It’s fairly routine for city’s near the border of another state to have employees that live out of town and in that border state. However, if a Louisburg woman has her way, that won’t happen. Debbie Keltner is seeking signatures on a petition that would let voters weigh in on a charter ordinance that allows appointed city officers to live outside of Kansas as long as they reside within 30 miles of the city limits. The ordinance exempts the city from the provisions, a state statute that requires appointed officers to be qualified electors of the city. The ordinance is scheduled to go into effect 61 days after the final publication in the newspaper, which puts it on track to go into effect at Monday’s meeting.
That is, unless a sufficient petition is held, in which case, the charter ordinance would need to be approved by a majority of Louisburg voters.
Keltner says she understands that Louisburg is close to Missouri, but she believes appointed officers should live in Kansas. More importantly, she believes voters should have the right to decide on such an ordinance, not just 5 council members. If you would like to sign the petition, give us a call at KOFO and we will get the contact information to you.
