Topeka ? A fight about the possible reorganization of Douglas County government is being waged in the Kansas Legislature.

State Rep. Tom Sloan, a Lawrence Republican, slipped an amendment onto another bill that would allow the Douglas County Commission to set up a charter commission to recommend changes in county government. Those changes then could be placed before voters.

“This is simply a tool the commission can use if it chooses to do so,” Sloan said as the bill won House approval Friday.

But County Commissioner Charles Jones, a Democrat, said Sloan was trying to sneak through a proposal the commission had publicly stated it didn’t want to deal with this legislative session.

“This is a very reckless piece of work on Tom’s part,” Jones said.

Sloan denied being part of any subterfuge. He said the issue of overhauling Douglas County government had been discussed for weeks, since County Administrator Craig Weinaug distributed a memo about possible issues that could be addressed as part of a reform effort.

In addition, Sloan said he was free to propose anything he wanted, despite the County Commission’s public stand against pursuing legislation now to authorize a charter review.

“My rationale is that if the commission decides next month that they want to have a comprehensive study of this, then this is something that is available to them,” he said.

Jones said the idea of overhauling county government needed more public input before the commission appointed a charter group to make changes. “This opens the door to a lot of things. I don’t know what we are buying here,” he said.

Jones said he thought Weinaug and County Commission Chairman Bob Johnson told Sloan to act. Sloan denied the accusation, as did Weinaug and Johnson. Johnson said, however, he was glad Sloan put in the amendment.

“I commend Tom for what he sees as an opportunity to create the wherewithal for the people of Douglas County to do what’s right for Douglas County,” he said.

Weinaug said, “Legislators have minds of their own, and their job is to decide what’s in the best interest of the people they represent.”

In his memo, Weinaug outlined some of the issues that could be addressed by a charter commission. They include:

l Whether certain elected offices should be appointed.

l Whether the County Commission should be expanded to have more members elected on a nonpartisan basis.

The bill that carries the Douglas County amendment deals with the state issuing bonds for business ventures and allowing sales tax revenue from those projects to go toward retiring the debt on those bonds. The measure is one of the biggest economic development proposals this session. It probably will be taken up next week by a House-Senate committee.