By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Ellis County is considering consolidating some of its townships.
The county currently has nine townships, but has struggled to find the necessary elected leadership to run the townships.
Ellis Township has been without a treasurer for some time, and former Public Works Director Bill Ring has temporarily stepped up to help the township gather paperwork until someone else can be found or the township can be consolidated.
The county last reorganized townships in 1971.
The current townships include Ellis, Buckeye, Catherine, Herzog, Victoria, Freedom, Big Creek, Wheatland and Lookout.
Most of the duties of the townships were eliminated under the county unit road system.
Townships also at one time took care of the cemeteries, but are no longer doing so.
Big Creek Township signs off on cereal malt beverage licensing for the Ellis County fairgrounds and the speedway.
Buckeye Township owns and operates the former Buckeye School as a meeting place.
However, the rest of the counties have no real duties.
County counselor Bill Jeter said the townships could be reduced to as few as three.
If the townships were consolidated from nine to three, only nine officers would be needed instead of 27.
Ellis County Clerk Bobbi Dreiling said the county would likely save money by eliminating ballot styles through consolidation. The county's election vendor charges per ballot style.
Dreilng said she would look into the potential cost savings on elections and report back to the commission.
Dreiling suggested meeting with the officers of the townships to explain the process.
The process is fairly simple, Dreiling explained. The commission would need to pass two resolutions of intent to disband and reorganize into another township and then schedule a public hearing on the matter. A notice would have to be published in the newspaper of record.
If a majority of electors in any township would file a petition in opposition, the consolidation would not go through, Jeter, said.
All three commissioners expressed support of Dreiling moving forward with the consolidation process.