By KEN CARPENTER
Great Bend Post
Barton County will be sharing money it receives from the federal government with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) so the county can have more freedom to allocate money for road and bridge work. That decision was approved last week by the Barton County Commission.
The county will give more than $218,000 it receives from the federal government to KDOT. 90% of that money or about $197,000 will be returned to Barton County in state funding.
Barton County Engineer Barry McManaman told commissioners how the exchange will help the county.
“It gives us a lot more flexibility on how we would use that money and not be tied down with a lot of federal funds red tape,” McManaman said. “It’s been a good program in the past and my recommendation is that we continue to do this.”
According to McManaman, the county has been taking part in the exchange program since 2013.