops on emergency management and  communications.
The KAC will announce and award its fifth-annual “Kansas County Official of the Year” award at its Awards Luncheon on Wednesday. The purpose of the Award is to recognize a county government official or employee who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in county government both within his or her own community and on a statewide level.
This distinction is made each year to one person representative of the high ideals embraced by the Kansas Association of Counties. Graduates of the Kansas County Government Institute’s programs and county officials and employees who have worked in county government for 8, 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48 years of service will be honored at this time.
Created by statute K.S.A. 19-2690 in 1975, the KAC is a quasi-public agency that provides legislative representation, technical assistance, leadership and professional education, and identifies resources to address the challenges faced by county government. The Association’s mission is grounded in state law and shaped by the leadership of its fifteen member governing board.
For more information about the organization, visit www.kansascounties.org.