Commissioners reject proposal for fifth county attorney position

County approves $93,788 for new detention center generator

County administrator highlights state property tax relief programs

County Appraiser's Office achieves state compliance

In-house lawn maintenance proves beneficial for county

New one-year hunting agreement approved for Harvey County East Park

Harvey County Courthouse to close for Labor Day

Commissioners reject proposal for fifth county attorney position

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. - The Harvey County Board of Commissioners maintained its consensus to exclude a fifth attorney position from the 2027 county budget during a discussion at Tuesday's meeting. While advocates for the position argued that adding the role at a cost of $136,166, or 0.332 mills, is necessary to expedite what was described as a backlog of criminal cases and support victims, the commissioners stood by their recommendation to leave the position out of the budget. They cited internal data and recent public input that they said does not support the need for an additional hire.

County approves $93,788 for new detention center generator

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. - Commissioners unanimously approved a $93,788 proposal from Hammeke Electric Inc. to replace the aging backup generator at the Harvey County Detention Center. The current 275-kilowatt generator features a diesel engine dating back to between 1985 and 1995. While the engine still runs during weekly tests, officials noted the generator's components are heavily obsolete and would require a complete, costly retrofit in the event of a failure.

County administrator highlights state property tax relief programs

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. - In response to citizen concerns over property taxes raised during a recent budget hearing, Harvey County Administrator Kevin Frymire reminded residents about three state-level tax rebate programs. Qualifying residents can apply for the Kansas Homestead Refund Program, as well as property tax relief programs for low-income seniors and seniors and disabled individuals, when filing their state taxes. The Harvey County Department on Aging and Harvey County Clerk Rick Piepho's office are available to direct residents to the appropriate resources at ksrevenue.gov.

County Appraiser's Office achieves state compliance

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. - The Harvey County Appraiser's Office successfully achieved compliance with the Kansas Property Valuation Division for the current year. Maintaining state compliance is critical for the county, as falling out of compliance for three consecutive years could result in the state taking over the county's appraisal process and passing the cost onto local taxpayers.

In-house lawn maintenance proves beneficial for county

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. - Harvey County Parks Director Kass Miller reported success in transitioning to an in-house lawn service instead of accepting a private contractor's bid that exceeded the department's budget. Despite early equipment and personnel challenges, the county now employs two dependable workers for the task. The recent dry weather has allowed the parks maintenance crew to pivot from mowing to addressing other facility maintenance projects, maximizing the efficiency of the county's budget.

New one-year hunting agreement approved for Harvey County East Park

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. - The county entered a new one-year hunting agreement with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks for Harvey County East Park. Following the expiration of a previous five-year grant, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks will use federal wildlife restoration funds to pay the county approximately $44 per acre to maintain public archery deer hunting access. The agreement brings in out-of-town hunters, boosts horse trail permit sales during the off-season and helps control the local deer population, which adjacent landowners said has been damaging crops.

Harvey County Courthouse to close for Labor Day

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. - Harvey County commissioners reminded the public that the Harvey County Courthouse and all non-emergency county offices will be closed on Monday in observance of the Labor Day holiday. Regular business hours will resume the following Tuesday.

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