By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Tricia Schlessiger has worn many hats in Ellinwood: mother, wife farmer, coach, and school board member to name a few. Now she wants to put those everyday skills to use in local government. Schlessiger recently announced her candidacy for District 4 of the Barton County Commission.
"If everyday people like myself don't step up and take these leadership roles, then we get handed whoever will take that role," Schlessiger said. "So everyday people like myself have to step up and do that. We're super excited to see what we can do if we get the chance."
Schlessiger said interest in local government has been there, but as the mother of six kids, that has not always been the case with time.
"We'll be down to just two in high school this next year," she said. "With six kids it was pretty intense for a while there with school and everything. I think now I have time to put my energy toward something different. I've been pretty active in Ellinwood. I'm on quite a few committees there. I think I'd like to roll that in the next direction for the county."
Schlessiger earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Kansas State University, and a graduate degree in banking from the University of Wisconsin. She has 20-plus years of experience in the banking industry, and alongside her husband, Joe, raised their six children on a family farm.
Schlessiger keeps busy serving her community as a 4-H leader, volleyball coach, and Ellinwood Rotarian. She has served on the boards at St. John's Lutheran Church and St. John's Child Development Center. She also served as township treasurer and wants to use that experience to help stretch the taxpayer dollar.
"I truly believe in governmental efficiency," she said. "I feel like we have got to find ways to do more because we cannot keep increasing taxes. The current county commission has done an amazing job with that, but I guess I'm always looking for ways to become more efficient and save taxpayer dollars."
More specifically, Schlessiger wants to improve housing opportunities for county residents, especially those in her district, and give families easier access to daycare.
"We have got to address housing in Ellinwood," she said. "Really my whole district, we just don't have enough housing for people. In Ellinwood, we probably still need more daycare spots for people to move into town and have adequate daycare for their kids. That's kind of Ellinwood-specific, but county-wide, we're short on daycare spots as well."
Jon Prescott is the current Barton County Commissioner for District 4 that serves the southern portion of the county, including Ellinwood and Pawnee Rock.