Memorandum

City of Lawrence

TO:	Mayor and City Commissioners
FROM:	City Manager David L. Corliss
CC:	Debbie Van Saun, Assistant City Manager
Date:	November 30, 2006
RE:	2007 State Legislative Statement

Commissioners,

Attached is the DRAFT State legislative statement.  Also attached is the League of Kansas Municipalities legislative statement.  The City’s statement generally follows earlier statements as many of our issues – home rule protection and preservation of local taxation authority - are likely to always remain as important state legislative priorities.  Among the issues that need City Commission direction is whether to include the following items in the 2007 State Legislative Statement:

►        Amendments to State laws allowing for an increase in State mortgage registration fees to fund a local housing trust fund.  This item has been discussed with the Housing Needs Task Force.

►        Amendment to State law governing municipal fund balances.  Current State law requires that the adopted budget show no greater than a 5% fund balance.  There has been Commission discussion that improved budget transparency would be achieved if the true fund balance amount (i.e. the fund balance amount City officials actually plan on achieving) could be shown in the adopted budget documents.

►        Enhanced energy conservation and environmental efforts on the part of the State.  The draft Statement continues earlier support for increased recycling efforts, however, additional work in this area may be appropriate as well.

Commissioners may have additional items or issues as well that they desire to include in the statement.