“Poisoned Media” Slams Constitutional Sheriff for Doing his Job
“Sheriff Hayden’s partisan election lies poison what makes Johnson County life so good“
MIKE KELLY July 17, 2022, 3:00 AM
Last week, Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden told a group of fringe right-wing extremists that he is continuing to investigate Johnson County election results, alleging his sheriff’s deputies are “evaluating” county election machines. At an event last month, he publicly implied Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly was corrupt and said that the Johnson County sheriff’s deputies would be assigned election duties to “tighten” oversight and security of the vote. He said: “We will fix this.”
Fix what?
Kansas’ Republican secretary of state and local nonpartisan election officials have repeatedly confirmed there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Johnson County. But Hayden and others don’t like the results, so he continues a wasteful and reckless campaign of partisan discrediting of our elections.
That’s not how democracy works. This is exactly the type of extremism that damages our reputation and our democracy, and has no place in Johnson County. Yet, starting with Donald Trump’s Big Lie, we have seen it leach its way down from the national and state levels to rear its head within local government — the layer of government closest to the people that provides some of society’s most essential services.
Unfortunately, this distraction from reality has gripped those seeking the county’s highest office. At a forum last week, two of the four candidates in the race for Johnson County chair wouldn’t recognize, when pressed, that Joe Biden is the president of the United States of America.
Using money from the pockets of Johnson County residents to “investigate’‘ false claims of election fraud is a politically motivated stunt at taxpayers’ expense. At a time when we are all feeling the squeeze of rising costs, it is especially egregious. And it’s a distraction from the real work county officials should be focused on.
Johnson County is a great place to live, raise a family, run a business and retire. That doesn’t happen by accident, and it’s not guaranteed. The leaders we elect and policies we put in place have a tremendous impact on our economy and everyday lives. Johnson County has become one of the nation’s premier counties, and if its status is to remain, we can’t be afraid to dismiss toxic rhetoric and instead focus on policies that create a vibrant economy and community — things like its top-notch public schools, exceptional resident services and smart investments in regional infrastructure.
In Roeland Park, where I’m serving my fifth year as mayor, we’ve shown that a community encompassing a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and political viewpoints can govern effectively without resorting to the poisonous dynamics of hyperpartisan politics. We did this by focusing on the priorities that matter most to people: lowering the property tax burden on our residents without sacrificing services, expanding our economy, supporting our current businesses, and looking for innovative ways to attract new growth and industry — especially in key sectors such as engineering design and biosciences.
In a similar vein, Johnson County’s strong fiscal position and the region’s robust response to the pandemic give us a unique opportunity to utilize funding from the American Rescue Plan funding and Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to pursue once-in-a-generation opportunities. Our focus as a county should be on addressing systemic challenges and overarching priorities without delay, not on disinformation that leads to distrust in our county government — and in each other.
We’re on the verge of historic opportunities in Johnson County. We can’t afford to let extremists take control of our local government and its resources when so much is at stake. We can’t go back to the dangerous lies of Donald Trump or the disastrous policies of Sam Brownback. As a lifelong resident, I know Johnson County demands better.
At this historic moment, let’s ditch the political games and elect leaders focused on our future. Let’s go, JoCo.
Mike Kelly is the mayor of Roeland Park and a candidate for Johnson County Board of Commission chairman .
Information on the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office has grown from a one man department to an internationally recognized leading organization in the law enforcement community. The Sheriff’s Office now employs over 450 sworn Deputies and over 125 Civilian employees. With a full range of public safety duties including two Adult Detention Centers, Road Patrol, Communications, Investigations, Warrants, Civil Division, a Criminalistics Laboratory and many other Divisions, the Sheriff’s Office is able to provide quality law enforcement to the citizens of Johnson County.
The following links will take you to the Sheriff’s website. They will open in a new browser window.
