Sept. 15, 2025, three county commissioners voted to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate for Seward County’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget by more than 15 mills.
Since that time, commissioners and taxpayers alike have been investigating alleged wrongful use of county funds, and some more of the results of those investigations were presented to commissioners at last Thursday’s regular meeting.
Resident Carolyn Huddleston has been doing much of the research, and during the citizen comments portion of Thursday’s meeting, she said January pay records indicated raises going to staff of Cimarron Basin Community Corrections.
“Before these raises were granted, that agency was already in violation of one of their grant conditions, namely that their pay should be comparable to the pay for county-funded positions,” she said.
The Seward County Health Department’s budget is largely funded through grant money, and last Thursday, county commissioners approved the submission of applications for more grants from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Before the vote, though, SCHD Director Brie Greeson clarified some information given out at prior meetings, namely that no raises were given out in any prior grants.
Rather, Greeson said, she budgets off a complicated formula from the Kansas Grant Management System.
“The important thing to look at when you are looking inside of each of the individual grants that have been applied to is the money we are actually getting from the state and the money we are actually matching for the state,” she said. “As previously decided, I will not be giving any raises unless it comes before you guys.”
Investigations by local and area law enforcement agencies has led to the seizure of more than 15 pounds of methamphetamine and the arrests of nine individuals to date.
A press release from Seward County Undersheriff Ryan Roehr said beginning in October 2025, the sheriff’s office in coordination with the Liberal Police Department and the Haskell County Sheriff’s office conducted a comprehensive investigation into a meth distribution network operating throughout Southwest Kansas and the surrounding region.
The USD 480 school board continued to hear High Reliability Schools (HRS updates) at its most recent meeting Monday evening, this time from Bright Start Early Learning Center (BSELC).
BSELC Principal Jamie Downs led the discussion with some overall numbers about the building.
International Women’s Day will be here quickly, and the Liberal Recreation Department is looking to help celebrate that locally.
The 2025 Women's Day Luncheon will be from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 6 in the City Commission Chambers at the Liberal Recreation Center at 950 S. Grant Ave. Tickets are $10, and in order to register, participants can call the Recreation Center at (620) 417-8150 or register online. Guest speakers will be Liberal High School Principal Darla Forney and Prairie ViewElementary School Principal Louisa Gonzalez.
Last year marked the second iteration of the event, and Events Coordinator Claudia Garcia said coordinators were very happy with how the event turned out.
Hannah McCarter leads the pack down Lincoln Avenue toward the finish line of the International Pancake Race earlier today. McCarter won Liberal’s leg in her first attempt. L&T photo/Earl Watt
By EARL WATT
• Leader & Times
With wind gusts reaching as high as 65 miles per hour hitting right in the face of the women running the Liberal leg of the International Pancake Race, Hannah McCarter was able to maintain a pace ahead of the pack and earn the Liberal title.
While this was the 77th running of the International Pancake Race, a friendly competition between the women of Olney, England and Liberal, the real number of the day was three.
The Liberal City Commission has new yet familiar leadership after the commission selected a new mayor and vice mayor Tuesday evening.
Jeff Parsons and Janeth Vazquez were ultimately unanimously voted as mayor and vice mayor, respectively, and both said they are excited to get to work.
“I feel really good. The responsibilities of the mayor really aren’t too much different from a commissioner,” Parsons said. “I’m excited about being able to continue being part of this commission and working with everyone.”
“I absolutely agree with Jeff – yes, we have the official titles, but at the end of the day, I feel like each of us commissioners contributes in our own unique way,” Vazquez added. “I feel like we’re a really strong team all together, and we were able to accomplish a lot in 2025, so I’m looking forward to continuing the great work we have on the agenda for 2026. Our commission is definitely headed in the right direction.”
My husband, Peter, and I have landed in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and already the strange seems familiar again.
One of the things that impresses me every time I am here is the attention given to jobs that I don’t always think of as needing a lot of attention. Masonry work is meticulous and crafted to last centuries. Cloth is woven one thread at a time, creating utterly unique works. Gardening is done with such patience and consistency that there are blooms every month of the year. But this morning, I was noticing the street sweepers.
The street sweepers are legion. I have no idea what their actual numbers are, but in the center of the old town, where we stay, you cannot walk down a street from the first light of morning until well after dark without encountering a person dressed in red, with a homemade broom and a sturdy dustpan affixed to a stick. Litter does not stand a chance in this town. Stray leaves are corralled as they fall. And, to me, the most amazing thing is how they sweep up the confetti.
GUEST COLUMN, Shannon Francis, 125th District Representative
Thank you to all the firefighters, both full time and volunteer, that have responded to the massive fires we have suffered. Thanks also to the first responders, farmers and other community members that have responded with tractors, food, and aid. It’s been a statewide response with firefighters responding from over 17 fire departments from as far as the Kansas City and Wichita areas. The Kansas National Guard, Kansas Emergency Management, Fire Marshal’s Office, Forestry Service, Department of Transportation and other state agencies have provided equipment, personnel, and other support. At least 10 aircraft took part but their support had to be limited due to the high wind conditions. The Kansas Insurance Department is ready to help with insurance claims questions, disputes or claim delays. You can contact the Insurance Department at 800-432-2484. My prayers go out to all of you that have suffered property losses and injuries.
After fighting fires and putting in long hours last week protecting the citizens of Seward County, Chief Andrew Barkley has opted to step down.
No doubt more resignations are coming.
Why?
I believe it’s because some of these people were expecting to see more positive change at the county and have not yet seen it after three new commissioners were appointed to fill the slots of the previous three who also found themselves out of touch with the people.
If the new commissioners believed the massive tax increase was the only reason they were appointed, they are only putting a bandaid on a bleeding artery.
Assessed valuation changes for 2025, released this morning, reiterate the need for a constitutional amendment to limit the increases.
The average increase for existing residential property (not counting new construction) of 5.9 percent is more than double the inflation rate, and that’s not the worst of the story. Homeowners in a dozen counties had double-digit increases – Barton, Cheyenne, Coffey, Jewell, Kingman, Lane, Linn, Marshall, Ness, Rush, Smith, and Wallace. All but one (Linn) has been losing population, so it’s hard to imagine that the valuation hikes are driven by demand.
Change of seasons, change of crops, the progress of technology or even physical changes as we watch our families grow and age. Change is inevitable. But when faced with it, we have two choices. We can ignore it and seek comfort on our farm and hope it goes away or adapt and grow with it, becoming stronger and more resilient with each new step we take.
My wife and I farm near Iola, and I am privileged to represent the third Casten Fellows cohort. I am always amazed at the talent Kansas Farm Bureau brings to the table and my cohort represented a wide and diverse cross section of agriculture in Kansas. We also have a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences.
The opportunity to build relationships with such amazing leaders throughout the state and gain insight into how they tackled issues is what originally attracted me to the Casten Fellows program.
