Harvey County Commission
Week of June 17, 2026
Flock cameras lead to arrest of Kansas City homicide suspects
Commission approves $658K trash compactor purchase
Annual solid waste fees set with no increase
K-State extension budget deferred over school programming concerns
County issues RFPs for official newspaper and jail food services
Market salary study recommends 2 percent pay increase for county staff
Flock cameras lead to arrest of Kansas City homicide suspects
HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — The Harvey County Sheriff's Office reported that Flock license plate reading cameras successfully helped deputies intercept and capture three suspects in connection with a Kansas City homicide investigation. According to the sheriff's office, an automated alert on U.S. 50 allowed law enforcement to proactively deploy stop sticks on Interstate 135, safely ending a brief vehicle pursuit. In addition to the arrests, the department reported pulling 259 cases in May, noted as the highest number on departmental record.
Commission approves $658K trash compactor purchase
HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — The Harvey County Board of Commissioners authorized the $658,900 purchase of a lightly used 2024 Caterpillar 816 trash compactor from Foley Equipment Co. Staff recommended the 1,082-hour machine because Caterpillar has discontinued the 816 model, and a larger replacement machine would require purchasing an equivalently large bulldozer for extractions. Officials noted the purchase, which includes a trade-in and extended warranties, is significantly cheaper than long-term alternatives like hauling excess waste to Reno County.
Annual solid waste fees set with no increase
HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — Annual solid waste fees will remain unchanged for the upcoming year after the Harvey County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved Resolution 2026-14. Residential units will continue to pay $36 annually, while business solid waste units will be charged $39.
K-State extension budget deferred over school programming concerns
HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — Approval of the K-State Research and Extension budget was delayed after Commissioner Becky Reimer raised concerns regarding the duplication of tax-funded educational services in public schools. While extension staff defended their in-school agricultural and financial literacy programs as core mission staples that partner with teachers to meet specific classroom needs, the Board of Commissioners opted to wait a week to review the agency's funding request and ensure county government resources remain within their intended scope.
County issues RFPs for official newspaper and jail food services
HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — County Administrator Kevin Frymire announced the posting of requests for proposals (RFPs) for both the official county newspaper and detention center food services. The newspaper bid was released earlier this year at the Board of Commissioners' request to align better with budget season, while the jail food service RFP was issued with the goal of bringing the operation in-house to save taxpayer dollars.
Market salary study recommends 2 percent pay increase for county staff
HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — The Harvey County Board of Commissioners accepted a 2026 market update report from the McGrath Human Resource Group recommending a 2 percent across-the-board salary adjustment for county employees in 2027. The increase, alongside targeted cost-of-living adjustments for specific pay grades, aims to realign county pay ranges with the external market and the nearby Wichita metro area. The commissioners directed staff to include the recommended adjustments in the preliminary budget for further review.
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