Douglas County’s 2026 point-in-time count showed a 65-person increase in sheltered homelessness, but a city official cautions that the increase doesn't reflect growth in the county’s homeless population.
The “point-in-time count” is an annual, one-night census that is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in order to track and measure sheltered and unsheltered homelessness. In ...
Douglas County commissioners will consider adopting the 2027 budget on Wednesday, which includes a property tax rate decrease from last year.
The proposed budget being considered on Wednesday follows two weeks of hearings from community partners and deliberations between county commissioners that took place in July. Next year’s budget includes approximately $199.6 million with a mill levy – or property tax ...
Lawrence school board members on Monday heard about the principles that will guide the district in creating a new artificial intelligence policy, which is expected to be proposed before the next school year.
Although the board is still some time away from seeing a draft of the policy, district staffers presented three guiding points that will help shape the work of the AI advisory group that's developing it, ...
The Lawrence school board president wants to bring public comment back to school board meetings, but – at least right now – is proposing only letting people speak about specific agenda items being discussed, and not allowing comments via videoconference.
The school board hasn’t had a public comment period for community members to speak at its meetings since December 2025, but in the past it typically ...
As the city and county develop new solid waste plans and landfill demand grows in the Kansas City region, the Douglas County Food Policy Council is urging them to prioritize organic waste diversion to improve soil health.
Douglas and Jefferson counties have prepared a joint, regional Solid Waste Management Plan – which guides the management of solid waste generated within the two-county region as population ...
The Lawrence school district has introduced the key elements shaping the budget for 2026-2027, and staff is proposing a property tax rate decrease.
The school district notified the Douglas County Clerk in July that the mill levy – also known as the property tax rate – for the 2026-2027 budget will not exceed 52.204 mills. One mill is equal to one dollar of property taxes for every $1,000 of a property’s ...
