By KEN CARPENTER
Great Bend Post
Ellinwood City Council member Jon Prescott was chosen Thursday night as the newest member of the Barton County Commission. He will be replacing Jim Daily who is resigning from the commission on March 16.
Prescott will represent the commission's 4th district which includes southern sections of Barton County from Ellinwood to Pawnee Rock. Prescott was selected by members of the Republican Party Central Committee who live in the 4th District. It was up to the local Republicans to fill the seat because Daily held the seat as a Republican.
The vote took place at the county commission chambers. Dale Dirks, Tricia Schlessiger and Randy Wetzel were also nominated for the position. Each candidate spoke briefly before the vote was taken. Prescott mentioned his experience on the Ellinwood City Council.
"I understand streets, I understand public utilities, I understand property taxes, I understand what it takes to run a city,” Prescott said. “I can’t stand up here before you and say I’ve had experience being part of running a county. But that’s what I’m excited about. I’m excited about the opportunity to learn that.”
13 party members voted, so the winning candidate needed seven votes to be chosen. It took five rounds of voting for Prescott to win the seat with seven votes. He will fill the remainder of Daily's term which ends next January.
The 65-year-old Prescott is retiring from Sunflower Diversified Services after working there for five years as the CEO. Before that, he was employed for more than 30 years at the former CPI Qualified Plan Consultants.
Prescott graduated from Great Bend High School in 1975. He has a degree in marketing and finance from Fort Hays State University.