By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Two of the three incoming Barton County Commissioners were all but locks as uncontested candidates heading into Tuesday's general election. Duane Reif defeated three other candidates in the August primary election for the District 1 seat, and his top competitor, Linda Moeder, challenged Reif again as a write-in candidate in the general election. Reif improved his margin of victory in the general election and said he's ready to go from spectator at meetings, to acting commissioner.
"I've been attending the county commission meetings, and I've found those very helpful and very informative," he said. "Most of all, I just feel like it's very interesting and I wanted, at that time, to be a part of it."
Reif will be joined by incoming commissioners Tricia Schlessiger and Donna Zimmerman. The new trio will replace outgoing commissioners Jennifer Schartz, Kirby Krier, and Jon Prescott.
"I hate to lose the knowledge of the three commissioners that are going out: Jennifer, Kirby, and Jon," Reif said. "But I think the three new commissioners coming on are going to bring a lot of new ideas and bring their own good things to the meetings. I think we're all going to make a really good team."
Reif was the branch manager of a grain company for 30 years and co-founded the Kans for Kids Fighting Cancer Foundation. Along with attending commission meetings to gain experience, Reif also attended the Kansas Association of Counties conference last month alongside Schlessiger, Krier, and Commissioner Barb Esfeld. The new commissioners will be sworn in Jan. 11, 2023.