Someone needs to tell the League of Kansas Municipalities that, during an economic crisis, it just doesn’t look good to spend $240,000 on events to celebrate “100 years of good government in Kansas.”

League officials may be getting that message after sending a letter last week to nearly every city in the state asking for donations of $1,000 to $5,000 to help sponsor a “gala celebration” in connection with the anniversary. The gala is being planned as part of the league’s annual conference in October in Overland Park.

They haven’t had any takers yet, officials said, and they don’t plan to twist any arms given the current financial challenges facing may cities. However, the league itself already has budgeted $240,000 from its reserve fund for anniversary events, including some television commercials and extra events at the annual conference.

The league does a lot of good work in supporting local governments by providing training, legal advice and lobbying services. And officials are right that the quality of local government in Lawrence and across Kansas certainly is worth celebrating.

Still, in the current climate, there is something unseemly about the league taking such a large sum out of its reserve funds and asking cities for additional donations to pay for a “gala” celebration. In a year like this, some of the cities whose dues helped create that reserve fund might rather just have their money back.