by Holly Allen
A quiet but important question now faces the residents of Valley Falls: Who should be responsible for publishing the city’s official legal notices — the city itself, or an independent third party?
In recent weeks, many residents have stopped by The Vindicator office on their own to sign a petition calling for a special election on that very issue. The petition would allow the people of Valley Falls to decide whether the city should be permitted to act as its own “official publication” by naming the city website as the primary legal source for notices.
Dozens more citizens have called, emailed, or visited the office expressing support for the effort but were unable to sign because they live outside the city limits. Others from neighboring counties who regularly do business in Valley Falls and rely on the newspaper for local information have also voiced concern about the change.
For more than a century, The Vindicator has served as the city’s official publication. During that time, the system has worked quietly and reliably. Legal notices are received, reviewed, published, shared with kansaspublicnotices.com, and accompanied by properly executed affidavits verifying their publication.
This work may seem routine, but it carries real legal importance. Official publications serve as a public record — a documented, verifiable way for citizens to know what their government is doing. When handled by an independent publication, that process also provides a valuable layer of accountability.
The city has suggested that placing legal notices on its own website would give it greater “control” over those documents. But control is precisely the issue many residents are concerned about. Legal notices exist to inform the public, not simply to be stored by the government issuing them. An independent publisher ensures those notices are publicly visible, archived and verified by a third party rather than the same entity responsible for the actions being reported.
In other words, the current system provides a simple but important safeguard: the city does not act as its own watchdog.
There have also been suggestions that deadlines or logistics make the newspaper system difficult. In reality, there have been no missed deadlines or known issues between the city and The Vindicator. The submission deadline remains Monday at noon — more than four days after a typical Wednesday council meeting for the city to submit notices following a vote.
Another hypothetical concern raised by the city is the possibility that the newspaper could someday be sold and no longer be locally owned. At present, that is not the case. And if such a situation were ever to arise, it could be addressed at that time.
Transparency and accessibility are goals everyone shares. Posting notices on the city’s website is a useful supplemental step and can help broaden access. But designating a digital page hosted and controlled by the city itself as the sole official source raises legitimate questions — especially when a proven independent system has served the community for more than 100 years.
Support for allowing voters to weigh in on the matter has been strong. During the last election cycle, 332 Valley Falls residents voted. To call for a special election, the petition requires signatures from just 10% of that number — 34 people.
That threshold has already been surpassed many times over.
However, residents who feel this decision should ultimately be made by the people still have time to add their names. The petition will remain available through Wednesday, March 18.
At that time, the total number of signatures will be shared with the City Council along with a request that the charter ordinance be reconsidered. The goal is not to create unnecessary expense for the city through a special election if common ground can be reached. Efforts have already been made to discuss the issue privately with several council members and with the city’s attorney, Andrew Werring.
Residents are also encouraged to respectfully share their thoughts with city officials about recent decisions affecting the community.
If the ordinance is not rescinded, the petition will be filed with the county election office on Monday, March 23 — two weeks ahead of the deadline — in order to begin the process of calling a special election and allowing the voters of Valley Falls to decide the issue for themselves.
Those with questions or who would like more information may contact The Vindicator office at 785-945-3257 or by email at vindicator@jeffcountynews.com.
Residents may stop by during business hours to sign the petition. For those unable to travel to the office, arrangements can be made for a staff member to bring the petition to them.
At the end of the day, legal notices exist for one reason: to ensure the public knows what its government is doing. An independent publication provides a simple but vital safeguard — a second set of eyes, a permanent record, and a system that does not rely solely on the government to report on itself. Valley Falls has benefited from that arrangement for more than 100 years. The question now is whether the community believes that safeguard is still worth protecting. If so, the people of Valley Falls deserve the opportunity to say so.
