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The Unified Government's Board of Commissioners met Thursday evening with a short but impactful agenda — including a vote on who will temporarily replace County Administrator David Johnston, who announced his resignation Monday.
Johnston is the highest-ranking manager in the UG.
He has been with the Unified Government since 2023.
The commission voted 8-0 Thursday to appoint Assistant County Administrator Alan Howze as interim county administrator.
Howze was present at Thursday's meeting and sat where Johnston formerly sat. Johnston was not present.
Howze made remarks at Thursday’s meeting in light of America’s 250th anniversary.
Before that, he first thanked the mayor and commissioners for voting him in.
He said he has had the opportunity to work with staff over the past few decades and knows the “talent and dedication” they have.
Howze committed to continue to work alongside staff and help them be the best they can be.
“I’m excited to move forward,” Howze said.
A permanent replacement has not been named, but the mayor said she wants to do a national search.
The term is set until Dec. 31 for the interim.
Johnston proposed a revenue neutral budget in 2025, a popular decision among some taxpayers seeking lower property taxes.
He also received criticism from some community members over what they describe as a lack of focus on northeast development.
He did not respond to a request for comment.
Nathaniel Barnes, a Kansas City, Kansas, resident and owner of Nefertiti Restaurant and Banquet Hall, spent years on the UG's Board of Commissioners representing the 1st District until 2013.
He said he wasn't shocked by Johnston's resignation.
"I won't miss him at all,” Barnes said. “And going forward, we really need someone with some experience on urban core."
Barnes said he sees untapped potential in the community and too many unfinished projects.
"Right now, there's a gold mine in the urban core that we have not realized the potential,” Barnes said. “One group of people will get elected and adopt a policy, then the next group will come and don’t pay any attention to it.”
Barnes said he would like to see the new administrator value history.
“I had suggested that whenever a new administrator or a new administration comes on board, that they be given a history lesson so they can get a better view of what damages have been done in the past or haven’t been done, and take a look at it,” Barnes said.
He also expressed concerns about the administrator’s power.
“He should not have that kind of authority that he can not include something in the budget because he wants to balance a budget,” Barnes said.
Pastor Bruce Draper, co-president of Churches United for Justice, said the new administrator will need more than management experience.
His organization has been advocating for a low-barrier homeless shelter in Wyandotte County and said they would like to see a permanent home for the Willa Gill Center by the end of 2026 — something they had the mayor and some commissioners commit to publicly in April.
The idea is for the relocated center to be within a close proximity to the current center, which sits downtown at 645 Nebraska Ave. and across the street from the Frank Williams Outreach Center.
Draper said there is $2 million in federal funding that expires at the end of the year for the center’s relocation.
"They also have to have a heart and a feel for the community they're in, and they have to feel compassion,” Draper said.
Draper said he served on the current mayor's Unhoused Strategy Implementation Team alongside Howze and expressed cautious optimism about the interim pick.
"We've had very good interactions with Alan Howze," Draper said.
As for who should permanently lead the UG, Barnes said the answer isn't clear yet.
"We don't have the solution, but hopefully the person that comes on board will have some answers,” Barnes said. “But they need to focus on the urban core.”
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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