ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Liberal resident Carolyn Huddleston brought the Seward County Commission more information about the county’s payroll at the board’s June 1 meeting, this time for two full years, 2024 and 2025, and one nine-week period in 2025 from Aug. 1 to Oct. 7.

“When I was looking at data for a full year, I sometimes noticed the same person listed in more than one department,” she said in the citizen comments portion of the meeting. “These people left one position, which usually needed to be filled, and they had to learn the new job. Like any other new hire, I counted them as minus one from the department they left and plus one for the department they moved to.”

Huddleston said the Seward County Jail and Sheriff’s office are separate departments, as are their pay records, and she separated detention officers out as well. As part of her research, she provided commissioners a sample page from payroll records to illustrate some of the 2025 data.

Western Kansas Community Foundation

GARDEN CITY – The Western Kansas Community Foundation (WKCF) Board of Directors has named Katie Reck as the incoming Executive Director, succeeding Conny Bogaard, who will retire June 30.

“The board is pleased to name Katie Reck as Conny’s successor, effective June 22nd, 2026,” Paula Rowden, WKCF Board Chair, said. “Katie brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in leadership, higher education, nonprofit work, workforce development, grant management, and community collaboration. The WKCF board is confident that Katie’s background and knowledge will help strengthen WKCF’s commitment to rural philanthropy while allowing us to adapt our strategy and approach as needed to best meet the evolving needs of western Kansas communities.”

Garden City Community College

GARDEN CITY – Garden City Community College will host a groundbreaking ceremony at 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, for the new Security State Bank Construction Trades Center, a facility that will expand workforce training and help meet growing demand for skilled trades professionals in Southwest Kansas.

The ceremony will take place at 718 N. Campus Drive in Garden City and is open to the public. Parking will be available at Broncbuster Stadium.

The Security State Bank Construction Trades Center will provide 11,350 square feet of modern instructional and hands-on training space for construction technology and electrical technology, helping prepare students for high-demand careers throughout the region. The space will feature two large shop areas, educational spaces, faculty offices, and tool and material storage areas.

ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Seward County leaders and constituents have recently expressed concern over the existence of the position of assistant county administrator and the person currently occupying that position being paid from a fund from another department.

Monday, Commission Vice Chair Todd Stanton brought the issue to light, and he said the problem is being discussed in public and encompasses policy and procedure questions for the commission and the county he felt needed to be addressed.

“As this is a policy issue, it does not meet criteria for an executive session,” he said. “It encompasses the authorization and funding for a position, but does not encompass any aspect of non-elected personnel, which qualify for an executive session. I’m raising this as a budget control, position authority, county control and restricted fund issue.”