As 2010 comes to an end and 2011 prepares to get under way, I wish all Johnson County citizens and their families a safe and joyous holiday season and a prosperous and healthy New Year.

The approaching new year and the final days of the old year are bittersweet this time for me. My work on the Johnson County Board of Commissioners draws to a close next month after 18 years, including eight years as your first at-large, publicly elected chairman under the county's Home Rule Charter and a decade as your Third District commissioner.

My thoughts are mixed, but Shakespeare said it best: "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

My career has been a wonderful experience, with plenty of ups and downs, twists and turns, fast and slow paces—sometimes wild and crazy but always fulfilling.

There is nothing more challenging, nothing more rewarding, than public service. As my term on the Board of County Commissioners draws to a close, I express my sincere appreciation to the many people who've made my service to Johnson County successful and very rewarding.

I came to office with the basic assumption that Johnson County citizens expected me to represent their needs and priorities, understand their values, invest taxpayer dollars wisely for future generations, and make Johnson County continue to be a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. These obligations guided my service over the years, and I hope my tenure leaves our community a better place for our children and for their children's children.

The gains we have made in county government over the years are many:

• Maintaining the lowest mill levy of all 105 counties in Kansas;
• Achieving the coveted AAA bond ratings from all three leading credit rating agencies, resulting in significant savings to taxpayers from county investments;
• Championing voter approval of the county's Home Rule Charter and the sales tax for public safety;
• Moving forward on public transportation and crafting a countywide transit system, both critical to our future;
• Creating the Criminal Justice Advisory Council to identify viable alternatives to incarceration and a Citizens Visioning Committee to create a shared future vision for Johnson County that will serve as a road map through 2040; and
• Convening a Leadership Summit for the past four years to facilitate dialogue between city and county leaders, focusing on our common concerns and shared interests.

As a county, we continue to lead in environmental stewardship and sustainability by opening two LEED gold facilities since 2006 and constructing two LEED platinum facilities that will be completed by 2012. LEED certification provides third-party verification that these projects were designed and built to save energy and operating costs, reduce carbon emissions, and maximize the building's environment.

Green construction is only part of our vision. We have created a green legacy by adding new park lands, adopting a goal of zero waste, and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and we have led the way in sustainable business practices through reusing, reducing, and recycling wherever and whenever possible.

Through these accomplishments during my time as your elected public servant, we've become a more transparent, citizen-focused organization. It has long been my promise to bring county government to the people and make it accountable and accessible. It's been a guiding principle throughout my years of public service, and I'm proud to say your county has lived up to that promise.

I thank the many employees of Johnson County Government—the women and men who work every day to ensure that our community remains a place each of us is proud to call "home." They do their jobs well, work hard, make county government function day in and day out, and do the right things for the right reasons.

Perhaps most important to the success of any community—and, therefore, its government—is the active involvement of an informed and active citizenry. Johnson County's ultimate success is the direct result of a strong spirit of volunteerism and civic participation. There really is no adequate way to compensate our community volunteers, because their service is priceless.

The job of chairman hasn't been easy. But I'm pleased to have served for the past 18 years in a position that allowed me to work with elected leaders and county management, past and present, pursuing our shared vision and ideals for the home we all love.

Serving as your chairman has been the second greatest privilege of my life. Being mother to my daughter, Page, and watching my two grandchildren grow are my number-one priority and privilege.

The arrival of the New Year brings me new opportunities. I have always said life is what happens to you while you are planning it, and when plans have failed, I have found that the results have always been better. After some rest, I am eagerly looking forward to the next phase life has in store for me.

I will walk away from county government with fond memories and my head held high. It has been a good experience working with good people, serving great people, and together making the Johnson County community better.

Finally, in the spirit of this holiday season, I wish all residents of Johnson County and their loved ones a peaceful, wonderful, and joyous holiday season and a fruitful, productive, and happy New Year.

Thanks to all of you.
Annabeth