OSWEGO — The CEO of the SEK Juneteenth Foundation on Monday lambasted Labette County commissioners for a perceived lack of support of the county, state and national holiday that is celebrated in Parsons.
Sontana Johnson, who established the not-for-profit Juneteenth Foundation in 2024, visited with commissioners late Monday morning. In April, she contacted Commission Chairman Vince Schibi seeking the county’s support of the Juneteenth celebration in Parsons. A dollar figure was not mentioned in the request, according to Schibi, and a dollar figure was not mentioned Monday.
On April 30, the commission discussed the request and determined, “they would continue their policy of not donating county taxpayer funds for community celebrations,” according to the commission minutes from that meeting.
Johnson told Schibi that she wondered why the county would not support Juneteenth as a way to unite with the Black community.
“That has nothing to do with it,” Schibi said.
“It has everything to do with it, sir. I truly believe that,” Johnson said.
Johnson said, “I need an answer about why you guys will not unite with Juneteenth and become a part of something that is good, something that is right, something that is perfect, something that you should be doing as Labette County commissioners.”
Schibi said he did support her, but Johnson interrupted and said she’d been organizing Juneteenth since 2016 and he hadn’t supported it yet.
He said he wasn’t going to forced into supporting anything. He said he still has a family to raise, and that doesn’t allow him to attend all events.
Johnson and a woman with her asked how he was being forced to offer support.
“Here’s the deal. We haven’t given money to Katy Days, to Oswegofest, to Chetopa…,” Schibi said, adding that the commission doesn’t just pass out taxpayer money.
Someone pounded a fist or fists on the table that Johnson sitting at, and Johnson yelled, “I am a taxpayer. I am a taxpayer. Who the hell do you think I am?”
Schibi pointed out that organizers of the other community events that the county doesn’t support financially are also taxpayers.
Johnson and the woman with her mentioned that the county supports the county fair.
The county has supported the county fair for decades based on state law that requires taxpayer funding once a suitable county fairground is established. According to KSA 2-132, …“the board of county commissioners shall annually at the time set by law for making levies, levy a tax for the erection, maintenance, upkeep and repair of the equipment, buildings and improvements thereon, the care of the grounds, the payment of premiums and awards, the actual expense of operating the fair, and retiring any indebtedness on lands received through gift, devise or purchase. …” This year, the county provided $50,000 to the Labette County Fair Board, which uses most, if not all, of the money to pay down debt used to improve buildings at the fairgrounds in Oswego.
The amount of support has increased over the years. In the 1960s and 1970s the amount hovered in the $2,000 range, according to Sun archives that showed the county’s published budget. The first county fair took place in 1911 in Oswego.
Schibi told Johnson that she wasn’t going to get anywhere with the way she was addressing the commission, and that she would have trouble getting support for Juneteenth if she treated people like she did on Monday. He said that Johnson called him a racist in the voicemail she left him after finding out the county wouldn’t provide support to Juneteenth.
Johnson disagreed, then said: “Well, sir, what are you showing me? You’re showing me you don’t care about us.”
Schibi told Johnson that she was out of line after the commentary continued.
As she left the meeting, she told commissioners that she was going above their heads. “You’d better be ready. You’d better be ready.”
Commissioners discussed the exchange after Johnson and those with her left the meeting room.
County Counselor Brian Johnson noted that Sontana Johnson never mentioned an amount that she wanted the county to provide. She mentioned support, and commissioners said they supported her, he said.
Commissioner Terry Weidert said, “The taxpayers trust us to keep focused on the county. Not special events.”
The counselor noted the language in the statute that the county “shall” provide support to the fair board. Fair board representatives attend commission meetings around county budget time to discuss projects and to make a request to the county.
Commissioner Tom Barrett suggested that the commission put out a statement that commissioners support Juneteenth and to encourage the public to attend.
The Sun contacted Schibi after the meeting to inquire about the conversation with Sontana Johnson in April when she asked for the county’s support of Juneteenth. He said that after the commission discussed the issue, he got busy and wasn’t timely in getting back to her.
“The commissioners might not be financial supporters of Juneteenth, but we do support the holiday and what it stands for. I hold no ill will and will be open to a mutual respect moving forward,” he said.
