**No, the League of Kansas Municipalities (LKM, officially at lkm.org and headquartered in Topeka, Kansas) does not condone or support mayors (or any municipal officials in Kansas cities, including Topeka) ignoring or failing to follow state law.**
LKM is a voluntary, nonpartisan membership association established in 1910 that represents over 590 Kansas cities. Its mission is to strengthen and advocate for the interests of Kansas municipalities, advance the general welfare, promote quality of life in cities, and provide training, guidance, resources, and legal support to help city officials comply with state laws and operate effectively. They emphasize home rule under the Kansas Constitution (which empowers cities to handle local affairs), but always within the bounds of state law—opposing unfunded mandates while promoting cooperation with state government and educating officials on compliance (e.g., through webinars, legal FAQs, sample ordinances, and resources on topics like child labor laws, ethics, and public safety).
Their Statement of Municipal Policy and resources stress local autonomy where allowed, but never encourage violations of state statutes. LKM exists to help cities navigate and adhere to the law, not bypass it. There is no evidence or policy from LKM supporting officials disregarding state requirements.
**No, LKM does not have a complaint department, hotline, ethics board, or process for citizens to report a mayor (or any official) for not doing their job or ignoring state law.**
- All of LKM's legal inquiries, consulting, training, model policies, and member support services are **exclusively for member cities** (elected/appointed officials, city attorneys, and staff). Citizens cannot submit complaints, access their attorney resources, or get help investigating a specific mayor's alleged violation through LKM.
- Their contact info (300 SW 8th Avenue, Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66603; phone 785-354-9565; info@lkm.org) and website forms are geared toward members only. They do not investigate or discipline individual officials—that's not their role.
**Where a citizen in Kansas (including Topeka) should report concerns about a mayor ignoring state law instead:**
- **Local level (for city-specific ethics or conduct issues)**: Start with your city or town's own code of ethics, if it has one (many Kansas cities, including larger ones like Topeka, do). Topeka's city government may have procedures through the City Clerk or governing body—check topeka.org or contact the Topeka City Clerk's office directly for any ethics complaint process. Complaints are often filed in writing with the city clerk or council.
- **State-level conflict of interest or ethics violations**: The **Kansas Public Disclosure Commission (KPDC)** at ethics.ks.gov handles state-level conflict of interest laws, but for **local-level** conflicts (K.S.A. 75-4301 et seq.), their role is advisory only. Violations are enforced criminally by the appropriate County or District Attorney (e.g., Shawnee County DA for Topeka) or the Kansas Attorney General's office. File a criminal complaint there if it involves conflict of interest.
- **General violations of state law** (e.g., failure to enforce or comply with a specific statute): Contact the relevant state agency that oversees the law, the Kansas Attorney General's office (ag.ks.gov—use their complaint form for governmental issues), or your local District Attorney for potential enforcement or prosecution.
- **Open Meetings Act (KOMA) or Open Records Act (KORA) violations**: File directly with the Kansas Attorney General's office (they handle KOMA/KORA complaints against governmental entities).
- For campaign finance or state-level ethics issues involving officials: The KPDC may have jurisdiction in limited cases, but local officials' general conduct falls more to local/county enforcement.
If this involves a specific state law being ignored in Topeka or another Kansas city, provide more details (like the law or municipality), and I can help narrow the best contact. Otherwise, the most direct citizen-accessible starting points are your local city clerk/ethics process or the Shawnee County District Attorney (for Topeka-area issues) and the Kansas AG's complaint portal. LKM supports Kansas cities like Topeka in complying with the law, but citizen complaints about individual officials go through enforcement channels, not the League.
