K.S.A. 74-5008c

There is hereby established within and as a part of the department of commerce a division of community development, the head of which shall be the director of community development. The purpose of the division of community development shall be to collaborate in partnership with local Kansas communities to provide grants, loans and technical assistance to these communities to stimulate and support economic development activity. In defining this purpose, the department and state government shall recognize that business enterprises make decisions to undertake, expand and locate new business activity within a state and its local communities through an assessment of the combined impact of state and local tax, expenditure and regulatory policies on that firm's prospects for growth and profitability. Under the supervision of the secretary of commerce, the director of community development shall administer the division of community development. The secretary of commerce shall appoint the director of community development and the director shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary. The director of community development shall be in the unclassified service under the Kansas civil service act and shall receive an annual salary fixed by the secretary of commerce and approved by the governor.