A major change to the structure of Lawrence’s city government is on the upcoming general election ballot, and voters will have a chance to learn more about the potential impact.

The discussion is set for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3 in the Lawrence Public Library auditorium, 707 Vermont St.

If Lawrence voters approve, the proposal would introduce four district seats and two at-large seats on the Lawrence City Commission, along with a directly elected mayor.

A panel will explore the pros and cons of the potential change, featuring former city commissioner Courtney Shipley and former candidate Dustin Stumblingbear, co-hosts of the podcast “Lawrence Asks Why.” The podcast explores the proposed change to the form of government in depth through interviews with several prominent Lawrence community members.

Part of the Civic Engagement 101 series, the event is sponsored by Kansas Public Radio in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County.

Recordings of each event in the series will be available on the library’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/@lawrencepubliclib, after each event.

The general election is coming up Tuesday, Nov. 5. Tuesday,

Oct. 15 is the final day to register to vote in Douglas County, and Oct. 29 is the final day to apply for an advance ballot. Douglas County voters can take care of both quickly at KSVotes.org. See more election coverage from the Times at the links below.

More info on the ballot question:

This post is by the Lawrence Times news team.

If you have news tips, questions, comments, concerns, compliments or corrections for our team, please reach out and let us know what’s on your mind. Email us at Hello@LawrenceKSTimes.com, or find more contact info and a quick contact form at LawrenceKSTimes.com/contact.

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