Lawrence hopes to work with KU to research unified government; county still not interested

Lawrence’s city leaders resolved Tuesday to do further research into a unified city-county government, but a day later, Douglas County commissioners restated that they were not interested in the idea of unification.

The Lawrence City Commission, whose members had first brought up the topic with county commissioners at a Sept. 19 joint meeting of local governing bodies, discussed the issue again during its meeting Tuesday night and decided further research was needed.

Per a suggestion from City Manager Tom Markus, city staff will be asking the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs & Administration to study what it would take to unify the city and the county.

Markus said such a review would lay the groundwork for any attempt at unification that could happen in the future.