NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With three new county commissioners coming on the board in January, there is a lot they need to learn about as they come on to what will be a five member board once they are installed.
"Randy Parks and Don Bogner have already gone through an orientation," Partington said. "That's where we explain open meetings, open records act, our county counselor goes over some of the legal issues. I've met with them and will with the new person, also, about a lot of the projects the county is currently working on, has worked on during 2022 and what we see in 2023 and 2024 and then go around and meet all the departments."
The county's functions are a mixture of pass through from the state, generally led by elected officials and the truly local functions that are, again speaking generally, more rural in nature.
"There are about 18 departments, if you include the administration, for Reno County, five of those being the elected officers," Partington said. "Just getting around to each site and meeting with each director, maybe some of their second, third in command. It takes a long time. The complexity of the services provided by Reno County. It takes some time to learn what all we do."
The elected officers are the County Clerk, County Treasurer, Register of Deeds, Sheriff and District Attorney.
"The county commission's main responsibility for the elected officials, those five elected officials, is to set their budget," Partington said. "Most of those still would need to follow policy, which they do, all five of them do, but it's the budget is the part that the county commission will have oversight over those five elected officials."
The new commissioners will be installed at 10 a.m. on January 9, 2023 at the Courthouse Annex.
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