By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The morning after the primary election in which three new Barton County commissioners were elected, action was light at the weekly commission meeting. Barb Esfeld filled in as chair in the absence of Shawn Hutchinson. She thanked the 45 percent of Barton County voters who cast ballots for Tuesday's primary.
"It doesnt' matter what you're for, it's that you came out and voted," she said. "That's what's important. I thought particularly the races here in Barton County were very clean, people were very polite. That was nice. I don't know if you realize this, but all five commissioners have run opposed now. The neat thing about that is it puts it in the voters' hands."
Commissioners did remind the public to please remove political signage in yards now that the primary election is over.
County Director of Operations Matt Patzner spoke on a pair of resolutions that needed commission approval. Human Resources Director Brenda Kaiser was approved as an additional signer for KPERS, the state employee retirement system. The commission also voted to rescind a $3 driver's license fee that had previously been assessed to the Kansas Department of Revenue. That fee is no longer applicable since the DMV moved out of the courthouse.
The commission will meet with the Board of County Canvassers and County Clerk Bev Schmeidler on Monday, Aug. 8 to finalize primary vote tallies.