From rec center access fees and some transit fares to constitutional amendments and many elected offices on voters’ ballots — which advance voters will have to return sooner than in previous years — here are plenty of key changes and things to watch for in 2026.

Lawrence rec centers implementing access fees

We’ve reported on this topic a lot over the past year, but in case you’ve missed it: All adults will have to pay access fees to use Sports Pavilion Lawrence and the East Lawrence and Holcom Park recreation centers starting Monday, Jan. 5.

Kids ages 17 and younger who are Douglas County residents will still be able to access the rec centers for free.

Read more about the fees in this article. People can sign up for paid memberships at this link.

People who already qualify for some state and federal benefits may be eligible to receive free memberships. See this article for information on how to apply.

City staff originally planned to close the Community Building to the public except for participants who had registered for activities or paid to rent out the building. However, Lawrence city commissioners on Dec. 16 voted to keep the building open on a trial basis, so it will continue to offer free access for everyone for the first three months of this year.

Lawrence Transit will charge fares for on-demand service

Lawrence Transit buses on city and university routes will still be free to ride in 2026. However, beginning Sunday, March 1, there will be a $3 fare for each ride on the after-hours on-demand ride service.

Lawrence Transit On Demand allows riders to get to and from their destinations when regular buses aren’t available — between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays, from midnight to 6 a.m. Sundays, and during the day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Read more about the change in this article.

Key city positions to change hands

City Manager Craig Owens announced in November that he plans to resign from his role in May.

Lawrence voters elect the five city commissioners, and they give direction to the city manager, who is in charge of all city functions, budgets, departments and administration.

Lawrence city commissioners in December selected a search firm, Strategic Government Resources, to seek out the next city manager. SGR’s senior vice president, Clay Pearson, a University of Kansas alum originally from Lindsborg, will lead the search.

In addition, multiple director positions in city departments are currently open or filled by interim leaders, including Parks, Recreation and Culture, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, the human resources department and airport manager.

A bit of property tax relief for some residents

The Lawrence City Commission, Douglas County Commission and Lawrence school board all approved property tax rates that mean most property owners will face tax increases in 2026. The city commission also approved increases to solid waste, stormwater, water and wastewater rates.

However, there are a couple of changes that will leave a little bit of money in some folks’ pockets.

Douglas County commissioners voted in October to expand a property tax rebate program that aims to help seniors with low incomes and veterans who are disabled with rebates up to $400. Read more about that in this article.

Also, starting this year, some personal property — such as water and marine aircraft; off-road vehicles; motorized bicycles, scooters and mopeds; and trailers weighing a total of 15,000 pounds or less that only see personal use — will no longer be taxable in Kansas. Read more about that in this article.

World Cup coming to Kansas City

Six World Cup matches are slated for Kansas City between June 16 and July 11, and the impacts are expected to reach Lawrence and beyond. That’s especially true if Lawrence ends up hosting an international team’s base camp, which we should know by the end of this month.

One change the city has made thus far is hiking the transient guest tax rate, a sales tax that applies to hotel room stays, to 8% from 6%.

We’ve created a page to track our coverage of changes and preparation related to the World Cup. Find that at lawrencekstimes.com/worldcup.

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2026 Election

It’s too soon to know whether some candidates will face an opponent in a primary election this year, but there will be an August primary because there’s a constitutional amendment on the ballot.

There are a bunch of elected offices that will be on Douglas County voters’ ballots, as well, possibly during the August primary election and definitely during the November general:

• Douglas County Commission seats for districts 1, 4 and 5, currently held by Democrats Patrick Kelly, Gene Dorsey and Erica Anderson, respectively;
• The U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Roger Marshall;
• The U.S. House seats for Districts 1 and 2, currently held by Republicans Tracey Mann and Derek Schmidt, respectively;
• Statewide offices including governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer and commissioner of insurance;
• Kansas House of Representatives seats for districts 5, 10, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 117; and
• Some Lecompton City Council seats and several township clerk positions; see a full list at this link.

You can check which districts you’re in by inputting your voter info at myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView.

No more mail ballot grace period

If you plan to vote by mail in the elections coming up Tuesday, Aug. 4 and Nov. 3, be sure your ballot is either mailed well before the election or dropped off directly in a ballot box.

The Kansas Legislature repealed a law that gave mail ballots three days after Election Day to arrive and be counted. Starting this year, all ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted.

The change could potentially disenfranchise some voters. Read more in this article from Kansas News Service.

Primary election: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026

All voters, regardless of whether they’re affiliated with a political party, will be able to vote in the Aug. 4 primary election.

An amendment on voters’ ballots would make Kansas Supreme Court justice positions elected by voters rather than determined through a merit-based selection process that involves a nominating commission of five lawyers and four nonlawyers.

Kansas justices currently face retention votes every six years, so a majority of voters could remove a justice from office.

The amendment question comes following Kansas voters’ approximately 60-40 rebuke of a 2022 amendment that would’ve paved the way for the Kansas Legislature to ban abortion in the state.

We’ll have ongoing coverage of this issue leading up to the election, but here’s a Kansas Reflector article that shares perspectives on both sides and some background.

General election: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026

In addition to the offices listed above, the Nov. 3 general election will include a second amendment to the Kansas Constitution.

The Kansas Legislature voted to put the amendment on voters’ ballots to ensure that anyone who is not a citizen is not eligible to vote. The state constitution already specifies in multiple places that U.S. citizens are eligible to vote. The amendment changes some of the wording.

Republicans approved House Concurrent Resolution 5004 to put the amendment on voters’ ballots. Democrats argued it was redundant, and an attempt to drive more Republican voters to the polls. Read more in this Kansas Reflector article.

Here are some key election deadlines:

Douglas County voters can register to vote, update their registration or request an advance ballot to vote by mail at KSVotes.org.

• Candidates must file to run for office by noon Monday, June 1.
• Register to vote (or update your voter registration) in the primary by Tuesday, July 14
• Request a mail ballot if desired by Tuesday, July 28
• Register to vote (or update your voter registration) in the general by Tuesday, Oct. 13
• Request a mail ballot if desired by Tuesday, Oct. 27

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Days, Tuesdays, Aug. 4 and Nov. 3.

Holidays and more key dates in 2026 for your convenience

Lots of three-day weekends coming up this year.

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed on Monday, Jan. 19.
• Washington’s birthday will be observed on Monday, Feb. 16.
• Spring forward — set clocks forward one hour — on Sunday, March 8.
• Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, falls on May 25.
• Juneteenth, June 19, falls on a Friday.
• The Fourth of July holiday falls on a Saturday, so the federal holiday will be on Friday, July 3.
• Labor Day, the first Monday in September, falls on Sept. 7.
• Indigenous Peoples Day will be observed on Monday, Oct. 12.
• Halloween, Oct. 31, falls on a Saturday.
• Fall back — set clocks back one hour — on Sunday, Nov. 1.
• Veterans Day, Nov. 11, falls on a Wednesday.
• Thanksgiving — always the fourth Thursday of November — falls on Nov. 26.
• Christmas, Dec. 25, falls on a Friday.
• New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2027, falls on a Friday.

Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.

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