Sunday, July 5, 2026

The hands = This information comes directly from the official Shawnee County document “2026 LIST OF TAXING AUTHORITIES” (PDF available from the Shawnee County Clerk’s office).

 2026 Shawnee County Taxing Authorities: Complete List of Officials and Contact Information

Shawnee County taxpayers deserve easy access to the people who oversee the entities that spend your tax dollars. The Shawnee County Clerk’s office has released the official 2026 LIST OF TAXING AUTHORITIES — a comprehensive directory of township officers, city leaders, county commissioners, special district contacts, fire chiefs, and school district administrators.

This document lists the key decision-makers for the many local bodies that levy or receive property taxes in our county. Whether you want to attend a township meeting, contact your fire district, reach a school superintendent, or follow up on drainage issues, this is the go-to reference.

Below is the full compiled information from the official 2026 list (with minor formatting for readability). Always verify current details directly with the county or the individual, as contact information can change.

Townships – Trustee, Treasurer & Clerk

Auburn Township

  • Trustee: Sandy Mitchell, 13134 SW 101st St, Harveyville, KS 66431, slm757@yahoo.com, 785-249-5254 (C), 785-256-6172 (H)
  • Treasurer: Barry Brown, 7321 SW Hodges Rd, Auburn, KS 66402, brown2562493@yahoo.com, 785-633-1418
  • Clerk: Richard Cole, 8937 SW 91st St, Auburn, KS 66402, rcole8937@sbcglobal.net, (h) 785-256-2112, (c) 785-230-4816

Dover Township (includes unincorporated community of Dover)

Grove Township

  • Trustee: Dennis E Lowry, 10204 NW 54th St, Silver Lake, KS 66539, 785-608-9369
  • Treasurer: Jeff Shenk, 11139 NW 70th St, Silver Lake, KS 66539, dukeofgrove@gmail.com, (H) 785-582-4398, (c) 785-608-1360
  • Clerk: Jack K Steele, 7225 NW Humphrey Rd, Silver Lake, KS 66539, steelewildcats@yahoo.com, 785-582-4444

Menoken Township (includes unincorporated community of Kiro)

Mission Township

Monmouth Township (includes unincorporated communities of Berryton and Watson)

Rossville Township

Silver Lake Township

Soldier Township (includes unincorporated community of Elmont)

Tecumseh Township (includes unincorporated community of Tecumseh)

Topeka Township (includes unincorporated community of Pauline)

  • Trustee: Chad Baldwin, 2015 SE 55th St, Topeka, KS 66609, cbaldwin4@cox.net, 785-221-0631
  • Treasurer: Gary Jellison, 2110 SE 55th St, Topeka, KS 66609, jellisonra@yahoo.com, 785-224-3017
  • Clerk: John R Failor, 2005 SE 53rd St, Topeka, KS 66609, jcfailor@cox.net, 785-213-5199

Williamsport Township (includes unincorporated community of Wakarusa)

  • Trustee: Jay Marple, 5524 SW 85th St, Wakarusa, KS 66546, 785-213-0901
  • Treasurer: Kelby Robinson, 9536 SW Burlingame Rd, Wakarusa, KS 66546, kelby.robinson@outlook.com, 785-207-8502
  • Clerk: Richard Bangrover, PO BOX 118, 1949 SW 99th St, Wakarusa, KS 66546, 785-224-0799

Shawnee County Commission

Cities – Clerks & Mayors

Auburn City

  • City Clerk: Darby Magwire, 161 W 9th, PO Box 160, Auburn, KS 66402, cityclerk@auburnks.com, 785-256-2426
  • Mayor: Mark Brown, PO BOX 160, Auburn, KS 66402

Rossville City

  • City Clerk: Lisa Stum, 438 Main St, PO Box 337, Rossville, KS 66533, rossvilleclerk@rossvillekansas.org, 785-584-6155
  • Mayor: James Meyer, 438 N Main St, Rossville, KS 66533, 785-584-6749

Silver Lake City

  • City Clerk: Marie Beam, 218 W Railroad, PO Box 92, Silver Lake, KS 66539, city@SilverLakeKs.gov, 785-582-4280
  • Mayor: Jonah Bishop, 218 W. Railroad, PO Box 92, Silver Lake, KS 66539, 785-582-4280

Topeka City

  • City Clerk: Brenda Younger, 215 E. 7th Room 166, Topeka, KS 66603, byounger@topeka.org, 785-368-3940
  • City Finance: Josh McAnarney (Budget Mgr), jmcanarney@topeka.org, 785-368-3035; Leigha Boling, Lboling@topeka.org
  • Mayor / City Hall: Spencer Duncan, 215 SE 7th Room 350, Topeka, KS 66603, 785-368-3895

Willard City

  • City Clerk: Barbara Cummings, 109 NE 2nd, Topeka, KS 66615, willardkscityclerk@gmail.com, 785-640-3359 / 785-256-4905
  • Mayor: Bud Lees, 127 Holden, Topeka, KS 66615, 785-584-6879

Miscellaneous Taxing / Supported Entities

Drainage Districts

Kaw Drain

  • Jessica Horton, 2330 NW 35th St, Topeka, KS 66618, jessejo12@yahoo.com, 785-845-9423 (c) 785-554-5653
  • Andrew K Lewis (Pres), 1247 NW Humphrey Rd, Topeka, KS 66618, nlewis517@yahoo.com, 785-250-7653
  • Michael McCall (Treasurer), 8640 NW 13th St, Topeka, KS 66618, 785-319-9793

North Topeka Drain

  • Ronald E Meier (Director), 2123 NW 48th St, Topeka, KS 66618, r.meier@att.net
  • Matt Deutsch CPA, 785-232-8078 / 785-234-2244 x 15 (w)
  • Merrill Befort (Attorney), 785-251-1006
  • David Jackson, 2815 NE Rockaway Trail, Topeka, KS 66617
  • Kenneth Guilfoyle, 3432 NW Lwr Silver Lake Rd, Topeka, KS 66618

Rossville Drain

  • Mike Mitchell, 103 E Lake St, Silver Lake, KS 66539, 785-221-0090
  • Dennis R Keller, 11821 NW Hwy 24, Rossville, KS 66533, aeekeller7881@gmail.com, 785-845-6411 (c) 785-584-6412 (text)
  • James L Gentry, PO BOX 265, Rossville, KS 66533, fivegentrys@gmail.com, 785-584-9542 (C)

Shunganunga Drain

Silver Lake Drain

  • Alan S Thomas (Chairman), 3422 NW Thomas Rd, Silver Lake, KS 66539, 785-582-4770
  • Michael R Deiter (Director), 4327 NW Hoch Rd, Silver Lake, KS 66539, 785-640-5911
  • John C Clark (Treasurer), 4144 NW Valencia Rd, Rossville, KS 66539, 785-582-2879
  • CPA Debra Mikoleit, dmikoleit@mikoleit-assoc.com

Tri County Drain

  • John Watt (Attorney), PO Box 56, Wamego, KS 66547, jwattlaw@gmail.com, 785-456-2231
  • Howard Parr (Chairman), PO BOX 416, Rossville, KS 66533
  • David Stadler (Sec/Treasurer), 605 Kross Cir, Rossville, KS 66533

Watersheds

Fire Districts

  • Fire Dist #1: Joe Hawkins (Chief), PO BOX 87, Silver Lake, KS 66539, jhawkins@silverlakefire.com, 785-582-4667
  • Fire Dist #2: Scott Hunt (Chief), 110 E 10th St, Auburn, KS 66402, fire518@cox.net, 785-256-2526
  • Fire Dist #3: Travis Thompson (Chief), PO BOX 756, Rossville, KS 66533, tlthompson341@gmail.com, 785-584-6349; Dan Glotzbach, 13349 NW Hwy 24, Rossville, KS 66533, dan.glotzbach@ks.gov, 785-640-5738
  • Fire Dist #4: Nathan Rewerts (Chief), 315 SW Valencia Rd, Topeka, KS 66615, nrewerts@shawneefire4.org, 785-256-3667; Lou Allen (Treasurer), 1345 NW Valencia Rd, Topeka, KS 66615, loudfg@aol.com, 785-233-4571
  • Shawnee Heights: Kevin Flory (Chief), 2626 SE Shawnee Heights Rd, Tecumseh, KS 66542, kflory@shfd.us, 785-379-0566 x 201
  • Mission Twp Fire: Jason Schone, 3101 SW Urish Rd, Topeka, KS 66614, jschone@missionfire.com, 785-477-4063 (office) / 785-806-3913 (cell)
  • Soldier Twp Fire: Chad Lady (Acting Chief), 600 NW 46th St, Topeka, KS 66617, 785-246-1752

Sherwood Improvement District

Schools (USDs)

USD 321 Kaw Valley

USD 330 Mission Valley

USD 340 Jeff West

USD 372 Silver Lake

USD 434 Santa Fe Trail

USD 345 Seaman

USD 450 Shawnee Heights

  • Superintendent: Sheila Meggers; Financial Director: Sara Darting, 4401 SE Shawnee Heights Rd, Tecumseh, KS 66542, hoyers@usd450.net, 785-379-5800

USD 437 Auburn-Washburn

  • Superintendent: Scott McWilliams; Financial Officer: Brett Bauer, 5928 SW 53rd, Topeka, KS 66610, BauerBre@usd437.net, 785-339-4000

USD 501 Topeka

  • Superintendent: Dr. Tiffany Anderson; General Dir Fiscal Serv: Matt Busey, 624 SW 24th, Topeka, KS 66611, mbusey@tps501.org, 785-295-3071

Source & Notes This information comes directly from the official Shawnee County document “2026 LIST OF TAXING AUTHORITIES” (PDF available from the Shawnee County Clerk’s office).

For the most accurate and up-to-date contacts, visit the Shawnee County website (snco.gov), contact the Clerk’s office, or reach out to the individuals or entities directly. Many of these positions are part-time or volunteer, and meetings are often open to the public.

Why this matters: These are the people and organizations that help decide how property tax dollars are collected and spent in Shawnee County. Knowing who they are is the first step to staying informed and involved.

If you’d like me to format this as a downloadable PDF, Word document, or add any additional analysis (e.g., which entities appear on sample tax bills), just let me know!

Posted in the interest of local government transparency and taxpayer awareness.

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The figure of ~2,563 entities refers to a statewide total from Kansas Policy Institute (KPI) KORA requests in a 2023 report (not specific to Shawnee County alone).

Kansas has roughly 3,900 local taxing entities overall (cities, counties, townships, school districts, fire districts, cemetery districts, special districts, etc.). KPI obtained data on 2,563 of them regarding revenue-neutral rate (Truth in Taxation) compliance.

Shawnee County Taxing Entities

Shawnee County has its own list of taxing authorities (entities that can levy property taxes). The Shawnee County Clerk maintains an official PDF: "updated 2026 taxing authorities.pdf".

This list includes all entities that receive distributions from property taxes collected in the county. Exact counts vary yearly but typically number in the dozens to low hundreds for a county like Shawnee (including subdivisions and special districts), far fewer than the statewide total.

Common Categories and Examples of Taxing Entities in Shawnee County

Property tax bills break down levies across multiple layers. Typical entities appearing on Shawnee County tax statements include:

  • State of Kansas (base levy, e.g., ~1.500 mills).
  • Shawnee County (general county operations, e.g., ~48-50 mills).
  • Cities/Municipalities:
    • City of Topeka.
    • Other cities/towns in the county (e.g., Auburn, Rossville, Silver Lake, etc.).
  • Townships (e.g., Soldier Township, Tecumseh Township, etc.).
  • School Districts (Unified School Districts or USDs, e.g.):
    • USD 501 Topeka Public Schools.
    • USD 345 Seaman.
    • Other USDs serving parts of the county.
  • Libraries: Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library.
  • Special Districts/Authorities:
    • Metro Topeka Airport Authority.
    • Metro Transit Authority.
    • Sewer districts (e.g., Sewer District 2).
    • Fire districts.
    • Cemetery districts.
    • Other special taxing districts (e.g., for parks, improvement districts, or economic development).
  • Washburn University (higher education levy in some areas).
  • Other possible entities: Community colleges, watershed districts, hospital or health districts, improvement districts (CIDs), or other special purpose entities.

Property tax bills show a "Tax Entity Breakdown" with specific mill levies and amounts for the parcel's location. The total varies by location (e.g., inside Topeka city limits vs. unincorporated areas).

For the most accurate, up-to-date comprehensive list for Shawnee County, download the Clerk's PDF or contact the Shawnee County Clerk's Office / Treasurer's Office. There is also a GIS resource showing "Taxing Units" with maps of levy variations.

If you have a specific tax parcel or property address, tools on the Shawnee County site (e.g., property tax search) can show the exact entities levying taxes on it. Let me know if you'd like help drafting a follow-up KORA request, summarizing the KPI report further, or analyzing specific levies!

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 States' Rights: Why Local Control Matters More Than Ever in America

As a fourth-generation Kansan with over 45 years in real estate development and brokerage across multiple states, I've seen firsthand how policies made in Washington, D.C., often miss the mark when they land in Topeka, Shawnee County, or rural Kansas communities. The principle of states' rights isn't some abstract constitutional debate—it's a practical safeguard for effective governance. The federal government simply cannot micromanage the diverse challenges facing 50 unique states. When it tries, we all lose.

The Constitutional Foundation

The framers of our Constitution understood this reality. They designed a federal system where the national government handles defense, foreign affairs, interstate commerce, and a few enumerated powers. Everything else—the vast majority of daily governance—was reserved to the states and the people under the 10th Amendment.

James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution," argued in Federalist No. 45 that the powers delegated to the federal government are "few and defined," while those remaining with the states are "numerous and indefinite." This wasn't an afterthought. It was a deliberate choice to prevent tyranny from a distant central authority and to allow states to respond nimbly to their citizens' needs.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Kansas faces different realities than California, New York, or even neighboring Missouri. Our economy, agriculture, energy production, education challenges, and infrastructure needs aren't the same. A federal mandate crafted in committee rooms hundreds or thousands of miles away often creates more problems than it solves:

  • Economic Development and Regulation: Here in Shawnee County, we've fought for years over TIF districts, CIDs, zoning, drainage, and "shovel-ready" projects. Local leaders and developers who live here understand the soil, the water tables, the workforce, and the market far better than distant bureaucrats. Heavy-handed federal overlays—whether on environmental rules, housing mandates, or labor policies—can strangle projects that would otherwise create jobs and opportunity. I've watched good ideas delayed or killed by rules that make perfect sense in a coastal city but ignore Kansas realities.
  • Education and Family Issues: What works for urban schools in major metros often fails in rural Kansas districts. States can innovate with school choice, vocational training tied to local industries like agriculture and manufacturing, or curricula that reflect community values. Federal "solutions" frequently come with strings, paperwork, and one-size-fits-all testing that diverts resources from actual teaching.
  • Healthcare and Social Services: The opioid crisis, mental health (a legacy concern in our area post-Menninger), and rural hospital access look different in Kansas than in dense population centers. States can tailor responses—whether through Medicaid flexibility, local treatment programs, or prevention strategies—without waiting for Washington to catch up.
  • Agriculture and Energy: Kansas is a breadbasket and energy producer. Federal policies on land use, water rights, or emissions too often prioritize national (or international) goals over the practical needs of our farmers, ranchers, and energy workers who feed and power the country.

When the federal government overreaches, it substitutes elite consensus for local knowledge and accountability. Citizens can more easily influence their state representatives and county commissioners than a faceless agency in D.C.

The Laboratories of Democracy

Justice Louis Brandeis famously called the states "laboratories of democracy." Successful experiments spread; failures stay contained. We've seen this in action:

  • States leading on criminal justice reform, welfare-to-work programs, tax policy, and regulatory relief.
  • Kansas and other heartland states demonstrating fiscal restraint and pro-growth approaches that contrast with high-tax, high-regulation models elsewhere.

This competition drives better outcomes. It encourages states to attract residents and businesses rather than repel them through poor governance. Look at population and economic migration patterns—people and capital vote with their feet toward places that get the balance right.

The Costs of Federal Intrusion

Overreach breeds inefficiency, resentment, and unintended consequences. We've seen it in unfunded mandates, convoluted permitting processes that delay housing and commercial projects, and regulations that ignore local topography, weather, or culture. In real estate, this translates to higher costs passed on to tenants, buyers, and taxpayers. It discourages investment in places like Topeka that are working hard to revitalize and grow.

Federal dominance also erodes self-reliance. When Washington tries to be everything to everyone, states abdicate responsibility, and citizens feel disconnected from decisions that shape their daily lives. This fuels the very cynicism and negativity I see too often in local discourse.

A Call for Renewed Respect for States' Rights

I'm not advocating anarchy or nullification. The federal government has vital roles—securing the border, maintaining a strong national defense, ensuring basic civil rights, and facilitating interstate commerce. But it must respect its constitutional limits.

For Kansas and Shawnee County, this means pushing back against unnecessary federal dictates while strengthening our own institutions. It means electing leaders at every level who prioritize local solutions, transparency in incentives like TIFs and CIDs, infrastructure readiness, and putting Shawnee County first. It means supporting policies that let communities like ours experiment, adapt, and thrive based on what works here.

As someone who has lived and worked in multiple states—from California to Florida to Colorado—I can tell you: the beauty of America lies in its diversity of approaches under a shared constitutional framework. Centralized power threatens that. Respecting states' rights protects it.

What do you think? Share your experiences with federal vs. local governance in the comments. Let's keep the conversation going—because the strength of our republic depends on getting this balance right.

Henry McClure is a licensed Kansas real estate broker and founder of MCRE, LLC in Topeka. Follow for more on local development, economic growth, and practical conservatism.


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