<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast click here.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658244888668.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast click here.</a>

Three-day weather outlook

From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MidwestEnergy">Midwest Energy Facebook page</a>&nbsp;today:&nbsp;

From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MidwestEnergy">Midwest Energy Facebook page</a>&nbsp;today:&nbsp;<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMidwestEnergy%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02NUJcVYzZUJMKj6SUW9DqY1d9HHnQBxCF3vwu3CNTq9JR1i3zwUsnuyrSbHd7XcPhl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="806" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658253681822.jpeg" alt="Working at night on a planned project in downtown Hays due to extreme temperatures. (Photos by Midwest Energy)" />
 <figcaption>Working at night on a planned project in downtown Hays due to extreme temperatures. (Photos by Midwest Energy)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658253742601.jpeg" alt="(Photo by Midwest Energy)" />
 <figcaption>(Photo by Midwest Energy)</figcaption>
 </figure>

Extreme heat has Midwest Energy crews working at night on planned Hays project 

Chris McGowne, Joe Leroux, Nathan Leiker and Randy Marintzer
are all on the Republican ballot for the Third District seat on the Ellis County Commission. The primary will be Tuesday, Aug. 2.&nbsp;The Third District is the largest in land size of the three
county commission districts. It is made up of six townships, which includes the
entire eastern edge of Ellis County and an area north of Hays.

After the passage of two quarter-cent sales taxes in 2020, the county 
short-term financial situation has improved but the taxes are scheduled 
to sunset in 2030. How do you propose the county improve its financial 
footing in the long term, and do you believe the sales tax should be 
extended?

I believe that the county should leave the sales tax 
alone. At this point everyone is accustomed to it, so before it sunsets,
 I believe the commission should make it permanent. In so doing, we 
should be mindful of where those funds come from, and use them to better
 the lives of all individuals in the county. We could do this by 
leveraging those funds with private industry or federal funds for large 
capital improvements.  

Past commissions have earmarked a 
portion of the sales tax for infrastructure upkeep and improvements. As a
 commissioner would you continue to support that effort? Why or why not?

 I think earmarking funds for infrastructure upkeep and is a 
wise idea, we can use those intended funds along with federal funds to 
make much needed updates within the county. We are too far behind to use
 those funds in any other manner. 

What do you see as the top concern of Ellis County voters over the next few years and what would you do to ease that concern?

I
 think people are worried about where their hard-earned money is going. 
If the roads stay the same and we don’t see any updates on the bridges, I
 think people will start to ask questions about what the money is being 
used for. To help with this, I think by showing citizens pictures and of
 things being done, and by simply being more visible to the people by 
attending events and answering questions will help alleviate this 
problem. 

Should the Ellis County Commission be more or 
less proactive in economic development in the county and, if so, what is 
the best way to attract business to the area?

The county should 
be proactive in recruiting new business for economic development. The 
best way to help attract business is to keep the business environment 
steady and stable. Do this by keeping taxes at a steady and feasible 
rate, and showing businesses that we have the capital and the desire to 
keep up our infrastructure. If we as residents and commissioners of the 
county are investing in the future of Ellis County, I think business 
will follow. 

The commission has worked with the cities 
within Ellis County on various projects. Do you see any other 
opportunities for continued cooperation? Are there areas where the 
entities need to expand cooperation?

The county has been doing a 
good job in sharing equipment with municipalities within the county when
 it is not feasible for each city to own all of the expensive task 
focused equipment, an example would be asphalt paving equipment. Other 
areas for expansion of cooperation would be telecommunication expansions
 in the future. Wiring and internet is here and is going to be part of 
the ability to recruit and maintain businesses within the county, and at
 this point the county will need to be at the table for all of those 
talks, bringing new and better services to those communities. 

In your view, what is the primary difference between how you would serve as a county commissioner and the other candidates?

The
 primary difference between me and other candidates is that I have built
 my life around Ellis County.  My wife and I have never left to pursue 
lives outside of the county, and we raising our kids using the resources
 of the school system within county. I done the dirty, grimy, hard jobs 
that many of the people paying taxes in the county do. I am as close to 
citizen governance as you may get. 

In what ways does your personal and professional experience qualify you to serve as an Ellis County Commissioner?

In
 personal experience, I have been building a business with my family, 
and know the struggles that come with the ups and downs of markets and 
what it takes to keep your dreams alive. On a professional level, I have
 been on the county zoning board for the past several years helping to 
ensure the focus of the county stays true to our history while being as 
forward focused as possible. I have also spent the previous 10 years 
working with K-State Research and Extension serving as both board
 member and board chair, and creating an extension district with Barton 
County during that time, and was also part of K-State State Extension 
advisory team, helping with policy decisions for all extension. 

What decision made by the county commission in the last few years did you disagree with and what would have been your decision?

Recent
 decision made by the commission that I disagreed with was a zoning 
application in 2021, an individual had followed all the proper 
guidelines to develop an events venue north of Hays, there was no 
legitimate reason for the denial after it was approved by the zoning 
board, and on a personal level, I feel the government should have very 
little authority to advise people of what can be done on their personal 
property apart from illegal actions. 

A group of area 
real estate agents have called for the commission to expand from three members to 
five. Do you believe the commission would benefit from expansion?

I
 don’t feel that more government is ever a good thing. In every 
workplace, it takes workers and managers, once an imbalance happens, 
productivity drops. More managers at the top of the county are not the 
answer. 

Opponents of the effort claim that it will make 
the commission less transparent, do you agree or disagree? What would 
you do to ensure transparency?

I agree that it could easily 
become less transparent, and be abused. To ensure transparency, I 
believe that all business discussed should be easily accessed by anyone 
that would question a decision. 

Editor's note:&nbsp;Hays Post compiled a list of relevant questions for all candidates, who received and responded to that same list.

Hays PostChris McGowne, Joe Leroux, Nathan Leiker and Randy Marintzer
are all on the Republican ballot for the Third District seat on the Ellis County Commission. The primary will be Tuesday, Aug. 2.&nbsp;The Third District is the largest in land size of the three
county commission districts. It is made up of six townships, which includes the
entire eastern edge of Ellis County and an area north of Hays.After the passage of two quarter-cent sales taxes in 2020, the county 
short-term financial situation has improved but the taxes are scheduled 
to sunset in 2030. How do you propose the county improve its financial 
footing in the long term, and do you believe the sales tax should be 
extended? I believe that the county should leave the sales tax 
alone. At this point everyone is accustomed to it, so before it sunsets,
 I believe the commission should make it permanent. In so doing, we 
should be mindful of where those funds come from, and use them to better
 the lives of all individuals in the county. We could do this by 
leveraging those funds with private industry or federal funds for large 
capital improvements. Past commissions have earmarked a 
portion of the sales tax for infrastructure upkeep and improvements. As a
 commissioner would you continue to support that effort? Why or why not?
 I think earmarking funds for infrastructure upkeep and is a 
wise idea, we can use those intended funds along with federal funds to 
make much needed updates within the county. We are too far behind to use
 those funds in any other manner. What do you see as the top concern of Ellis County voters over the next few years and what would you do to ease that concern? I
 think people are worried about where their hard-earned money is going. 
If the roads stay the same and we don’t see any updates on the bridges, I
 think people will start to ask questions about what the money is being 
used for. To help with this, I think by showing citizens pictures and of
 things being done, and by simply being more visible to the people by 
attending events and answering questions will help alleviate this 
problem. Should the Ellis County Commission be more or 
less proactive in economic development in the county and, if so, what is 
the best way to attract business to the area? The county should 
be proactive in recruiting new business for economic development. The 
best way to help attract business is to keep the business environment 
steady and stable. Do this by keeping taxes at a steady and feasible 
rate, and showing businesses that we have the capital and the desire to 
keep up our infrastructure. If we as residents and commissioners of the 
county are investing in the future of Ellis County, I think business 
will follow. The commission has worked with the cities 
within Ellis County on various projects. Do you see any other 
opportunities for continued cooperation? Are there areas where the 
entities need to expand cooperation? The county has been doing a 
good job in sharing equipment with municipalities within the county when
 it is not feasible for each city to own all of the expensive task 
focused equipment, an example would be asphalt paving equipment. Other 
areas for expansion of cooperation would be telecommunication expansions
 in the future. Wiring and internet is here and is going to be part of 
the ability to recruit and maintain businesses within the county, and at
 this point the county will need to be at the table for all of those 
talks, bringing new and better services to those communities. In your view, what is the primary difference between how you would serve as a county commissioner and the other candidates? The
 primary difference between me and other candidates is that I have built
 my life around Ellis County. My wife and I have never left to pursue 
lives outside of the county, and we raising our kids using the resources
 of the school system within county. I done the dirty, grimy, hard jobs 
that many of the people paying taxes in the county do. I am as close to 
citizen governance as you may get. In what ways does your personal and professional experience qualify you to serve as an Ellis County Commissioner? In
 personal experience, I have been building a business with my family, 
and know the struggles that come with the ups and downs of markets and 
what it takes to keep your dreams alive. On a professional level, I have
 been on the county zoning board for the past several years helping to 
ensure the focus of the county stays true to our history while being as 
forward focused as possible. I have also spent the previous 10 years 
working with K-State Research and Extension serving as both board
 member and board chair, and creating an extension district with Barton 
County during that time, and was also part of K-State State Extension 
advisory team, helping with policy decisions for all extension. What decision made by the county commission in the last few years did you disagree with and what would have been your decision? Recent
 decision made by the commission that I disagreed with was a zoning 
application in 2021, an individual had followed all the proper 
guidelines to develop an events venue north of Hays, there was no 
legitimate reason for the denial after it was approved by the zoning 
board, and on a personal level, I feel the government should have very 
little authority to advise people of what can be done on their personal 
property apart from illegal actions. A group of area 
real estate agents have called for the commission to expand from three members to 
five. Do you believe the commission would benefit from expansion? I
 don’t feel that more government is ever a good thing. In every 
workplace, it takes workers and managers, once an imbalance happens, 
productivity drops. More managers at the top of the county are not the 
answer. Opponents of the effort claim that it will make 
the commission less transparent, do you agree or disagree? What would 
you do to ensure transparency? I agree that it could easily 
become less transparent, and be abused. To ensure transparency, I 
believe that all business discussed should be easily accessed by anyone 
that would question a decision. Editor's note:&nbsp;Hays Post compiled a list of relevant questions for all candidates, who received and responded to that same list.

CANDIDATE PROFILE Ellis County Commission: Nathan Leiker

After the passage of two quarter-cent sales taxes in 2020, the county short-term financial situation has improved but the taxes are
scheduled to sunset in 2030. How do you propose the county improve its
financial footing in the long term, and do you believe the sales tax should be
extended?

The portion of the sales tax that went to the county
alleviated some financial pressure on the county in leaner times. Without it,
we may have had to reduce some of the services the county provides our
community or even consider a reduction in county staff. Those things did not
have to happen, and we have the sales tax revenue to thank. In eight years,
when it sunsets, I would be supportive of an extension unless our financial
position dramatically improved between now and then. Many things the county is
doing now will help us improve our financial footing in the long run. Those
things include staying on track with our county budget and utilizing ARPA
funding in a strategic manner.

Past commissions have earmarked a portion of the sales
tax for infrastructure upkeep and improvements. As a commissioner, would you
continue to support that effort? Why or why not?

Infrastructure upkeep and improvement is an investment in
our community and reduces expenses associated with our infrastructure in the
long run. If you do not take the time to invest in preventative maintenance,
you will incur a larger expense down the road when you must replace something
in its entirety well before it would have aged out of service. I would continue
to support those efforts as it will save the county money over time and provide
a better level of infrastructure to our county in the meanwhile. 

What do you see as the top concern of Ellis County voters
over the next few years and what would you do to ease that concern?

Property valuations and the mill levy are concerns that have
been shared with me. What I would say is that the county appraiser’s office has
done a great job of following the direction the state requires that they follow
when calculating the value of property. As the real estate market adjusts, so
should valuations. There is a cyclic ebb and flow to those figures and the
appraiser does well in capturing the correct value of property. To ease
concern, I would urge anyone who is worried to take the time to meet with the
appraiser’s office and learn more about the process so you can see how that
number was calculated. As far as the mill levy goes, the county has done well
with staying within budget despite the increased costs that inflation and
supply and demand have caused. We are at 37.395 mills, and we anticipate the
ability to stay close to there this next budget year. The sales tax provides
the county a benefit that is the equivalent of 7.61 mills. Rest assured that being
a good steward of your money is front of mind to all of us and something that a
couple of us have identified as campaign commitments. So, hold us to that.

Should the Ellis County Commission be more or less proactive
in economic development in the county and, if so, what is the best way to
attract business to the area?

We could always do more. We need to continue to work with
area organizations that promote economic development such as Grow Hays, the
Hays Chamber, and Imagine Ellis County. From being involved with each
organization prior to being a commissioner, I can say that they are aggressive
and efficient about their mission to make Ellis County an even better place to
live, work, and raise a family. The two issues of income appropriate housing
and childcare availability are an impediment to our economic development
efforts. To attract new businesses and to grow current businesses, those issues
need to be addressed. We have great area employers, great schools, and a
wonderful place to live. But if you don’t have housing options you can afford
or a trustworthy place to help care for your child, you won’t want to live and
work here. A strong partnership with the community organizations already in the
thick of the fight is important for us to continue and strengthen so we can
work together to fix these issues.

The commission has worked with the cities within Ellis
County on various projects. Do you see any other opportunities for continued
cooperation? Are there areas where the entities need to expand cooperation?

Most everyday gives us another opportunity to work with a
city within the county. Our public works department and sheriff’s department
are two great examples of the county working to help cities within the county.
Continued support of all the cities is important as we need to work together to
succeed together. I think more of an emphasis on the less populated cities is
something we could work on more as they tend to not have the resources that
Hays has. The success of Hays and the county are connected to one another, and
I respect that the health of Hays has a huge impact on the health of the county.
And when we can focus on a smaller city within the county, we should as they
more need the assistance, and they are an important part of our county too.

In your view, what is the primary difference between how
you would serve as a county commissioner and the other candidates?

The other candidates are all good people. I appreciate their
interest in public service and that they put themselves out there as a
candidate for the seat I currently have. It is not the easiest thing to do, and
it can take time away from your work and family. So, I thank them for being
candidates. A difference between them and I is that I am already your county
commissioner. You know how I will serve because you have been able to see it in
action for the better part of this year. As the only candidate who does not
have a Hays address, I also have a different perspective than they might when
it comes to serving on a county governing body as I look at how an issue will
impact all of the county and not just one city within it. The other three do
not have the combination of my service, leadership, and experience and that is
the primary difference between me as your current commissioner and them as
candidates.

In what ways does your personal and professional
experience qualify you to serve as an Ellis County Commissioner?

For most of my adult life, I have served our community,
state, and nation. I am a former cop, a former firefighter, a former US Navy
sailor, and retired from the US Army. I am hardwired to serve and honored to do
so. In addition to that long record of service and leadership, I have
progressive experience with various Ellis County organizations that make me
well suited to continue my service as a county commissioner. I have served on
the board of directors for the Hays Chamber, Grow Hays, and on the Imagine
Ellis County Committee. I am also a graduate of the state chamber of commerce’s
Leadership Kansas program. During my time as an Ellis County Commissioner, I
have been appointed to the governing board of the Kansas Association of
Counties as a district commissioner and I am an active member of the Kansas
County Commissioners Association. I am well qualified to serve on the county
commission and currently do so. I have the service, leadership, and experience
needed to stay on as your county commissioner.

What decision made by the county commission in the last
few years did you disagree with and what would have been your decision?

From the perspective of having been on the Grow Hays board
of directors prior to being on the county commission, I disagreed with what I
felt was the county not being as proactive in their efforts in the category of
economic development as they could be. Since being on the commission, I have
had the chance to see that my perception was not as accurate as I had thought
and that the county is deeply committed to economic development and
improvements to our community. Two years ago, I did feel like they could have
awarded more funds to organizations like Grow Hays, but a year ago the county
did start increasing their financial investment in economic development and to groups
like Grow Hays.

A group of area real estate agents have called for the commission
to expand from three members to five. Do you believe the commission would
benefit from expansion?

I do not have a preference on a three-, five-, or
seven-member commission. If the majority of residents desire a larger
commission, we should honor that desire and find a way to make it work. No
matter the size, you still need at least three meetings to visit with all of us
commissioners outside of a commission meeting. The reality is that the normal pre-vote
process won't significantly change with more commissioners, but it would lower
the likelihood of an issue not being voted on one way or the other if someone
had to abstain from a vote. That could be a benefit though it is rare that
someone has abstained from a vote. If the voters feel the additional expense of
a larger commission is worth mitigating the risk of that from happening, then
we should take their direction on how to spend their money. I do think if we
increase the commission size, to make it more affordable, we should – if
allowed – do away with the health care plan option for commissioners and take
the salary of the three and divide it by five so it does not cost as much for
our county to have a larger commission. We would still have the costs
associated with redistricting but the costs we can control, we should.

Opponents of the effort claim that it will make the
commission less transparent, do you agree or disagree? What would you do to ensure transparency?

I agree that if the intent is to have enough private meetings
with different sets of two commissioners before a vote to have a better sense
of the outcome of a vote, then, yes, that would make the commission less
transparent. Even if that did not happen, the perception from the public that
it could happen may be enough to undermine the public’s confidence in a fair
and transparent voting process from the county commissioners. No matter how a
vote turns out, it should be done in front of the public in an open forum. All
the commissioners can be called, emailed, and met with by anyone prior to a
vote. This can happen with three, five, or seven of us. I have been very
accessible to anyone who has wanted to visit with me about any issue and that
would never change while I was a commissioner. The other two are also good
about meeting with anyone prior to a vote. What currently can’t happen is two
commissioners meeting outside of a public forum, on record, to discuss an
upcoming vote. If we went to five, then two could meet as it would not be a
majority of the commissioners. Though legal, it would not seem right to me, and
I would avoid those type of meetings to do my part to ensure the transparency
of at least how I would vote. 

Hays PostChris McGowne, Joe Leroux, Nathan Leiker and Randy Marintzer
are all on the Republican ballot for the Third District seat on the Ellis County Commission. The primary will be Tuesday, Aug. 2.&nbsp;The Third District is the largest in land size of the three
county commission districts. It is made up of six townships, which includes the
entire eastern edge of Ellis County and an area north of Hays.After the passage of two quarter-cent sales taxes in 2020, the county short-term financial situation has improved but the taxes are
scheduled to sunset in 2030. How do you propose the county improve its
financial footing in the long term, and do you believe the sales tax should be
extended?The portion of the sales tax that went to the county
alleviated some financial pressure on the county in leaner times. Without it,
we may have had to reduce some of the services the county provides our
community or even consider a reduction in county staff. Those things did not
have to happen, and we have the sales tax revenue to thank. In eight years,
when it sunsets, I would be supportive of an extension unless our financial
position dramatically improved between now and then. Many things the county is
doing now will help us improve our financial footing in the long run. Those
things include staying on track with our county budget and utilizing ARPA
funding in a strategic manner.Past commissions have earmarked a portion of the sales
tax for infrastructure upkeep and improvements. As a commissioner, would you
continue to support that effort? Why or why not?Infrastructure upkeep and improvement is an investment in
our community and reduces expenses associated with our infrastructure in the
long run. If you do not take the time to invest in preventative maintenance,
you will incur a larger expense down the road when you must replace something
in its entirety well before it would have aged out of service. I would continue
to support those efforts as it will save the county money over time and provide
a better level of infrastructure to our county in the meanwhile. What do you see as the top concern of Ellis County voters
over the next few years and what would you do to ease that concern?Property valuations and the mill levy are concerns that have
been shared with me. What I would say is that the county appraiser’s office has
done a great job of following the direction the state requires that they follow
when calculating the value of property. As the real estate market adjusts, so
should valuations. There is a cyclic ebb and flow to those figures and the
appraiser does well in capturing the correct value of property. To ease
concern, I would urge anyone who is worried to take the time to meet with the
appraiser’s office and learn more about the process so you can see how that
number was calculated. As far as the mill levy goes, the county has done well
with staying within budget despite the increased costs that inflation and
supply and demand have caused. We are at 37.395 mills, and we anticipate the
ability to stay close to there this next budget year. The sales tax provides
the county a benefit that is the equivalent of 7.61 mills. Rest assured that being
a good steward of your money is front of mind to all of us and something that a
couple of us have identified as campaign commitments. So, hold us to that.Should the Ellis County Commission be more or less proactive
in economic development in the county and, if so, what is the best way to
attract business to the area?We could always do more. We need to continue to work with
area organizations that promote economic development such as Grow Hays, the
Hays Chamber, and Imagine Ellis County. From being involved with each
organization prior to being a commissioner, I can say that they are aggressive
and efficient about their mission to make Ellis County an even better place to
live, work, and raise a family. The two issues of income appropriate housing
and childcare availability are an impediment to our economic development
efforts. To attract new businesses and to grow current businesses, those issues
need to be addressed. We have great area employers, great schools, and a
wonderful place to live. But if you don’t have housing options you can afford
or a trustworthy place to help care for your child, you won’t want to live and
work here. A strong partnership with the community organizations already in the
thick of the fight is important for us to continue and strengthen so we can
work together to fix these issues.The commission has worked with the cities within Ellis
County on various projects. Do you see any other opportunities for continued
cooperation? Are there areas where the entities need to expand cooperation?Most everyday gives us another opportunity to work with a
city within the county. Our public works department and sheriff’s department
are two great examples of the county working to help cities within the county.
Continued support of all the cities is important as we need to work together to
succeed together. I think more of an emphasis on the less populated cities is
something we could work on more as they tend to not have the resources that
Hays has. The success of Hays and the county are connected to one another, and
I respect that the health of Hays has a huge impact on the health of the county.
And when we can focus on a smaller city within the county, we should as they
more need the assistance, and they are an important part of our county too.In your view, what is the primary difference between how
you would serve as a county commissioner and the other candidates?The other candidates are all good people. I appreciate their
interest in public service and that they put themselves out there as a
candidate for the seat I currently have. It is not the easiest thing to do, and
it can take time away from your work and family. So, I thank them for being
candidates. A difference between them and I is that I am already your county
commissioner. You know how I will serve because you have been able to see it in
action for the better part of this year. As the only candidate who does not
have a Hays address, I also have a different perspective than they might when
it comes to serving on a county governing body as I look at how an issue will
impact all of the county and not just one city within it. The other three do
not have the combination of my service, leadership, and experience and that is
the primary difference between me as your current commissioner and them as
candidates.In what ways does your personal and professional
experience qualify you to serve as an Ellis County Commissioner?For most of my adult life, I have served our community,
state, and nation. I am a former cop, a former firefighter, a former US Navy
sailor, and retired from the US Army. I am hardwired to serve and honored to do
so. In addition to that long record of service and leadership, I have
progressive experience with various Ellis County organizations that make me
well suited to continue my service as a county commissioner. I have served on
the board of directors for the Hays Chamber, Grow Hays, and on the Imagine
Ellis County Committee. I am also a graduate of the state chamber of commerce’s
Leadership Kansas program. During my time as an Ellis County Commissioner, I
have been appointed to the governing board of the Kansas Association of
Counties as a district commissioner and I am an active member of the Kansas
County Commissioners Association. I am well qualified to serve on the county
commission and currently do so. I have the service, leadership, and experience
needed to stay on as your county commissioner.What decision made by the county commission in the last
few years did you disagree with and what would have been your decision?From the perspective of having been on the Grow Hays board
of directors prior to being on the county commission, I disagreed with what I
felt was the county not being as proactive in their efforts in the category of
economic development as they could be. Since being on the commission, I have
had the chance to see that my perception was not as accurate as I had thought
and that the county is deeply committed to economic development and
improvements to our community. Two years ago, I did feel like they could have
awarded more funds to organizations like Grow Hays, but a year ago the county
did start increasing their financial investment in economic development and to groups
like Grow Hays.A group of area real estate agents have called for the commission
to expand from three members to five. Do you believe the commission would
benefit from expansion?I do not have a preference on a three-, five-, or
seven-member commission. If the majority of residents desire a larger
commission, we should honor that desire and find a way to make it work. No
matter the size, you still need at least three meetings to visit with all of us
commissioners outside of a commission meeting. The reality is that the normal pre-vote
process won't significantly change with more commissioners, but it would lower
the likelihood of an issue not being voted on one way or the other if someone
had to abstain from a vote. That could be a benefit though it is rare that
someone has abstained from a vote. If the voters feel the additional expense of
a larger commission is worth mitigating the risk of that from happening, then
we should take their direction on how to spend their money. I do think if we
increase the commission size, to make it more affordable, we should – if
allowed – do away with the health care plan option for commissioners and take
the salary of the three and divide it by five so it does not cost as much for
our county to have a larger commission. We would still have the costs
associated with redistricting but the costs we can control, we should.Opponents of the effort claim that it will make the
commission less transparent, do you agree or disagree? What would you do to ensure transparency?I agree that if the intent is to have enough private meetings
with different sets of two commissioners before a vote to have a better sense
of the outcome of a vote, then, yes, that would make the commission less
transparent. Even if that did not happen, the perception from the public that
it could happen may be enough to undermine the public’s confidence in a fair
and transparent voting process from the county commissioners. No matter how a
vote turns out, it should be done in front of the public in an open forum. All
the commissioners can be called, emailed, and met with by anyone prior to a
vote. This can happen with three, five, or seven of us. I have been very
accessible to anyone who has wanted to visit with me about any issue and that
would never change while I was a commissioner. The other two are also good
about meeting with anyone prior to a vote. What currently can’t happen is two
commissioners meeting outside of a public forum, on record, to discuss an
upcoming vote. If we went to five, then two could meet as it would not be a
majority of the commissioners. Though legal, it would not seem right to me, and
I would avoid those type of meetings to do my part to ensure the transparency
of at least how I would vote. Editor's note:&nbsp;Hays Post compiled a list of relevant questions for all candidates, who received and responded to that same list.

CANDIDATE PROFILE Ellis County Commission: Joe Leroux

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

An increase in the Hays USD 489 property tax valuation will mean a lower mill levy for the district's supplemental general mill levy, also known as the local option budget or LOB, for the coming year.

The state sets a general fund mill levy for all school districts at 20 mills. Hays USD 489 also has a set 8 mills dedicated for capital improvements. The supplemental mill levy varies based on property valuation within the district. 

For the 2022-23 school year the district will be decreasing the supplemental general mill levy from 13.309 mills to 12.898 mills. 

In addition, taxpayers will begin seeing the 11.25 mills for the bond issue on their next property tax bill. 

A mailing will soon be sent to taxpayers that reflects the new mill levy rates.

The district plans on conducting its annual budget hearing on Aug. 22.

Cover photo provided by Pixabay.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostAn increase in the Hays USD 489 property tax valuation will mean a lower mill levy for the district's supplemental general mill levy, also known as the local option budget or LOB, for the coming year. The state sets a general fund mill levy for all school districts at 20 mills. Hays USD 489 also has a set 8 mills dedicated for capital improvements. The supplemental mill levy varies based on property valuation within the district. For the 2022-23 school year the district will be decreasing the supplemental general mill levy from 13.309 mills to 12.898 mills. In addition, taxpayers will begin seeing the 11.25 mills for the bond issue on their next property tax bill. A mailing will soon be sent to taxpayers that reflects the new mill levy rates.The district plans on conducting its annual budget hearing on Aug. 22. Cover photo provided by Pixabay.

Hays USD 489 supplemental mill levy to decrease for coming year

Four students from Hays and one from Ellis were among those awarded a total of $1.5 million in scholarships from the Mike Rowe Works Foundation.

Aidan Debey, Christian Koch, Derek Eichman and Jackson Pfeifer, all of Hays, and Zeke Haag of Ellis were selected for the 2022 Work Ethic Scholarship.

Haag and Eichman are also Eagle Scouts.

Students were required to sign a SWEAT pledge, answer questions, provide references and transcripts and make a video for their applications.

You learn more about the program at <a href="https://www.mikeroweworks.org/scholarship">https://www.mikeroweworks.org/scholarship.</a>

Cover photo provided by Pixabay

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostFour students from Hays and one from Ellis were among those awarded a total of $1.5 million in scholarships from the Mike Rowe Works Foundation.Aidan Debey, Christian Koch, Derek Eichman and Jackson Pfeifer, all of Hays, and Zeke Haag of Ellis were selected for the 2022 Work Ethic Scholarship.Haag and Eichman are also Eagle Scouts. Students were required to sign a SWEAT pledge, answer questions, provide references and transcripts and make a video for their applications.You learn more about the program at <a href="https://www.mikeroweworks.org/scholarship">https://www.mikeroweworks.org/scholarship.</a>Cover photo provided by Pixabay

Five area students awarded Mike Rowe Work Ethic Scholarships

Budget wonks in Topeka as well as your county courthouse are wrestling with a big drop in oil and gas tax revenues. Kansas oil producers generated $21.1 million dollars in Severance Tax revenue during the fiscal year that ended June 30th. The total for fiscal 2022 was less than half the $42.3 million in gross collections reported in fiscal 2021. In an email, The Kansas Department of Revenue says natural gas collections were down from $23 million to $6.2 million. Combined oil-and-gas property tax collections for calendar-year 2021 dropped more than 12 million dollars from the year before, to $47.5 million. Kansas crude prices are down more than six dollars from a week ago. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $87.75 per barrel. The benchmark Nymex contract settled Friday at $97.59 per barrel, for a fourth consecutive trading session below $100. But a four-percent spike on Monday sent lunchtime prices over $101 a barrel in New York and over $105 in London.&nbsp; The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline fell 15 cents since last week to $4.52. The auto club AAA says the steady drop in pump prices is due to lower gasoline demand and lower oil prices. The government says gasoline demand dropped more than 14% last week to the lowest July tally in more than twenty years. Kansas prices are down more than a dime a gallon from last week. We spotted $4.49 a gallon at stations in Hays and Great Bend. Your 15-gallon fill-up will cost you half a dollar less than last week, and about four dollars less than a month ago. Kansas operators spudded 742 wells across the state so far this year, up 66% from the tally at this time last year. Independent Oil and Gas Service is scouting current oilfield activity at 407 well sites, up nearly 80% from a year ago. The Rig Count in Kansas is up one rig in eastern Kansas and unchanged at 30 active rigs west of Wichita. Drilling was underway Friday on leases in Ellis, &nbsp;Russell and Stafford counties. The Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes shows 756 active drilling rigs, up two oil rigs from last week. The count in Texas is up four. Oklahoma is up three. New Mexico is down two and Louisiana is down three rigs. There's one new drilling permit in Ellis County among 19 filed in Western Kansas over the last week. Kansas regulators okayed 28 new drilling locations across the state. That's 875 new permits so far this year, compared to 535 a year ago at this time. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 39 newly-completed wells for the week. Twenty-one of those are west of Wichita including two wells in Barton County, one in Ellis County and one in Stafford County. The year-to-date tally is 848 completed wells, more than double the 415 completions reported last year at this time. Oklahoma joins Texas reporting record-breaking oil-and-gas tax collections. The state treasurer reported total tax receipts for the fiscal year that ended June 30th were up 15% at $16.46 BILLION. For the first time in state history, collections from oil and gas production taxes topped $1.5 billion during fiscal year 2022. The tally for last month was $171 million, the highest of any single month. US crude oil inventories increased last week by 3.3 million barrels. The government reports stockpiles of 427.1 million barrels as of July 8th, which is about five percent below the five-year average for this time of year. Gasoline inventories rose 5.8 million barrels, and are five percent below the five-year average.&nbsp; US operators pumped 74,000 barrels per day less crude last week than the week before. The Energy Information Administration says US output remains slightly over 12 million barrels per day for the fifth week in a row. EIA said crude imports averaged 6.7 million barrels per day last week, down 200,000 barrels per day from the week before. The four-week rolling average is 1.2 percent higher than the same four-week period last year Oil-by-rail in the United States last week was down from the week before and down from a year ago. The Association of American Railroads reports 9,395 tanker carloads in the week through July 9th, down 711 carloads from the week before and a 3.9% drop from a year ago. Canadian traffic is up more than 22 percent year over year, but dropped last week by more than a 1,000 carloads. One of the super-majors earned some super profits from its refining business. Bloomberg reports Shell's refining sector may have added more than a billion dollars to it's bottom line in the second quarter. The trading update is the first indicator of just how much cash was flowing into the coffers of major oil companies due to surging pump prices. Refining margins at Shell nearly tripled from the first to the second quarter. A monthly report from OPEC notes that refinery margins at all of the main trading hubs increased in June. The cartel notes that refiners are now increasing their processing rates following peak maintenance season. There are tentative signs that Russia's diversion of crude oil to Asia from long-time European customers is faltering. Shipments to China and India are down by almost 30% from their post-invasion peak. While it’s too early to say with confidence that self-sanctioning and pressure from the US on India, China and other buyers will have a sustained impact, Bloomberg reports there are early signs that Asian nations may not be able to fully replace Russia’s European buyers.

By JOHN P. TRETBARBudget wonks in Topeka as well as your county courthouse are wrestling with a big drop in oil and gas tax revenues. Kansas oil producers generated $21.1 million dollars in Severance Tax revenue during the fiscal year that ended June 30th. The total for fiscal 2022 was less than half the $42.3 million in gross collections reported in fiscal 2021. In an email, The Kansas Department of Revenue says natural gas collections were down from $23 million to $6.2 million. Combined oil-and-gas property tax collections for calendar-year 2021 dropped more than 12 million dollars from the year before, to $47.5 million. Kansas crude prices are down more than six dollars from a week ago. Kansas Common crude at CHS in McPherson starts the week at $87.75 per barrel. The benchmark Nymex contract settled Friday at $97.59 per barrel, for a fourth consecutive trading session below $100. But a four-percent spike on Monday sent lunchtime prices over $101 a barrel in New York and over $105 in London.&nbsp; The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline fell 15 cents since last week to $4.52. The auto club AAA says the steady drop in pump prices is due to lower gasoline demand and lower oil prices. The government says gasoline demand dropped more than 14% last week to the lowest July tally in more than twenty years. Kansas prices are down more than a dime a gallon from last week. We spotted $4.49 a gallon at stations in Hays and Great Bend. Your 15-gallon fill-up will cost you half a dollar less than last week, and about four dollars less than a month ago. Kansas operators spudded 742 wells across the state so far this year, up 66% from the tally at this time last year. Independent Oil and Gas Service is scouting current oilfield activity at 407 well sites, up nearly 80% from a year ago. The Rig Count in Kansas is up one rig in eastern Kansas and unchanged at 30 active rigs west of Wichita. Drilling was underway Friday on leases in Ellis, &nbsp;Russell and Stafford counties. The Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes shows 756 active drilling rigs, up two oil rigs from last week. The count in Texas is up four. Oklahoma is up three. New Mexico is down two and Louisiana is down three rigs. There's one new drilling permit in Ellis County among 19 filed in Western Kansas over the last week. Kansas regulators okayed 28 new drilling locations across the state. That's 875 new permits so far this year, compared to 535 a year ago at this time. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports 39 newly-completed wells for the week. Twenty-one of those are west of Wichita including two wells in Barton County, one in Ellis County and one in Stafford County. The year-to-date tally is 848 completed wells, more than double the 415 completions reported last year at this time. Oklahoma joins Texas reporting record-breaking oil-and-gas tax collections. The state treasurer reported total tax receipts for the fiscal year that ended June 30th were up 15% at $16.46 BILLION. For the first time in state history, collections from oil and gas production taxes topped $1.5 billion during fiscal year 2022. The tally for last month was $171 million, the highest of any single month. US crude oil inventories increased last week by 3.3 million barrels. The government reports stockpiles of 427.1 million barrels as of July 8th, which is about five percent below the five-year average for this time of year. Gasoline inventories rose 5.8 million barrels, and are five percent below the five-year average.&nbsp; US operators pumped 74,000 barrels per day less crude last week than the week before. The Energy Information Administration says US output remains slightly over 12 million barrels per day for the fifth week in a row. EIA said crude imports averaged 6.7 million barrels per day last week, down 200,000 barrels per day from the week before. The four-week rolling average is 1.2 percent higher than the same four-week period last year Oil-by-rail in the United States last week was down from the week before and down from a year ago. The Association of American Railroads reports 9,395 tanker carloads in the week through July 9th, down 711 carloads from the week before and a 3.9% drop from a year ago. Canadian traffic is up more than 22 percent year over year, but dropped last week by more than a 1,000 carloads. One of the super-majors earned some super profits from its refining business. Bloomberg reports Shell's refining sector may have added more than a billion dollars to it's bottom line in the second quarter. The trading update is the first indicator of just how much cash was flowing into the coffers of major oil companies due to surging pump prices. Refining margins at Shell nearly tripled from the first to the second quarter. A monthly report from OPEC notes that refinery margins at all of the main trading hubs increased in June. The cartel notes that refiners are now increasing their processing rates following peak maintenance season. There are tentative signs that Russia's diversion of crude oil to Asia from long-time European customers is faltering. Shipments to China and India are down by almost 30% from their post-invasion peak. While it’s too early to say with confidence that self-sanctioning and pressure from the US on India, China and other buyers will have a sustained impact, Bloomberg reports there are early signs that Asian nations may not be able to fully replace Russia’s European buyers.

News From the Oil Patch: Severance tax collections down by half

Photo courtesy of Ken's Photography of Hays

<div><div itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/VideoObject"><meta itemprop="uploadDate" content="Thu Jun 23 2022 15:45:48 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time)"/><meta itemprop="name" content="Frank Leo"/><meta itemprop="duration" content="P0Y0M0DT0H0M15S" /><meta itemprop="thumbnailUrl" content="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/thumbs/MaO89avA-720.jpg"/><meta itemprop="contentUrl" content="https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/MaO89avA-25NauLGk.m4a"/><div style="position:relative; overflow:hidden; padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/MaO89avA-oVs1oZUT.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Frank Leo" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></div>Photo courtesy of Ken's Photography of Hays

⚾ MEET THE LARKS: Frank Leo

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658173684825.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast click here.</a>

By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension District&nbsp;

Farmers are&nbsp;preparing&nbsp;for planting their next wheat crop this coming Fall. And some of you may be considering choosing a new variety to plant. If so KSRE has several resources available to help you&nbsp;out.&nbsp;

You can go to our Cottonwood Extension District web site at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cottonwood.ksu.edu/">www.cottonwood.ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;that’s cottonwood.ksu.edu&nbsp;click onto the Crops and Livestock tab and then look under Hot Topics for the Barton and&nbsp;Ellis&nbsp;County&nbsp;wheat demonstration plot results as a starting place.&nbsp;The Barton&nbsp;County&nbsp;results are not posted yet, because I do not have the results&nbsp;back&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;K-State Extension&nbsp;Agronomy/Wheat team&nbsp;who put the test in and harvested it.&nbsp;However, I would not base my decisions on the results of&nbsp;un-replicated Count&nbsp;agent&nbsp;demonstration plots.&nbsp;They are&nbsp;used more as a platform to hold a field day each year and discuss the varieties strengths and weaknesses.&nbsp;

Instead,&nbsp;I would highly encourage growers to make your variety selection decisions based&nbsp;more&nbsp;on K-State Agricultural&nbsp;Research Centers&nbsp;replicated wheat performance tests, and&nbsp;any&nbsp;companies replicated tests as well.&nbsp;

These results from the Agricultural&nbsp;Research Centers&nbsp;can also be found on our web site, under Hot Topics&nbsp;section.&nbsp;Another resource under Hot Topics is the&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;Wheat Variety&nbsp;Guide 2022. It has been renamed, it was formerly called the Wheat Variety Disease &amp; Insect Ratings.&nbsp;&nbsp;And lastly Colorado State University has a wheat variety database that provides complete access to variety trial&nbsp;results&nbsp;in Colorado and several other Great Plains states&nbsp;including Kansas. The database also includes private company trial data. You can look at single location trial data, multiple location trial data&nbsp;and do Head-to-Head Comparisons&nbsp;of varieties. The link to the Colorado&nbsp;Wheat Variety Decision tool is also under the Hot Topics section on our web site.&nbsp;

So,&nbsp;farmers&nbsp;to find all of those useful decision&nbsp;aid tools in helping you to choose a possible new wheat variety to plant this Fall. Go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cottonwood.ksu.edu/">www.cottonwood.ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or simply type into your internet browser, Cottonwood Extension,&nbsp;then click onto the Crops and Livestock tab and look under Hot Topics.&nbsp;

Stacy Campbell is a Crop Production Extension agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or by calling 785-628-9430.

By STACY CAMPBELL Cottonwood Extension District&nbsp;Farmers are&nbsp;preparing&nbsp;for planting their next wheat crop this coming Fall. And some of you may be considering choosing a new variety to plant. If so KSRE has several resources available to help you&nbsp;out.&nbsp;You can go to our Cottonwood Extension District web site at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cottonwood.ksu.edu/">www.cottonwood.ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;that’s cottonwood.ksu.edu&nbsp;click onto the Crops and Livestock tab and then look under Hot Topics for the Barton and&nbsp;Ellis&nbsp;County&nbsp;wheat demonstration plot results as a starting place.&nbsp;The Barton&nbsp;County&nbsp;results are not posted yet, because I do not have the results&nbsp;back&nbsp;from&nbsp;the&nbsp;K-State Extension&nbsp;Agronomy/Wheat team&nbsp;who put the test in and harvested it.&nbsp;However, I would not base my decisions on the results of&nbsp;un-replicated Count&nbsp;agent&nbsp;demonstration plots.&nbsp;They are&nbsp;used more as a platform to hold a field day each year and discuss the varieties strengths and weaknesses.&nbsp;Instead,&nbsp;I would highly encourage growers to make your variety selection decisions based&nbsp;more&nbsp;on K-State Agricultural&nbsp;Research Centers&nbsp;replicated wheat performance tests, and&nbsp;any&nbsp;companies replicated tests as well.&nbsp;These results from the Agricultural&nbsp;Research Centers&nbsp;can also be found on our web site, under Hot Topics&nbsp;section.&nbsp;Another resource under Hot Topics is the&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;Wheat Variety&nbsp;Guide 2022. It has been renamed, it was formerly called the Wheat Variety Disease &amp; Insect Ratings.&nbsp;&nbsp;And lastly Colorado State University has a wheat variety database that provides complete access to variety trial&nbsp;results&nbsp;in Colorado and several other Great Plains states&nbsp;including Kansas. The database also includes private company trial data. You can look at single location trial data, multiple location trial data&nbsp;and do Head-to-Head Comparisons&nbsp;of varieties. The link to the Colorado&nbsp;Wheat Variety Decision tool is also under the Hot Topics section on our web site.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;farmers&nbsp;to find all of those useful decision&nbsp;aid tools in helping you to choose a possible new wheat variety to plant this Fall. Go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cottonwood.ksu.edu/">www.cottonwood.ksu.edu</a>&nbsp;or simply type into your internet browser, Cottonwood Extension,&nbsp;then click onto the Crops and Livestock tab and look under Hot Topics.&nbsp;Stacy Campbell is a Crop Production Extension agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at scampbel@ksu.edu or by calling 785-628-9430.

CAMPBELL: Wheat variety selection resources  

One of my favorite movie quotes is the&nbsp;Field of Dreams&nbsp;“I you build it, they will come.”&nbsp;This mantra works in more places than an Iowa cornfield.&nbsp;

We recently returned to western Kansas after a six-year hiatus in northwest Wyoming. Both landscapes offer&nbsp;open space,&nbsp;inspiring western skies, and&nbsp;lots of&nbsp;bird&nbsp;species. In Wyoming we lived near a river and creek that made it easy to recruit&nbsp;species including grossbeaks and tanagers&nbsp;to our&nbsp;tall spruce and cottonwood trees&nbsp;and our big lilac bushes. Our new home has an old ash and several tall pines, but other than sparrows, robins, and grackles, we&nbsp;saw&nbsp;little variety&nbsp;during our first months calling this home.&nbsp;

That’s where the&nbsp;“If you build it, they will come,” quote comes into play. We&nbsp;put&nbsp;5&nbsp;bird bathsaround the yard, planted bushes&nbsp;to&nbsp;hide&nbsp;them&nbsp;once the seedlings grow, and we put in a big garden. Initially, that was for us, but we’ve discovered that our squash, corn, and tomato plants&nbsp;serve as&nbsp;perches that provide the birds with tasty insects as well as observation posts.&nbsp;Yesterday, a hungry robin&nbsp;offered&nbsp;natural&nbsp;insect control when she&nbsp;spied&nbsp;live protein crawling near a cabbage plant.&nbsp;

Hoping we had orioles in the neighborhood, we&nbsp;served&nbsp;grape jelly in an easy-to-perch on dish and oranges sliced in half on a sturdy log.&nbsp;It wasn’t long til we saw not one species but two of orioles visiting our offerings. Pairs of bullock and orchard orioles visited our&nbsp;diner several times a day, taking turns snacking on sweet stuff and picking at orange flesh. Following their meal, they&nbsp;flitted to&nbsp;a&nbsp;bird bath mostly for a drink but sometimes for an entertaining&nbsp;splash bath.&nbsp;The dining room window offers a perfect view of their antics&nbsp;where we can spy undetected.

In Wyoming, hummingbirds called our yard home from late June to late August. We found out that house finches had a sweet tooth and could siphon sugar water from our feeders every bit as&nbsp;well&nbsp;as hummingbirds&nbsp;could.&nbsp;

Here in Kansas, once we offered water, bird seeds, and&nbsp;protective perches, multiple house finches relocated&nbsp;to our yard. We may not have a humming bird feeder out, but they like grape jelly and oranges every bit as much as orioles do.

Though they aren’t interested in our oriole food or bird seeds, western king birds have discovered fresh meat&nbsp;flitting above the garden. These saucy, flying&nbsp;attitudes&nbsp;perform dazzling aerobatics&nbsp;while&nbsp;squabbling with one another before&nbsp;they snag&nbsp;their dinner. I’m glad they joined the menagerie because the&nbsp;bullying&nbsp;grackles don’t intimidate them one bit.&nbsp;In fact, I’ve watched more than one nasty black and iridescent blue tyrant hightail it to a&nbsp;distant neighbor&nbsp;to avoid these&nbsp;airborne&nbsp;warriors.

Now that It’s mid-July, we watch fledged young learn&nbsp;from their parents as they visit the garden, feeders, and bird baths. One&nbsp;juvenile&nbsp;oriole&nbsp;perched&nbsp;unsteadily&nbsp;on&nbsp;waving&nbsp;corn&nbsp;tassels&nbsp;was&nbsp;bound and determined&nbsp;its parents&nbsp;would hunt and put&nbsp;insects&nbsp;in its mouth.&nbsp;Dad cared for&nbsp;the&nbsp;little squawker that day, but&nbsp;my money says&nbsp;free meals end soon.

We still hope&nbsp;to hear a cardinal’s&nbsp;lilting&nbsp;song&nbsp;and&nbsp;see red flashes&nbsp;through&nbsp;pine branches. Based on&nbsp;the number of new birds that have shown up so far,&nbsp;it will happen. When it does, you’ll read about&nbsp;it.&nbsp;

Karen is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan. After a time away, she’s glad to be home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658158605319.jpeg" alt="Karen Madorin" />
 <figcaption>Karen Madorin</figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORINOne of my favorite movie quotes is the&nbsp;Field of Dreams&nbsp;“I you build it, they will come.”&nbsp;This mantra works in more places than an Iowa cornfield.&nbsp;We recently returned to western Kansas after a six-year hiatus in northwest Wyoming. Both landscapes offer&nbsp;open space,&nbsp;inspiring western skies, and&nbsp;lots of&nbsp;bird&nbsp;species. In Wyoming we lived near a river and creek that made it easy to recruit&nbsp;species including grossbeaks and tanagers&nbsp;to our&nbsp;tall spruce and cottonwood trees&nbsp;and our big lilac bushes. Our new home has an old ash and several tall pines, but other than sparrows, robins, and grackles, we&nbsp;saw&nbsp;little variety&nbsp;during our first months calling this home.&nbsp;That’s where the&nbsp;“If you build it, they will come,” quote comes into play. We&nbsp;put&nbsp;5&nbsp;bird bathsaround the yard, planted bushes&nbsp;to&nbsp;hide&nbsp;them&nbsp;once the seedlings grow, and we put in a big garden. Initially, that was for us, but we’ve discovered that our squash, corn, and tomato plants&nbsp;serve as&nbsp;perches that provide the birds with tasty insects as well as observation posts.&nbsp;Yesterday, a hungry robin&nbsp;offered&nbsp;natural&nbsp;insect control when she&nbsp;spied&nbsp;live protein crawling near a cabbage plant.&nbsp;Hoping we had orioles in the neighborhood, we&nbsp;served&nbsp;grape jelly in an easy-to-perch on dish and oranges sliced in half on a sturdy log.&nbsp;It wasn’t long til we saw not one species but two of orioles visiting our offerings. Pairs of bullock and orchard orioles visited our&nbsp;diner several times a day, taking turns snacking on sweet stuff and picking at orange flesh. Following their meal, they&nbsp;flitted to&nbsp;a&nbsp;bird bath mostly for a drink but sometimes for an entertaining&nbsp;splash bath.&nbsp;The dining room window offers a perfect view of their antics&nbsp;where we can spy undetected.In Wyoming, hummingbirds called our yard home from late June to late August. We found out that house finches had a sweet tooth and could siphon sugar water from our feeders every bit as&nbsp;well&nbsp;as hummingbirds&nbsp;could.&nbsp;Here in Kansas, once we offered water, bird seeds, and&nbsp;protective perches, multiple house finches relocated&nbsp;to our yard. We may not have a humming bird feeder out, but they like grape jelly and oranges every bit as much as orioles do.Though they aren’t interested in our oriole food or bird seeds, western king birds have discovered fresh meat&nbsp;flitting above the garden. These saucy, flying&nbsp;attitudes&nbsp;perform dazzling aerobatics&nbsp;while&nbsp;squabbling with one another before&nbsp;they snag&nbsp;their dinner. I’m glad they joined the menagerie because the&nbsp;bullying&nbsp;grackles don’t intimidate them one bit.&nbsp;In fact, I’ve watched more than one nasty black and iridescent blue tyrant hightail it to a&nbsp;distant neighbor&nbsp;to avoid these&nbsp;airborne&nbsp;warriors.Now that It’s mid-July, we watch fledged young learn&nbsp;from their parents as they visit the garden, feeders, and bird baths. One&nbsp;juvenile&nbsp;oriole&nbsp;perched&nbsp;unsteadily&nbsp;on&nbsp;waving&nbsp;corn&nbsp;tassels&nbsp;was&nbsp;bound and determined&nbsp;its parents&nbsp;would hunt and put&nbsp;insects&nbsp;in its mouth.&nbsp;Dad cared for&nbsp;the&nbsp;little squawker that day, but&nbsp;my money says&nbsp;free meals end soon.We still hope&nbsp;to hear a cardinal’s&nbsp;lilting&nbsp;song&nbsp;and&nbsp;see red flashes&nbsp;through&nbsp;pine branches. Based on&nbsp;the number of new birds that have shown up so far,&nbsp;it will happen. When it does, you’ll read about&nbsp;it.&nbsp;Karen is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan. After a time away, she’s glad to be home.

MADORIN: If you build it, they will come

<a href="https://postpodcast.podbean.com/">For more about the Post Podcast, including a full list of episodes and episode transcripts click here.</a>

<div><iframe title="Area economic updates from Grow Hays" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=kr9g4-12779ad-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><a href="https://postpodcast.podbean.com/">For more about the Post Podcast, including a full list of episodes and episode transcripts click here.</a>

🎙 Post Podcast: Area economic updates from Grow Hays

A total of 2,239 students completed associate, bachelor, or graduate degrees at Fort Hays State University in the fall of 2021 and spring of 2022 terms.

Graduates are listed by semester, with their degrees. Graduates who requested privacy are included in the count but omitted from this listing. Graduates without hometowns on file were also omitted from the listing.

FHSU does not release degree lists until transcripts have been verified as having met all requirements for graduation.

The complete list of spring 2022 deans honor roll students of Fort Hays State University can be viewed at:<a href="http://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=-2BFJoAhsjp8losQfY8t-2BZtHUQH3ao2jPA-2FmJhxnmcFn7RIxsDA4fa9R-2F7-2Bps-2BTqseNU-2F2RNeV0WgixnRHc75PA1BOvLcrmNpANy0ryzs3dyRZHyg7fCaFgBJTv20IGWhHHTC3pGfbjrQ-2Fp5GcNnxlGUMIys9j2JGG3vYj5WS0EX0-3D-SpI_r-2BDMsuWuYVmb7-2F1Mu1QL1I-2FJ8-2BHR91nNNNGTTc38Ah0CWayiZL-2BkhdmA3sx0XGnG-2FN1jk6rVQRO9vN7U5rFC-2BcXi909IOPAdkr3SvXFdyn3Ag1h6-2F-2B6atf0vMUKxRgZ-2BAGVxH8Bwo5cwFIoca2bJvjF-2BIhzpLiQBdNW8I-2FKfoMKbtAlOp4et2htQ6I0GBcd-2BiMFG1fUMa8R-2BmYNMpHfK-2FGg5-2BGZ1Z6dNjN0JeualptW5PX-2F9mVrJgh3e8tqz1Rfxv3MQ-2BDXq42seu-2FxfOSWd63UABdK52GDX6H-2FynwOGT5ePU0DdY0dTHpY44gYLHJO8jYMcigRD7MfoABkzf7ldXFL4HM8TJn8vCZwcdTuqFsPzF9T2mPUK1f8Mcq4j0zsC">https://www.fhsu.edu/news/2022/07/fort-hays-state-university-announces-fall-2021-and-spring-2022-graduates</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658165255025.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU University CommunicationsA total of 2,239 students completed associate, bachelor, or graduate degrees at Fort Hays State University in the fall of 2021 and spring of 2022 terms.Graduates are listed by semester, with their degrees. Graduates who requested privacy are included in the count but omitted from this listing. Graduates without hometowns on file were also omitted from the listing.FHSU does not release degree lists until transcripts have been verified as having met all requirements for graduation.The complete list of spring 2022 deans honor roll students of Fort Hays State University can be viewed at:<a href="http://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=-2BFJoAhsjp8losQfY8t-2BZtHUQH3ao2jPA-2FmJhxnmcFn7RIxsDA4fa9R-2F7-2Bps-2BTqseNU-2F2RNeV0WgixnRHc75PA1BOvLcrmNpANy0ryzs3dyRZHyg7fCaFgBJTv20IGWhHHTC3pGfbjrQ-2Fp5GcNnxlGUMIys9j2JGG3vYj5WS0EX0-3D-SpI_r-2BDMsuWuYVmb7-2F1Mu1QL1I-2FJ8-2BHR91nNNNGTTc38Ah0CWayiZL-2BkhdmA3sx0XGnG-2FN1jk6rVQRO9vN7U5rFC-2BcXi909IOPAdkr3SvXFdyn3Ag1h6-2F-2B6atf0vMUKxRgZ-2BAGVxH8Bwo5cwFIoca2bJvjF-2BIhzpLiQBdNW8I-2FKfoMKbtAlOp4et2htQ6I0GBcd-2BiMFG1fUMa8R-2BmYNMpHfK-2FGg5-2BGZ1Z6dNjN0JeualptW5PX-2F9mVrJgh3e8tqz1Rfxv3MQ-2BDXq42seu-2FxfOSWd63UABdK52GDX6H-2FynwOGT5ePU0DdY0dTHpY44gYLHJO8jYMcigRD7MfoABkzf7ldXFL4HM8TJn8vCZwcdTuqFsPzF9T2mPUK1f8Mcq4j0zsC">https://www.fhsu.edu/news/2022/07/fort-hays-state-university-announces-fall-2021-and-spring-2022-graduates</a>

Fort Hays State announces fall 2021, spring 2022 graduates

Online enrollment is open starting today.

For all steps and necessary information click on link below and then choose new or returning student.

<a href="https://www.usd489.com/page/2022-2023-enrollment" target="_blank">https://www.usd489.com/page/2022-2023-enrollment</a>

Kindergarten and new students to the district who have pre-enrolled will receive an email on July 19 with instructions on how to create your Parent PowerSchool account for your children.&nbsp;

In-person enrollment is recommended for new students to the district. This will allow for better direction and guidance throughout the process. The school district staff is here and ready to assist you. Please see below for times and dates or the flyer for more details.

If for some reason you are unable to attend the in-person enrollment days, it may be completed online. Contact <a href="mailto:jreling@usd489.com">jreling@usd489.com</a> for instructions on how to proceed with enrollment.

Needed for enrollment: Child's birth certificate DCF Placement Papers (if applicable)

Hays USD 489 Online enrollment is open starting today.For all steps and necessary information click on link below and then choose new or returning student.<a href="https://www.usd489.com/page/2022-2023-enrollment" target="_blank">https://www.usd489.com/page/2022-2023-enrollment</a>Kindergarten and new students to the district who have pre-enrolled will receive an email on July 19 with instructions on how to create your Parent PowerSchool account for your children.&nbsp;<h2>In-person enrollment</h2>In-person enrollment is recommended for new students to the district. This will allow for better direction and guidance throughout the process. The school district staff is here and ready to assist you. Please see below for times and dates or the flyer for more details.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658170118262.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>If for some reason you are unable to attend the in-person enrollment days, it may be completed online. Contact <a href="mailto:jreling@usd489.com">jreling@usd489.com</a> for instructions on how to proceed with enrollment.Needed for enrollment: Child's birth certificate DCF Placement Papers (if applicable)

Hays USD 489 online enrollment begins today; in-person enrollment Aug. 2-3

A heat advisory has been issued for most of western Kansas, including Ellis County, on Tuesday from 1 to 8 p.m.

With a projected high of 100 degrees Monday, the mercury will jump to a high of 107 Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Dodge City said.&nbsp;

High temperatures are expected to remain in the triple digits at least through Sunday, the NWS predicted, with highs ranging between 100 and 106 for the next week.

There is a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms Thursday and Saturday evenings. Otherwise, skies are expected to remain clear.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658155594224.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A heat advisory has been issued for most of western Kansas, including Ellis County, on Tuesday from 1 to 8 p.m.With a projected high of 100 degrees Monday, the mercury will jump to a high of 107 Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Dodge City said.&nbsp;High temperatures are expected to remain in the triple digits at least through Sunday, the NWS predicted, with highs ranging between 100 and 106 for the next week.There is a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms Thursday and Saturday evenings. Otherwise, skies are expected to remain clear.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Temperatures are expected to be in the 105-110 range for Tuesday afternoon. As a result a heat advisory is in effect for the orange shaded counties. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a> <a href="https://t.co/ILmlux8t02">pic.twitter.com/ILmlux8t02</a>&mdash; NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/1548936883970879488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>

NWS: Mercury will hit triple digits through the week

Michael Berges and Jim Pfeifer are on the Republican ballot
for the First District seat on the Ellis County Commission.&nbsp;The primary will be Tuesday, Aug. 2.&nbsp;The First District represents a portion of Hays and the
northwest part of Ellis County, including the city of Ellis.

After the passage of two quarter-cent sales taxes in 2020, the county short-term financial situation has improved but the taxes are scheduled to sunset in 2030. How do you propose the county improve its financial footing in the long term, and do you believe the sales tax should be extended?

This is a tough question to answer right out of the gate because I have to acknowledge that it spans two election cycles, which is a long time to think in public positions. 8 years may not be much in the normal course of work, but I have to jump to some conclusions; that one I am elected to this first cycle of four years and then that I would rerun for a second term and win that term.  At the end of a possible second term is when the sales taxes would actually expire. A lot can happen in election cycles, not just District 1 but the other two districts and commissioners over 8 years as well. Economic cycles would also likely influence and determine how the County would approach this, so I do not know if I can actually propose anything at this time with that many unknowns.

What I do know is that the county administrator has already projected out over the next 8 years. We do know the sales taxes have been tremendously impactful and helpful in solidifying the county budget and improving the financial stability each year going forward…until the sales tax expires. At that time, the county budget would project to return to the red side of the ledger. Therefore, there will be necessary talks on how best to put the county on a path of fiscal responsibility over the next several years.

If the sales tax expires then one of those options certainly would be to cut services, cut the amount of employees or offset with raising the mill levy. Another option would be to go to the voters, ask for a 10-year extension, and find areas within the county budget that need to be addressed with a new quarter cent sales tax. The third option to weigh and consider is if the residents of the county pursue a permanent sales tax to avoid these questions in the future.

We also have to consider other sales tax questions in the future that will affect the appetite of our county residents for keeping or dropping sales taxes. When the county sales tax is set to sunset (2030) two years later (2032), the USD 489 sales tax would also be set to sunset or likely be coming back to the voters for extension as well. The economic, political, and fiscal environment in the years leading up to those sales tax questions will be the drivers behind the best decisions on how to handle the sales tax and how the county budget will be impacted.

Those are conversations I am prepared to have with the administrator, with future commissioners, with the community at large to find the best path forward when it comes to budget stabilization. I hope that answers the question sufficiently, but I don't think I can sit here 8 years out with so many unknowns and factors and propose exactly what I would do other than be a part of the process.

Past commissions have earmarked a portion of the sales tax for infrastructure upkeep and improvements. As a commissioner, would you continue to support that effort? Why or why not?

This is a little easier question to answer on the sales tax. Yes, I would continue to be in favor of earmarking portions of that sales tax for infrastructure upkeep. There is no shortage of infrastructure projects that need to be addressed throughout the county. I would say mainly bridges, additionally road, and possibly railroad crossings. Needs are always going to exceed the resources so continuing to dedicate available resources is necessary. The current county commissioners in the last couple of years have done a very good job of budgeting and identifying being able to earmark that money for infrastructure projects.

Kansas has more bridges per capita than any other state, and 70% of the bridges in Kansas are under the jurisdiction of counties. As we know in Ellis County, most of our bridges are well over 50 years old and when constructed were not designed for modern agricultural loads. The county administrator has been working to put together a strategic plan and has identified bridgework and infrastructure work that can be addressed each year over the next several years so we can start to systematically take care of our county. We are going to have to look into some sort of bridge investment program. This means, we need to work towards building excess monies towards infrastructure, and build up a reserve fund. While we are better off addressing improvements systematically, unfortunately things will happen that will need to be addressed immediately when structures fail, as we have seen along the Saline River Bridge. The other importance of building up a reserve fund for infrastructure is it gives the county more opportunities to look for grants, which often ask for matching funds.  Therefore, along with just earmarking for infrastructure, I am going to be of the opinion that we also need to build up our reserves so that we can take care of multiple projects when the time comes.

What do you see as the top concern of Ellis County voters over the next few years and what would you do to ease that concern?

I do not have a particular concern; however, I do see a large project coming to the forefront over the next 4 years that will involve multiple departments, entities and governing bodies. It will also certainly involve the county taxpayers and what they believe is going to be the best route to take on this project. This is going to be a project involving the sheriff's department.

I want to clarify first that Sheriff (Scott) Braun is an elected official and I know that the sheriff department is his to run in any fashion that he feels appropriate, I think he does an outstanding job and certainly does not have to take any input from me. I am not going to advocate for any particular direction just outlining what I believe will be occurring over the next several years.

The City of Hays police department and the city management is very seriously considering building a new police building where they would put their own administration, officers and other details of the city police department. That would then vacate some of the shared building that we have now at the sheriff's department and I would be in favor of looking for those opportunities to expand the sheriff's department in the fashion that Sheriff Braun favors regarding expansion or outright new law/judicial/detention center. It is my understanding that we spend over $100,000 a year housing inmates in other countries; however, at one time in our county history it used to be the reverse. Other counties would detain their inmates here in Ellis County and we would charge them and make a profit off it. Therefore, I am interested in finding out if that is a viable path going forward for Ellis County. This is a project that I am looking forward to conversing with our city commissions, Sheriff Braun, Chief Scheibler and the local citizens and taxpayers as we address and secure the safety of our county.

Should the Ellis County Commission be more or less proactive in economic development in the county and, if so, what is the best way to attract business to the area?

I think we need to be more proactive and at the commission level the number one way to accomplish this is from a funding standpoint, so I'm in favor of allocating more funding to what is our economic branch of Ellis county (despite the name) Grow Hays. That organization used to be the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development and over the years modified into the more targeted organization that it is now. Knowing the people that work there, they are present in Ellis and Victoria looking for opportunities throughout the county for economic growth. They are the ones that are able to dedicate their daily activities to finding opportunities for businesses, for housing, and for quality of life projects that attract people and businesses. The commissioners themselves each have their own day jobs, so it is not really in a commissioner’s description to go out, market, solicit, and try to bring in economic growth. The county administrator, whose job is to administer the county, is also not tasked to go out, market, and solicit economic opportunities. Thus, we have to take advantage of the organization, Grow Hays that does that kind of work every day. There are other groups as well I would look towards that could use additional funding in this area such as the Ellis Alliance Association. The best opportunity for these entities to be able to continue to do work, seek, and solicit economic opportunities is stabilizing their funding. Now, there is certainly a bit of a caveat in that our economic branch has to produce tangible results. The dedicated individuals at Grow Hays have and I know they will do exactly that.

Outside of funding, at a commission level, there are a few other ways to provide options. Taxing incentives might be an attraction for businesses or people to come. Zoning changes could also be a possibility that might allow a business or housing to develop. I have been in favor of these kinds of changes and incentives in the past and would be open to considering them.

The third way that the county can work towards ensuring the best position goes back to maintaining its infrastructure and improving infrastructure. We could give millions of dollars to a new manufacturer to come build here, but if there is not a good road or a bridge to their plant hell many good it does if there’s no access to the plant. Therefore, that piece is on the county to make sure we are in a position that looks attractive for those opportunities. Additionally in conjunction with transportation infrastructure will be the need to address water infrastructure. Our rural water districts currently are not allowing new access points or spigots as a county that prides itself on water conservation; I am not advocating that they need to do that at this time. However, as Hays and Russell come to a resolution with their water through the R9 ranch pipeline, I think we can start having those conversations of how we secure our rural water districts to allow more access points and spigots to help with growth develop out in the county. Those are future conversations and how they get resolved is a big unknown, but I think that is going to be a part of our attraction for economic growth.

The commission has worked with the cities within Ellis County on various projects. Do you see any other opportunities for continued cooperation? Are there areas where the entities need to expand cooperation?

There are going to be plenty of opportunities for the Ellis county commission to work with the various commissions in Ellis, Hays, and Victoria. I know Cathedral road is being addressed. I think there is some additional work that is going to be done to finish out that project in the next year. In the city of Ellis, the county helps with some of their chip seal and overlay with their city streets. I am going to push, and I would be an advocate of doing more for the city of Ellis in town streets. I know Ellis Avenue is a concern for the residents as it leaves the city and long term plans for road widening and pavement for trucks.  The 11th Street Bridge in Ellis is going to have to be addressed, I will be pushing to help Ellis out for a solution there.

Around Hays, I think 41st Street will need to be addressed at some point. That would be a larger project probably in the future after the Northwest corridor is completed and that might be the next major project we can look to ease congestion and move traffic. Coordination with multiple entities to address 13th Street in Hays that goes past Hays High out to Commerce Parkway is a road that right now ‘co-owned’. There are sections that are city and sections that are county. I believe there is going to be some work on that road between the state, the school board, city and county. When it is improved then I am going to advocate that the county turn it over to the city of Hays.

I recently attended the Kansas Infrastructure Summit in Wichita, a two-day event going over and informing people from all over the state about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. We all have a tremendous opportunity to build coalitions of interested parties throughout Ellis County and northwest Kansas to bring grant funds to address our needs.  There are many projects requiring collaboration, as a commissioner, I plan to continue my efforts. We are in this together. Each city resident, no matter what city you are in, is also a county resident and so collaboration projects are important.

In your view, what is the primary difference between how you would serve as a county commissioner and the other candidates?

I will start by acknowledging that the county is not going to be in any worse off position with either of us as the representative for District 1. What I know of my primary opponent is that he is a fair dinkum fella that has raised his family well. He is a lifelong resident of Ellis, cares about the county, cares about his neighbors, wants to do right by his community, and is part of a family legacy calling Ellis County home. Those are all qualities that I myself strive for so I do not know if I can speak to differences in how we would serve.

We are at different stages in our lives and backgrounds, so I can certainly speak to what motivates and drives my service to the community.  I am in my 40s, married 17 years, with three elementary age boys, we purposefully moved here 15 years ago to start and raise a family. I take a long-term view of what Ellis County will look like in the next 30 years and what we can do in our decision making today so when I am retired, Ellis County is an attractive place that continues to take care of my needs at that age. 30 years from now our kids will be of my current age and what decisions can we make where Ellis County is a viable place for them to put down their roots for employment, for enjoyment, for health, and for safety. I think it would be a blast in 30 years I have so many grandkids running around that my last name becomes as ubiquitous with Ellis County as my primary opponent's last name. This is the viewpoint that I kind of take on decisions in service to our community; a very long generational view and what it takes today to build towards that future.

In what ways does your personal and professional experience qualify you to serve as an Ellis County Commissioner?

I have been serving on the Hays City commission for 3 years now, so I think the positions are parallel and the experience that I have gained can be drawn on when it comes to making public decisions. I have gone through three budget cycles at the city level and many of those budget requests are very similar. We have to budget for roads, budget for safety, budget for employee salaries/benefits, consider budget requests to outside agencies. In that time I have been a part of sales tax questions, mill levy questions, tax incentive districts, and bond issuances. I have also gained experience on how to deal with public issues as they rise and how to conduct meetings. As a city commissioner, I also see the inner workings of how different departments interact with each other, where the requests are coming and what challenges they face. I take some pride in my public service to at least monthly visit a different department and I would continue to do that as a county commissioner.

I can draw on 10+ years of financial advice service when I worked in that particular industry and still maintain all my financial licenses. Looking at numbers is something that I am constantly doing. I work well with percentages. I work well with understanding bonds, interest rates, levy/mills and how those different pieces interact, change and fluctuate. When I worked with clients, tax rates were very important to understand along with property evaluations. Looking at numbers and looking at large numbers is something that I am comfortable. When it comes to budgeting for a large organization and a taxing authority such as the county, I think these all come into play at some point.

I can certainly draw on my current occupation working with a non-profit with grant writing and major gift planning. I just helped successfully write a Community Service Tax grant. Additionally, my wife works for a non-profit and both of the organizations we work with are very county focused. I can draw from the experience of understanding what our social services need to help those in our county that may find themselves in circumstances requiring help. I think these are all valuable insights to be able to use when trying to make decisions that benefit almost 30,000 people in our county. The culmination of these experiences and insights are valuable as we try to grow our county by gaining access to additional resources.

What decision made by the county commission in the last few years did you disagree with and what would have been your decision?

There was a recent decision during the budgeting process that I strongly disagreed. Big Brothers and Big Sisters as an outside agency requested $5,000 from the county to support their efforts in helping kids through adversities as part of their 2023 budget. The county commissioners denied that request because they pointed out that they are giving away $10,000 in the Duck Races and if they did not give that $10,000 out, they could put that towards their operations. That was just a bad conclusion; the $10,000 is a donation from the car dealerships in town as part of the process to help raise funds for that event.  The dealerships used to come together to give away a car but in the last couple years with cars being in short supply and the price of vehicles going up, they went to a cash donation. That donation is not part of the fundraising efforts and taken out of the proceeds of the event or taken out of the budget from BBBS. In addition, the commissioners seemed to penalize BBBS in their request because they are fundraising effort is going on currently making it a visible event. If the fundraising had been earlier in the year, they probably would not even be aware of it to this extent to deny the request. Most, if not all the outside agencies typically have some sort of fundraising event during the year and they typically give away some sort of prizes. I just could not understand the conclusion that our commissioners came to in denying fully the request by BBBS. BBBS is the oldest and largest youth mentoring program in the nation, they have a solid and valuable program. The question of their fundraising efforts should have been raised during their presentation (and to all outside agencies if that is the reason) or weeks ahead of time from the commissioners instead of zeroing out their request.

A group of area real estate agents have called for the commission to expand from three members to five. Do you believe the commission would benefit from expansion?

As an individual, I really cannot say whether an expansion of the commission would be a benefit or not. That all rather depends on what situation you are looking to work through. When would more voices in the room help? Most budgetary items are straightforward which could probably get through that quickly with fewer voices. Non-budgetary decisions that are brought to the county commission would probably benefit by having a few more voices in the room.

What I do believe is that it is a fair question we should put to the voters and allow all to decide collectively what we believe is proper representation. It is also not a unique question for Ellis County. Recent examples, Reno County last year put it on the ballot and their residents approved a move from three to five commissioners. I know Pottawatomie County will be having it on their ballot to see if they want to change from three to five commissioners. Therefore, as I look around and talk to people in Ellis County and some of the trends throughout the state it seems like a valid question that should be allowed to be on the ballot so that way we get a final collective answer.

Looking at numbers across the state it does seem to show Ellis County citizens are under-represented on average than other counties citizens. Each Ellis County commissioner represents about 9,700 people and that would grow as we expect the county to grow in population. On average across the 105 counties in the state, each county representative represents about 8,400 people. If you take out the top 20 populous counties, given that Ellis County’s number 21, the 85 counties with less population, their commissioners on average only represent 2,500 people. It does seem to display Ellis county commissioners taking on a larger roll then county commissioners throughout the state. Acknowledging, there are more populous counties that still have three commissioners as well as less populous counties with five. I look at all that and I just come back to putting it on a ballot to allow the registered voters to voice their opinion on what they believe is the best representation.

Opponents of the effort claim that it will make the commission less transparent. Do you agree or disagree? What would you do to ensure transparency?

I would have to talk to an opponent more directly to get a better idea of what exactly is inherently less transparent about having five commissioners instead of three. You could follow that line of thinking and say if five is less transparent than three, then three is less transparent than just having one. Why not just have one person make all the decisions for the county and that would be very transparent. You would know exactly who is making the decisions. As I type that and you read it, we conclude that is just silly. We do not run by dictation. Our government believes in representation, so if you believe in representation then there's no reason to inherently believe that if you get more representation by going three to five, all of a sudden, you become less transparent or a worse governing body. The wanted transparency of a governing body is not determined by the number of people elected but the quality of transparency the elected provide.

This question edges on the border of the logical fallacy of a loaded question. The question does not really allow to be answered in the negative because doing so implies that I do not really care whether I am transparent or not and I am not necessarily going to make any changes. If I answer in the positive about what I would do to be more transparent the question implies if I don't do those things then I again haven’t been a transparent person to start and needed changes are the insurance to transparency; otherwise I would continue to be non-transparent.

Being an elected public official is in itself a transparent position. Our meetings are public and our votes are public. My information for contact; email and phone number is public and I can be readily found on social media platforms. We live in a rural county so my day-to-day activities are straightforward. The public will be able to interact with me consistently and be aware of my availability. Holding elected officials to transparency is incumbent on the public and the media to be active in their role. Asking questions ahead of time, participating in the meetings, being engaged and for the media reporting on official decisions and conclusions. The crux of the issue is every decision has to be made on a yes or no vote. When I vote in which a person agrees with the decision they will naturally believe it has been transparent. Moreover, if on the other side, it is a vote to which a person disagrees, naturally they believe something was being withheld and opaque.

CANDIDATE PROFILE Ellis County Commission: Michael Berges

Michael Berges and Jim Pfeifer are on the Republican ballot for the First District seat on the Ellis County Commission.&nbsp;The primary will be Tuesday, Aug. 2.&nbsp;The First District represents a portion of Hays and the northwest part of Ellis County, including the city of Ellis.

After the passage of two quarter-cent sales taxes in 2020, the county short-term financial situation has improved but the taxes are
scheduled to sunset in 2030. How do you propose the county improve its
financial footing in the long term, and do you believe the sales tax should be
extended?&nbsp;

Communicate with all
department heads to ensure there is no wasteful spending to eliminate any sales
tax extension. 

Past commissions have earmarked a portion of the sales tax
for infrastructure upkeep and improvements. As a commissioner would you
continue to support that effort? Why or why not?&nbsp;

Maintaining the infrastructure is a vital
component if Ellis County expects to retain and attract new businesses.

What do you see as the top concern of Ellis County voters
over the next few years and what would you do to ease that concern?

Two top
concerns of the Ellis County voters are 1) unnecessary/needless spending and 2)
maintenance of all county roads. Compelling the department heads to be
accountable for their expenditures. 

Should the Ellis County Commission be more or less proactive
in economic development in the county and, if so, what is the best way to
attract business to the area?

The Ellis County Commission should be more
proactive in maintaining and improving our infrastructure and working and
communicating with the local cities. 

The commission has worked with the cities within Ellis
County on various projects. Do you see any other opportunities for continued
cooperation? Are there areas where the entities need to expand cooperation?

Collaborating
and working with all the cities within Ellis County is essential. The Ellis
County Commission should attend city meetings and communicate with city
managers to determine the best course in working beneficially for all
concerned.

In your view, what is the primary difference between how you
would serve as a county commissioner and the other candidates?

I have the
ability to adapt to different situations and will communicate and be attentive
to the concerns of the Ellis County residents. 

In what ways does your personal and professional experience
qualify you to serve as an Ellis County Commissioner?

With living in the
rural area/community and working on the family farm all my life in Ellis County,
plus working 32 plus years for telecommunication companies, I understand the day-to-day
workings in the rural life and the ever-changing technology affecting both
rural and city. Working daily with the public, I understand and know that
listening and communicating with people is vital. 

What decision made by the county commission in the last few
years did you disagree with and what would have been your decision?&nbsp;

I was very disappointed in the lack of
communication that the commissioners showed when they made the decision to
permanently close the steal bridge on 140th Avenue.&nbsp; I feel the landowners and tenants that used
that bridge everyday should have been notified personally, so they had a chance
to voice their concerns before the commissioners voted.&nbsp; If I am elected, I will be fully transparent
and will make sure if an event like this happens again, I would make sure
landowners and tenants have been properly noticed.

A group of area real estate agents have called for the commission to
expand from three members to five. Do you believe the commission would benefit
from expansion?

To expand the commission from three to five members would
add significant expense to the county budget in addition to the costs of
redistricting the county. 

Opponents of the effort claim that it will make the
commission less transparent, do you agree or disagree? What would you do to ensure transparency?

Disagree. By communicating with residents, attending
city meetings, and other organizations, and being available to listen and
respond to the concerns of the Ellis County residents. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657918419058.jpeg" alt="Jim Pfeifer" />
 <figcaption>Jim Pfeifer</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays PostMichael Berges and Jim Pfeifer are on the Republican ballot for the First District seat on the Ellis County Commission.&nbsp;The primary will be Tuesday, Aug. 2.&nbsp;The First District represents a portion of Hays and the northwest part of Ellis County, including the city of Ellis.After the passage of two quarter-cent sales taxes in 2020, the county short-term financial situation has improved but the taxes are
scheduled to sunset in 2030. How do you propose the county improve its
financial footing in the long term, and do you believe the sales tax should be
extended?&nbsp; Communicate with all
department heads to ensure there is no wasteful spending to eliminate any sales
tax extension. Past commissions have earmarked a portion of the sales tax
for infrastructure upkeep and improvements. As a commissioner would you
continue to support that effort? Why or why not?&nbsp; Maintaining the infrastructure is a vital
component if Ellis County expects to retain and attract new businesses.What do you see as the top concern of Ellis County voters
over the next few years and what would you do to ease that concern? Two top
concerns of the Ellis County voters are 1) unnecessary/needless spending and 2)
maintenance of all county roads. Compelling the department heads to be
accountable for their expenditures. Should the Ellis County Commission be more or less proactive
in economic development in the county and, if so, what is the best way to
attract business to the area? The Ellis County Commission should be more
proactive in maintaining and improving our infrastructure and working and
communicating with the local cities. The commission has worked with the cities within Ellis
County on various projects. Do you see any other opportunities for continued
cooperation? Are there areas where the entities need to expand cooperation? Collaborating
and working with all the cities within Ellis County is essential. The Ellis
County Commission should attend city meetings and communicate with city
managers to determine the best course in working beneficially for all
concerned.In your view, what is the primary difference between how you
would serve as a county commissioner and the other candidates? I have the
ability to adapt to different situations and will communicate and be attentive
to the concerns of the Ellis County residents. In what ways does your personal and professional experience
qualify you to serve as an Ellis County Commissioner? With living in the
rural area/community and working on the family farm all my life in Ellis County,
plus working 32 plus years for telecommunication companies, I understand the day-to-day
workings in the rural life and the ever-changing technology affecting both
rural and city. Working daily with the public, I understand and know that
listening and communicating with people is vital. What decision made by the county commission in the last few
years did you disagree with and what would have been your decision?&nbsp; I was very disappointed in the lack of
communication that the commissioners showed when they made the decision to
permanently close the steal bridge on 140th Avenue.&nbsp; I feel the landowners and tenants that used
that bridge everyday should have been notified personally, so they had a chance
to voice their concerns before the commissioners voted.&nbsp; If I am elected, I will be fully transparent
and will make sure if an event like this happens again, I would make sure
landowners and tenants have been properly noticed.A group of area real estate agents have called for the commission to
expand from three members to five. Do you believe the commission would benefit
from expansion? To expand the commission from three to five members would
add significant expense to the county budget in addition to the costs of
redistricting the county. Opponents of the effort claim that it will make the
commission less transparent, do you agree or disagree? What would you do to ensure transparency? Disagree. By communicating with residents, attending
city meetings, and other organizations, and being available to listen and
respond to the concerns of the Ellis County residents.

CANDIDATE PROFILE Ellis County Commission: Jim Pfeifer

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

"This is a big deal," said Sandy Jacobs, Hays city commissioner.

"We've waited a long time for this. ...Twenty-some years that we've actually been directly focused on this."

Jacobs has lived all her life in Hays and says some of the younger residents may not understand the importance of the recent judicial ruling about the R9 Ranch in Edwards County, the source of a long-term water supply for Hays and the city of Russell.

"This means an economically sustainable future, not just for Hays but for all of western Kansas."

On June 30, Bruce Gatterman, chief district judge of the Edwards County District Court, <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e8b7e2d7-d025-4d84-92c8-17d1a957fa9c">officially denied WaterPACK’s petition </a>for judicial review of the state’s order allowing
the conversion of water irrigation rights of the R9 to
municipal use for Hays and Russell, which own the ranch.

The two towns had filed an application in 2015 for that change and use of the water.&nbsp;

Judge Gatterman’s decision affirmed the Kansas Department of
Agriculture’s <a href="https://archive.hayspost.com/2019/03/28/chief-engineer-approves-hays-russell-r9-ranch-water-change-applications/">chief engineer’s 2019 approval of the cities’ change
applications</a>.

The approval was <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5dd42db8897d147ad4bb113a">challenged shortly thereafter by the non-profit group WaterPACK</a> (Water Protection Association of Central Kansas).&nbsp;

"The ruling itself was not challenged," noted Collin Bielser, asst. Hays city manager, "but the procedure to file those applications and get it approved, that the process was not followed right by the state of Kansas.

"The group filed an administrative hearing against the state. The cities of Hays and Russell were interveners in that because we obviously have an interest in that."

Eighteen months later, "we got notice the judge ruled the state did follow its procedures (correctly)," Bielser said.&nbsp;

"To have that come to an end is wonderful," Jacobs said. "The past 17, 18, 20 months have been very frustrating for us."

 Unless Water PACK appeals the judge’s ruling by July 30, the cities will begin to navigate the state's Water Transfer Act, a statutory requirement if&nbsp; more than 2,000 acre-feet of water is moved more than 35 miles.

This is the first time the Transfer Act will be triggered in Kansas.&nbsp;

Hays purchased the 7,000-acre R9 Ranch
and its 30 water rights in southwestern Edwards County in 1995, and a year
later Russell purchased an 18% interest in the property, with the
intention of someday using the water as part of both cities' long-term water supply.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600183945609.png" alt="Water for municipal use will be moved 66 miles from the R9 Ranch owned by Hays and Russell&nbsp; in Edwards County to Schoenchen in Ellis County under the Kansas Water Transfer Act. (City of Hays)&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Water for municipal use will be moved 66 miles from the R9 Ranch owned by Hays and Russell&nbsp; in Edwards County to Schoenchen in Ellis County under the Kansas Water Transfer Act. (City of Hays)&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays Post"This is a big deal," said Sandy Jacobs, Hays city commissioner."We've waited a long time for this. ...Twenty-some years that we've actually been directly focused on this."Jacobs has lived all her life in Hays and says some of the younger residents may not understand the importance of the recent judicial ruling about the R9 Ranch in Edwards County, the source of a long-term water supply for Hays and the city of Russell."This means an economically sustainable future, not just for Hays but for all of western Kansas."On June 30, Bruce Gatterman, chief district judge of the Edwards County District Court, <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e8b7e2d7-d025-4d84-92c8-17d1a957fa9c">officially denied WaterPACK’s petition </a>for judicial review of the state’s order allowing
the conversion of water irrigation rights of the R9 to
municipal use for Hays and Russell, which own the ranch.The two towns had filed an application in 2015 for that change and use of the water.&nbsp;Judge Gatterman’s decision affirmed the Kansas Department of
Agriculture’s <a href="https://archive.hayspost.com/2019/03/28/chief-engineer-approves-hays-russell-r9-ranch-water-change-applications/">chief engineer’s 2019 approval of the cities’ change
applications</a>.The approval was <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5dd42db8897d147ad4bb113a">challenged shortly thereafter by the non-profit group WaterPACK</a> (Water Protection Association of Central Kansas).&nbsp;<div><div itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/VideoObject"><meta itemprop="uploadDate" content="Sun Jul 17 2022 17:43:46 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time)"/><meta itemprop="name" content="R9 Judge Ruling"/><meta itemprop="duration" content="P0Y0M0DT0H3M49S" /><meta itemprop="thumbnailUrl" content="https://content.jwplatform.com/thumbs/CHLzHkAK-1920.jpg"/><meta itemprop="contentUrl" content="https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/CHLzHkAK-AMBVbJQD.mp4"/><div style="position:relative; overflow:hidden; padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/CHLzHkAK-P46diVCW.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="R9 Judge Ruling" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div></div>"The ruling itself was not challenged," noted Collin Bielser, asst. Hays city manager, "but the procedure to file those applications and get it approved, that the process was not followed right by the state of Kansas."The group filed an administrative hearing against the state. The cities of Hays and Russell were interveners in that because we obviously have an interest in that."A hearing was held in January 2021.Eighteen months later, "we got notice the judge ruled the state did follow its procedures (correctly)," Bielser said.&nbsp;"To have that come to an end is wonderful," Jacobs said. "The past 17, 18, 20 months have been very frustrating for us." Unless Water PACK appeals the judge’s ruling by July 30, the cities will begin to navigate the state's Water Transfer Act, a statutory requirement if&nbsp; more than 2,000 acre-feet of water is moved more than 35 miles.This is the first time the Transfer Act will be triggered in Kansas.&nbsp;Hays purchased the 7,000-acre R9 Ranch
and its 30 water rights in southwestern Edwards County in 1995, and a year
later Russell purchased an 18% interest in the property, with the
intention of someday using the water as part of both cities' long-term water supply.All along, Hays and Russell have positioned the water project as an economic boost for the entire state."By statute, the benefit to the state of Kansas by allowing the transfer has to be greater than the benefit to the state by not allowing the transfer," explained Toby Dougherty, Hays city manager.Hays and Russell and the surrounding area represent approximately a $3 billion annual economy, and it's growing.According to studies by the Docking Institute at Fort Hays State University, the local economy shows no sign of shrinking.&nbsp;&nbsp;Docking also reported "the one thing that could artificially slow that growth is the lack of available water."The cities have voluntarily agreed to use the water resource sustainably. By converting the R9 to municipal use, less water will be used than it was when fully irrigated for farming.&nbsp;The property is currently being converted back to its natural state with native grasses and vegetation to restore habitat and will one day provide hunting and other recreational opportunities for all Kansans.The state's water transfer process is a long one, dictated by statute. Hays is working with the project engineer, Burns &amp; McDonnell, Kansas City, to get the design contract prepared. "We would like to request the city commission to approve the design contract so we can start design of the project simultaneously to the water transfer process," Dougherty said. "We want to get a head start on this."The draft 2023 city budget includes $9 million dollars in capital improvements for design of the R9 project. A land acquisition specialist will also be hired.&nbsp;Mayor Mason Ruder of
Hays and Mayor Jim Cross of Russell issued a joint statement about the judge's recent ruling:“This is
a great day for Hays, Russell, and the region. As a result of today’s ruling,
we are one step closer to realizing the vision that community leaders initiated
nearly 30 years ago. Our regional economy, worth $2.8 billion, is dependent on
having access to a reliable water source, and the R9 Ranch will provide this
vital resource for future generations to come.”&nbsp;"We should all be excited, and congratulations to our staff and our legal team," Jacobs added. "It's been a long road but I think we're starting to see the end."The history of the R9 Ranch water right change applications is available on the <a href="https://agriculture.ks.gov/divisions-programs/dwr/water-appropriation/change-applications/hays-change-and-water-transfer">Kansas Department of Agriculture's Division of Water Resources webpage</a>.&nbsp;

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