Commission approves $10 motor vehicle transaction fee

Commission approves 2.8 percent mid-year cost of living adjustment

Fairgrounds hall renamed to honor community contributors

Sheriff secures $359,000 for new jail access and video control system

Court services reports success with pre-trial monitoring software

Residents push back against proposed Ellis emergency medical services and fire facility

County to transfer long-held property to city of Schoenchen

1. Commission approves $10 motor vehicle transaction fee

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — To help reduce the county's reliance on property taxes, the Ellis County Commission unanimously approved a new $10 per-transaction fee for motor vehicle services starting Jan. 1, 2027. The fee, authorized by recently passed state legislation, will apply to in-office, online, dropbox and mail transactions. County Treasurer Vernon Ruder Jr., who presented the fee adjustment, previously noted the motor vehicle department accounts for 70 percent of the office's workload but has historically relied on property taxes to subsidize its budget. The new fee is projected to generate roughly $300,000 annually, allowing the department to shift to a user-based funding model through at least Dec. 31, 2029.

2. Commission approves 2.8 percent mid-year cost of living adjustment

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — Ellis County employees and elected officials will receive a 2.8 percent mid-year cost of living adjustment following a unanimous vote by the commission. County Administrator Darin Myers stated the adjustment is calculated using a three-year average of the Social Security Administration's cost of living adjustment increases, per county policy. The adjustment, which goes into effect for the July 5 pay period, will be funded using savings from temporarily vacant positions and lower-than-expected health insurance renewal rates, requiring only $2,200 of the $220,000 originally budgeted in the stabilization fund.

3. Fairgrounds hall renamed to honor community contributors

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — Following a proposal from Catharine resident Leo Dorzweiler, the Ellis County Commission unanimously voted to rename the fairgrounds' Deutschefest Hall to the Loran Zimmerman and Unsere Leute Deutschefest Meeting Room to honor the late community contributor and the local German-heritage organization, which previously donated approximately $100,000 toward fairground improvements. Dorzweiler requested the change to recognize those historic contributions. The word "Hall" was changed to "Meeting Room" to prevent renters from overestimating the building's 70-person capacity.

4. Sheriff secures $359,000 for new jail access and video control system

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — The Ellis County Commission unanimously approved the $359,112 purchase of a new video and access control system for the Ellis County Jail from Electronic Contracting Company. Sheriff Scott Braun requested the upgrade, noting the 13-year-old current system has reached the end of its life and is increasingly difficult to repair due to the current vendor being located out of state. The new Linux-based system will cover the entire law enforcement center and court system, ensuring facility safety and reducing the risk of needing emergency staffing increases if the system were to fail.

5. Court services reports success with pre-trial monitoring software

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — Chief Court Services Officer Teresa Greenwood updated the Ellis County Commission on the successful implementation of the RePath software, which the county purchased using opioid settlement funds. The mobile application is currently monitoring pre-trial defendants, utilizing Global Positioning System tracking to enforce curfews, travel restrictions and exclusion zones. Officials noted the app alerts authorities when defendants turn off their location services, allowing the county to enforce strict compliance while keeping lower-risk, pre-conviction individuals out of the county jail.

6. Residents push back against proposed Ellis emergency medical services and fire facility

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — Ellis resident Ellen Riedel presented a petition with over 300 signatures opposing a proposed joint emergency medical services and fire station in Ellis, arguing she believes the county has failed to maintain its current facilities and calling the new build wasteful. The project is reportedly slated to be funded through a $10.8 million general obligation bond paid via sales tax and property sales, not an increase in property taxes. County Administrator Darin Myers clarified that the $3.5 million figure cited by residents was a high-end conceptual estimate, and the final construction cost is expected to be reduced significantly through design adjustments.

7. County to transfer long-held property to city of Schoenchen

ELLIS COUNTY, Kan. — The Ellis County Commission agreed to transfer ownership of a 0.4-acre lot on the north end of Schoenchen to the city, a parcel the county has owned since the 1940s following a tax foreclosure sale. Schoenchen City Council member Kyle Zimmerman formally requested the transfer so the city can properly utilize the space, which adjoins existing city property. The county will draft a deed that includes a reversionary clause, ensuring the land returns to the county if Schoenchen ever ceases to use it for municipal purposes.

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