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Lawrence school board elects new president, approves renovations for preschool at Woodlawn
Lawrence school board members at their meeting Monday elected GR Gordon-Ross as the next board president and approved a bid to renovate Woodlawn Elementary School to implement a preschool program there.
Latest – All local government news

Revised Lawrence city budget would delay fire station projects, keep mill levy almost flat
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will consider approving a revised 2025 budget that would delay plans to construct two new fire stations and keep the mill levy almost flat, though residents would still see property tax increases.

‘We’re not just loading people on a bus,’ Lawrence’s homeless solutions director says
Questions have surfaced about the city’s policy to prioritize Douglas County residents with homelessness services — among them, how does someone without an address prove they live here? Here’s more about the policy, its purpose and how it’s played out over the last few months.

Douglas County Commission approves 2025 budget; property tax rate is lower but taxes will increase for some
Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday approved their 2025 budget, which includes a lower property tax rate than the current budget but will still increase taxes for many property owners.
Lawrence city Commission

Lawrence Parks & Rec board opposes fees for rec centers
Members of the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Monday said they would not be representing the community if they did not oppose a proposal to charge fees to use the city’s recreation centers.

Lawrence City Commission to vote on maximum budget; property taxes would increase under proposal
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will vote on the city’s maximum property tax rate for 2026. They could decrease the rate before they approve the final budget, but the proposed rate would mean increased property taxes.

Meet the 2025 primary candidates for Lawrence City Commission
We asked Lawrence City Commission candidates about the experience that they believe qualifies them to run, what pressing issues they see in the city and how they’d resolve them, and much more.
Douglas County Commission

Save the dates: Public hearings set for proposed Douglas County budget
Douglas County commissioners will kick off their annual budget process with a series of public hearings set to begin Monday, July 7.

Lawrence Tenants advocate for Douglas County ordinance for tenant right to counsel
A local renter-led advocacy group plans to present the Douglas County Commission an ordinance to guarantee tenants legal representation in eviction cases within the next few months.

Bert Nash employees say financial crisis is due to poor management, ask county commission for accountability
A lack of answers to key questions is one example of a frustrating relationship with executives at Bert Nash, according to a dozen current and previous employees who spoke at Wednesday’s Douglas County Commission meeting.
Lawrence School Board

Preview: Lawrence school board meeting, April 26
The Lawrence school board will review the district’s proposed equity policy, consider an agreement for dual credit classes with Baker University and more.

Lawrence school board votes to close Kennedy Elementary to grades K-5
The Lawrence school board voted Monday to convert Kennedy Elementary to an early childhood community […]

Preview: Lawrence school board meeting, April 12
District to decide future use of Kennedy Elementary building Lawrence school board members will meet […]