By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Equal representation means just that. In an effort to keep all five Barton County Commission districts similar in population, the county reviews district lines at least once every three years. Wednesday morning, County Election Officer Bev Schmeidler updated the commission on changes within the city of Great Bend that will affect commission district lines.
"The city of Great Bend passed an ordinance last year that changed the ward lines in the city," she said. "With that happening, we had to change some precinct lines after we reviewed the Census data and adjusted precincts within the wards to be as equal as possible. During that process, we also had to adjust the commission districts because of the precinct lines and ward lines."
The city of Great Bend adjusted its ward map in April 2022. The 2020 Census showed a population of 14,733 residents for Great Bend. Ward 4 in the southeast corner of town was expanded to include more citizens. Four of the five Barton County Commissioners have constituents within Great Bend city limits.
