IN THEIR WORDS: What public officials do for us. County Commissioner Janeé Hanzlick, Johnson County, KS

They say all politics is local. And you can't get much more local than the county, one of America’s original forms of government that dates back to 1634 when the first county governments (known as shires) were established in Virginia.

In this episode of IN THEIR WORDS, we're joined by Janeé Hanzlick, Johnson County (KS) Board of County Commissioners, District 4. Commissioner Hanzlick explains how county government fits within the vast, often puzzling structure of state governance, melding with the towns, cities, schools, sheriffs and others.

Thoughtful, empathetic, devoted to the community she serves, the former CEO of Safehome, Johnson County’s domestic violence agency, takes the barbs of sometimes angry, frustrated, even armed constituents – that increasingly come with being a public official nowadays.

"Sometimes we get it wrong," she says, "but we're trying to leave things better than we found them. This opportunity is a privilege, not an entitlement or source of self-identity. When my time is up, I'll do my best to help prepare the next person to have that privilege."

Episode Notes:
-More about this episode and Commissioner Hanzlick's full bio can be found at https://www.citizenartscreative.org/intheirwords
-National Association of Counties (NACO) website: https://www.naco.org/
-Two books Commissioner Hanzlick recommends to learn more about county government:
Governing on the Ground: The Past, Present, and Future of County Government by Peter Golden. Archway Publishing, 2023. (https://www.archwaypublishing.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/844620-governing-on-the-ground)
And
Now What?: A Practical Guide for Newly Elected Officials by Larry Tramutola.  Mill City Press Inc., 2013. (https://www.amazon.com/Now-What-Practical-Elected-Officials/dp/1935204866)
-Music credit: Frederic Chopin, Waltz in B minor. Music by Nesrality from Pixabay
-CITIZENARTS essential mission is to foster greater understanding of civic issues. We'd love to hear from you about this topic! Email [e-mail] and follow us on Instagram @citizenartsedu, Facebook @citizenartsedu, Bluesky @citizenarts.bsky.social, Twitter/X @citizenartsedu, Threads @citizenartsedu
-We are a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit educational organization. Visit https://www.citizenarts.org/podcasts to access our growing selection of civics-related and historically significant programs. These include:
Hungary’s Cautionary Tale - How Autocrats Broke Democracy; MARCH, an audio drama based on an historically documented moment of Hitler’s rise to dictatorial power; and Liberty vs. Tyranny: Czech Views on Ukraine, Freedom and Democracy Shaped by Strife with Russia
-CITIZENARTS podcasts are presented courtesy of gabbegroup Productions. Copyright © gabbegroup Productions