I find that the old adage is true – the days are long, but the years are short. I find it even more true, that when looking back, the sheer volume of work we’ve accomplished is considerable. While living it feels like every day, hind sight shows that we are reaching our goals.
Highlights from Barton County’s 2025, more or less in chronological order, include:
Barton County moved to a project-based economic development funding system that we believed would benefit the entirety of the County.
Kudos to Patrick Hoffman, County Counselor, for helping secure Kansas Rehabilitation Tax Credits for our HVAC project. On Nov. 26, 2024, the Commission awarded the Kansas Rehabilitation Tax Credits bid to Clocktower Tax Credits for $1,463,440.00 in tax credits at a bid price of $1,358,218.66. In 2025, the County received that funding.
The Commission hired Hometown Grants to work with our communities as a part of our economic development funding system.
The County pledged $120,000.00 for Façade Improvement Grant projects in Claflin, Ellinwood, Great Bend and Hoisington. As a part of the program’s revamp, the Commission invited area cities to provide financial support, increasing the dollar amount available for projects. The program was detailed in a shared meeting that saw attendees from Claflin, Ellinwood and Hoisington. Having heard the call, each provided funding to improve our local Main Street corridors. Claflin contributed over $16,000 for the Claflin Main Street Corridor project that featured Bailey’s Food Bin, Cheyenne Bottoms Armory, Quilting by Vickie and Squeegy’s. Ellinwood kicked in another $10,000 to support 10-39 Café. It’s anticipated that Hoisington will give over $6,700 for Brick and Blossom. And $38,500 has been pledged by Barton County to support Sarge’s, The Buckle, Moses Properties and All Weather Roofing.
We contributed $65,000 in support funding for Rural Water District No. 2. This District provides safe water to approximately 400 people in the Bissell’s Point, Walnut Creek, Richter and BoMAR subdivisions as well as the Wetlands Education Center, the State of Kansas Office at Cheyenne Bottoms and the Barton County Landfill. Nitrate levels required the District to develop a new water source.
We supported Brooke Haulmark and her team at Central Kansas Community Corrections. Simply put, the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) provides grants to county departments to fund community corrections. These grants help counties supervise and support people who have been convicted of felonies. While KDOC is currently considering different funding formulas, statistical information indicates Central Kansas Community Corrections is largely underfunded. Our message is simple: “Central Kansas Community Corrections, covering the sixth largest judicial district territory in Kansas – approximately 4,105 square miles in Barton, Ellsworth, Rice, Russell and Stafford Counties – receives the 28th lowest point of fiscal support, while having the eighth highest caseload. That work is done with one director, four ISOs and two support staff. CKCC receives a little over $3,400 on average per client while Sedgwick County receives almost $5,700. Imagine what CKCC could do with like funding and additional personnel.” Tell your legislators. We have and we will continue to do so. We want and deserve real change that impacts our citizens.
Chris Schartz, County Works Director, is recognized for this improvement: In early 2025, administrative staff met with Venture to determine if there was a more cost-effective method that would enhance operational programming. As a result of those discussions, the County moved asphalt preparation to Venture. With Venture mixing the asphalt and providing all aggregates and sand, the County received fresh asphalt prepared with purer ingredients. In addition, the County avoided costs associated with on-site production, storage and material aging. This is a great example of how County employees will always look for new ways to do old things. And it was a win for everyone.
The Commission contributed $29,440.80 for the purchase of needed culverts for the Hidden Hills Housing Development. It’s hoped that this development will add another 14 homes in Barton County.
Karen Winkelman, Public Health Director, and Misty Trudeau, Financial Office, announced that the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded Barton County a Fiscal Year 2025 BUILD Grant for the Barton County Accessible Public Transportation (BCAPT) Planning Project. Using a community engagement process that will include surveys, focus groups and community events, grant funds will be used to assess and develop a master transportation plan covering the entirety of the County. The Health Department was awarded the full grant at $239,138. Again, County employees are constantly and consistently looking for avenues of change. Our employees, if nothing else, will always find initiatives that improve the lives of our citizens.
Hometown Grants was asked to do additional work for the Cities of Ellinwood and Hoisington.
The Commission initiated Travel 389, meeting with local business owners, listening to citizen ideas and collaborating with those building better tomorrows along our 389 miles of county roadways. The Commission planned face to face visits with ag-related businesses, family owned ventures, those entrepreneurs creating a stakehold for future generations and local manufacturers and retailers – spotlighting how diversity builds economic prosperity. Elle Hutchinson, the County’s media consultant, calculated that the venture saw the Commission meeting with over 100 taxpayers, more than 40 local business owners and hearing more than 120 recommendations for local improvements. The number one suggestion, time and again, was to continue to incentive growth.
Casey Hubbard started in his new role with Barton County as the Assistant County Administrator / Human Resource Director. Hubbard served as the Investigator / Office Manager for the County Attorney’s Office since 2003.
The Commission authorized up to $125,000 via a reimbursement program for subdivision improvements in the City of Hoisington. This project has the potential to bring 12 new homes to northern Barton County.
Tax statements were released and included what has become a tradition in Barton County – arrowed charts showing anticipated tax levied for like entities. This chart has proven popular with taxpayers, and costing the County only pennies as an inclusion with mandated tax statements, it’s a simple snapshot of local government practices. This year, the charts were updated and a summary of the four largest Barton County cities was included, as was the accompanying hard data for the chart. Grouping are determined by services and kept small so that chart may be easily read.
Prior to his retirement, Barry McManaman, County Engineer, announced a KDOT project expanding U.S. 56 to a four-lane roadway from the east city limit of Great Bend to the K-156 junction. This is a long term project that the County and the State has vested in.
Although the County sought applicants for the position of County Engineer, it was determined that engineering services would be contracted through Kirkham-Michael.
In addition to McManaman retiring, the County’s retirees for 2025 included Lt. Dave Paden and Tim McQuade from Communications / 911.
We also lost (former) Commissioners Homer Kruckenberg and Jim Nolte, former Treasurer Jan Karlin and Lily Akings, former Public Health Director.
Those that left helped to get us, collectively, to where we are today.
We don’t just hope that they would be proud of our achievements, we know without a doubt that they would be amongst our loudest cheerleaders. Our current group of Barton County Commissioners – a farmer, a firefighter, two (former) government workers and a soldier turned business owner – have the great fortune to be surrounded by an invested group of individuals striving for local growth, safety and connectivity. We are incentived for 2026.
Barton County Commissioner Tricia Schlessiger represents the fourth ward and serves as chairman of the board. A new chair may be elected at the 2026 organizational meeting, set for 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 12, at the courthouse.
