By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Run them into the dirt. Wendy Prosser joined the Barton County Appraiser’s Office in 2008. Since then, the office has replaced just three vehicles. Prosser said one of the three vehicles currently in the office fleet is a 2014 Jeep Compass. Tuesday morning, Prosser went before the board of commissioners for approval to purchase a replacement for the Jeep.
“We have utilized that vehicle,” Prosser said. “It has not been the greatest vehicle for our department at all, but it is taxpayer money and we have tried to be fiscally responsible and just deal with what we've had. Unfortunately, this vehicle has been having numerous mechanical issues.”
Prosser told commissioners a replacement vehicle has been in the works so money for a new vehicle is already budgeted. Mechanical issues have been exacerbated by the wet spring that deteriorated road conditions, making it even more difficult for staff to access farmsteads. In looking for a vehicle with at least nine inches of ground clearance that also gave staff a comfortable and practical working space, Prosser settled on a 2025 Ford Ranger pickup.
“I just did want to say for the public, it is bright blue, but it does have the black Barton County logo on the doors so that you can see us,” Prosser said. “We did try to get a vehicle that stood out. So, if you see a bright blue vehicle running around your rural properties, it is the county appraiser.”
The commission approved the purchase from Marmie Ford in Great Bend for $35,165.