By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
A new class of elected officials have officially been sworn into office. Under Kansas statute, elected county officials are to be sworn into their respective offices on the second Monday of the New Year following the general election. That meant moving Tuesday's Barton County Commission meeting to Monday morning to swear in various elected officials and members of the Barton County Sheriff's Office.
Commissioners Barb Esfeld and Shawn Hutchinson both won uncontested races in the second and third districts, respectively.
"As of today, Commissioner Esfeld and I have now worked with this commission longer than we worked with the past commission," Hutchinson said. "This is no longer the new Barton County Commission. This is the Barton County Commission. I feel very blessed to work with all four of you and I think we all bring something very special to the table."
Levi Morris, former Barton County attorney, was sworn into his new role of district judge in the 20th Judicial District by Chief Judge Carey Hipp. District Judge Lisa Beran was also sworn in. Morris defeated Donald E. Anderson in last August's primary and was uncontested in November's general election.
J. Colin Reynolds, a former assistant county attorney under Morris, was sworn into his new role of county attorney. Reynolds was uncontested in both the primary and general elections.
County Clerk Bev Schmeidler kept her position in that office after defeating Alicia Straub in the August primary. Schmeidler ran uncontested in the general election.
Susan Williams, a former deputy register of deeds, defeated incumbent Glennda French in the August primary and won the general election against French's write-in bid.
Sheriff Brian Bellendir was sworn into his historic fourth term in that office. Bellendir ran uncontested in both races to become the first Barton County sheriff to ever be elected to a fourth four-year term. Following the swearing in ceremony of county officials in Court Room A at the courthouse, Bellendirs staff was sworn in by Schmeidler in the courthouse rotunda.