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§ 21. Delegation of powers of local legislation and administration. The legislature may confer powers of local legislation and administration upon political subdivisions.

History: Adopted by convention, July 29, 1859; ratified by electors, October 4, 1859; L. 1861, p. 53; L. 1974, ch. 458, § 1; November 5, 1974.

Cross References to Related Sections:

Constitutional delegation of authority to cities, see Kansas Constitution Article 12, § 5.

Statutory delegation of home rule powers to counties, see 19-101a et seq., 19-117.

Law Review and Bar Journal References:

Delegation of legislative power to organize school districts, Maurice D. Freidberg, 2 W.L.J. 43, 49 (1962).

Mentioned in "State Control of Local Government in Kansas: Special Legisla tion and Home Rule," Barkley Clark, 20 K.L.R. 631, 681 (1972).

Home rule power mentioned in "Legislation: Citizen Participation via Media Referendum," Mark A. Meyerdirk, 15 W.L.J. 120, 130 (1976).

Groundwater Management in Kansas: A Brief History and Assessment, John C. Peck, 15 Kan. J.L. & Pub. Pol'y, No. 3, 441 (2006).

The Kansas Office of the County Register of Deeds, Robert W. Parnacott, 80 J.K.B.A. No. 9, 32 (2011).

Attorney General's Opinions:

Federal jurisdiction; surplus property and public airport act; certain counties and cities. 79-285.

Fire protection; exercise of home rule authority to raise revenue for salaries of fire fighters. 80-89.

Bond elections; suffrage; qualifications of electors. 87-72.

Authority of boards of education to adopt local option budget; authorization; limitations; notification of county election officer. 95-33.

Metropolitan culture district compact; adoption; use of public funds; county-wide retailers' sales tax. 96-72.

County-city consolidation; legislative authority; delegation and guidelines. 97-21.

Joint recreation commission has authority to enter into agreement with private organization for recreational programming; limitations. 2009-3.

Governing body of a municipality may develop a neutral or impartial explanatory statement on a question it has submitted to the electorate. 2014-4.

CASE ANNOTATIONS

1. Legislature may authorize counties to grant aid to railroad companies. Leavenworth Co. v. Miller, 7 Kan. 479.

2. Legislature may confer legislative or administrative power on county commissioners. Noffzigger v. McAllister, 12 Kan. 315, 320.

3. County commissioners refused to organize new township; held, no appeal. Fulkerson v. Comm'rs of Harper Co., 31 Kan. 125, 127, 1 P. 261.

4. Legislative and administrative power may be conferred on other local agencies. City of Emporia v. Smith, 42 Kan. 433, 435, 22 P. 616.

5. Road improvement statute claimed to be unconstitutional but other controlling questions in the case; court refused to determine constitutionality. Barker v. Comm'rs of Wyandotte Co., 45 Kan. 681, 683, 693, 26 P. 585.

6. County printing, courts cannot interfere with discretion of county commissioners. Comm'rs of Harper Co. v. The State, ex rel., 47 Kan. 283, 285, 27 P. 997.

7. Statute conferring legislative authority on road commissioners, unconstitutional and void. Comm'rs of Wyandotte Co. v. Abbott, 52 Kan. 148, 160, 161, 34 P. 416.

8. County commissioners given authority to compromise and refund county indebtedness. Riley v. Garfield Township, 58 Kan. 299, 303, 49 P. 85.

9. Attempt to authorize change in corporate limits by petition, unconstitutional. Hutchinson v. Leimbach, 68 Kan. 37, 38, 74 P. 598.

10. Power to levy tax conferred on park commissioners, held valid. Wulf v. Kansas City, 77 Kan. 358, 365, 94 P. 207.

11. County commissioners compelled by mandamus to perform legal duty. School District v. Wilson County, 82 Kan. 806, 810, 109 P. 168.

12. Rock-road law does not confer legislative powers on petitioners. Hill v. Johnson County, 82 Kan. 813, 817, 819, 109 P. 163.

13. Initiative and referendum, cities under commission, does not violate section. The State, ex rel., v. City of Hutchinson, 93 Kan. 405, 409, 144 P. 241.

14. Incorporation of cities of third class, action of county commissioners conclusive. The State, ex rel., v. Holcomb, 95 Kan. 660, 149 P. 684.

15. Laws of 1901, ch. 201, held constitutional. Stevenson v. Shawnee County, 98 Kan. 671, 678, 150 P. 5.

16. Legislature may grant county commissioners power to determine judicial questions. Town of Olsburg v. Pottawatomie County, 113 Kan. 501, 502, 215 P. 451.

17. County may be authorized to levy tax for school district although not coextensive territorially with county. Missouri, Kan. & T. Rld. Co. v. Hays, 119 Kan. 249, 237 P. 1029.

18. Section cited in determining validity of act delegating legislative authority to courts. Ruland v. City of Augusta, 120 Kan. 42, 50, 242 P. 456; State, ex rel., v. Drainage District, 123 Kan. 191, 195, 254 P. 372.

19. Legislature can confer only power of local legislation; soil drifting not local matter. State, ex rel., v. Hardwick, 144 Kan. 3, 5, 57 P.2d 1231.

20. K.S.A. 72-3501, 72-3502 not invalid because legislative powers conferred on state superintendent of instruction. State, ex rel., v. Storey, 144 Kan. 311, 315, 316, 58 P.2d 1090.

21. K.S.A. 21-2702, authorizing township boards to determine who may receive 3.2 beer license, valid. Johnson v. Reno County Comm'rs, 147 Kan. 211, 213, 223, 224, 75 P.2d 849.

22. Legislature cannot confer legislative power on county commissioners to create court. Russell State Bank v. Steinle, 159 Kan. 293, 296, 153 P.2d 906.

23. K.S.A. 39-713(g) not unlawful delegation of legislative power to state board; constitutional. State, ex rel., v. Jackson County Board of Social Welfare, 161 Kan. 672, 680, 171 P.2d 651.

24. School reorganization acts of 1945 and 1947 invalid; establishment of schools not a subject of "local legislation." State, ex rel., v. Hines, 163 Kan. 300, 302, 303, 306, 307, 308, 182 P.2d 865.

25. County commissioners' order removing lands from drainage district final and valid. Kowing v. Douglas County Kaw Drainage Dist., 167 Kan. 387, 391, 207 P.2d 457.

26. Act allowing appeal to court from judicial decisions of commissioners valid. City of Salina v. Thompson, Trustee of Mo. Pac. Rly. Co., 169 Kan. 579, 581, 582, 220 P.2d 147.

27. Mentioned in holding board of education's powers under K.S.A. 72-1627 constitutional. State, ex rel., v. Board of Education, 173 Kan. 780, 782, 252 P.2d 859.

28. Validity of planning and zoning act raised but not determined. Duggins v. Board of County Commissioners, 179 Kan. 101, 103, 293 P.2d 258.

29. Water districts; creation; power conferred on county commissioners upheld. Water District No. 1 v. Robb, 182 Kan. 2, 20, 318 P.2d 387.

30. Watershed district act held unconstitutional; not a subject of local legislation. State, ex rel., v. Hodgson, 183 Kan. 272, 281, 282, 326 P.2d 752.

31. Section not violated by grant of authority to state superintendent of public instruction under K.S.A. 72-6743. Board of Satanta v. Grant County Planning Board, 195 Kan. 640, 645, 646, 408 P.2d 655. Upheld: 385 U.S. 6, 87 S. Ct. 50, 17 L.Ed.2d 6.

32. Port authorities act (12-3401 et seq.) does not violate Kansas Constitution. State ex rel. Tomasic v. Kansas City, Kansas Port Authority, 229 Kan. 538, 626 P.2d 209.

33. Port authorities act not violative of section. State ex rel. Tomasic v. Kansas City, Kansas Port Authority, 230 Kan. 19, 21, 630 P.2d 692 (1981).

34. Delegation of power constitutionally valid; standards. State ex rel. Tomasic v. Kansas City, Kansas Port Authority, 230 Kan. 404, 414, 418, 636 P.2d 760 (1981).

35. Authorizing local units of government to reduce or eliminate statewide intangibles tax levy held to be an unconstitutional delegation. Von Ruden v. Miller, 231 Kan. 1, 11, 12, 642 P.2d 91 (1982).

36. Industrial revenue bond 10-year tax exemptions (79-201a Second ) and economic development revenue bond payments in lieu of taxes (12-1742) constitutional. State ex rel. Tomasic v. City of Kansas City, 237 Kan. 572, 586, 701 P.2d 1314 (1985).

37. Cited; statute authorizing intangibles tax (12-1,101) not unauthorized delegation of legislative authority. Cogswell v. Sherman County, 238 Kan. 438, 440, 441, 710 P.2d 1331 (1985).

38. Requiring unanimous vote of county board for incorporation of additional city under K.S.A. 15-123 not unlawful delegation. In re Application for Incorporation as City, 241 Kan. 396, 397, 398, 399, 736 P.2d 875 (1987).

39. Legislative body may not bind its successor as to amendment or repeal of its laws. Red Dog Saloon v. Sedgwick Bd. of Comm'rs, 29 Kan. App. 2d 928, 33 P.3d 869 (2001).