By ROD ZOOK
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Gov. Kelly’s proposal to take away local control when it comes to dealing with the pandemic is getting attention from local leaders.
Reno County Administrator Randy Partington is not one who favors having local control taken away from the county, saying that the response to the pandemic is too different county to county.
“There’s completely different demographics and populations, space and distancing. Obviously all counties are not the same,” Partington said. “Some have very small populations in very large areas, Rush County and Wichita County versus Douglas, Johnson and Sedgwick County.”
Partington says it really comes down to knowing what’s best for the county.
“Local health officials and the local health department are closer to people,” Partington stressed. “So I think the board of health and the county health officer have the best understanding of what’s needed locally.”
Karen Hammersmith with the Reno County Health Department says she understands the desire for local control, but noted that her department is, for the most part, sticking with the guidelines set up by the CDC and the state.
“I’m not extremely concerned,” Hammersmith said. “Although I do know people . . . want local control, but we’re trying to just abide by all of the requests anyway.”
Partington says he’s not sure what options the county will have if the governor takes local control away from cities and counties.
“I’m not sure of opting out or what options we would have,” Partington said in dealing with the governor's actions. “I need to talk to our legal counsel and County Commission to see what they would want to do.”
So far, the governor has only talked about the measure. No action has been taken in Topeka.