By DALE HOGG
Barton County Media Consultant
It was standing room only at the Great Bend Columbus Club Wednesday morning as bidders and other interested parties gathered for the 2025 Barton County Tax Sale. In February, the County had 299 parcels with back taxes owing abstracted. Today, 40 of those properties came up for sale.
The auction is the culmination of months of work by Treasurer Jim Jordan and his team. Several members of the office’s staff were on hand, overseeing the sale and logging the results.
“This is not something we want to do,” Jordan said, noting the sale is the last resort to recover delinquent real estate taxes. While the statutes vary by property use, most homes are not included on the sale until taxes are delinquent for at least three years. And with the process taking months, taxpayers are given substantial notice as well as options, such as payment plans and escrow accounts.
“These taxes are what we use to pay for all the services we need and enjoy in our communities,” he said. “At the end of the day, we’re all responsible for our fair share of that tax burden.”
Sheriff Brian Bellendir served as the auctioneer on behalf of B&B Auction Services, which donated its services. All the tracts were sold as-is.
Dereck Hollingshead, IT Director, was on hand to provide tech support; Patrick Hoffman, County Counselor, oversaw the legalities of the sale; Susan Williams, Register of Deeds, was available for assistance and Sheriff’s deputies were there for security.