A change that has been a long time coming officially took place at the Nov. 10 Derby City Council meeting, with the municipality officially proclaimed as a City of the First Class by Gov. Laura Kelly. Derby is the first city in Kansas to shift to First Class in more than 40 years. Per state statute, cities can choose to transition to a City of the First Class once they reach a population of 15,000 but the change becomes mandatory once it reaches 25,000. With Derby approaching that threshold, city staff decided to pursue First Class status. City Attorney Jacque Butler has been preparing ordinances for the council to adopt with regards to its new status and maintaining normal operations. While Mayor Randy White did note the transition would afford the opportunity for Derby to change forms of government if desired, there are few other potential impacts.
Source: Derby Informer | News
