Great Bend City Council member Chad Somers resigned his seat on the council, City Administrator Kendal Francis announced Thursday afternoon. In the resignation letter he submitted, Somers said he has accepted a position that has independence standards by which he must abide.

“It has been an honor to work alongside fellow council members for the Great Bend community,” he wrote in the letter. “I am proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to the continued success of the governing body.”

His term is up November 2020. So, the city’s governing body would select a replacement to finish out the unexpired term.

Council member applications can be downloaded from the city website or obtained by staff at City Hall, 1209 Williams, 620-793-4111 or by emailing lparsons@greatbendks.net.

Somers accepted the chief operations officer position with Adams, Brown, Beran and Ball, Chtd, an accounting firm with a local office that handles the city’s annual audit. HE quoted ABBB’s guidelines: “Independence standards require audit firms to be independent both in fact (that is, of mind) and appearance. While Chad’s position at ABBB would not, in fact, impair ABBB’s independence on the City of Great Bend audit as Chad would have no part or influence over the actual audit work, the fact that Chad is a Council Member could cause an impairment of independence by appearance. To ensure that the audit process remains objective, immediate resignation from the Council is required.”

A veteran Great Bend businessman, Somers claimed the City Council Second Ward seat after he defeated fellow Republican James Breitenbach last November.

A 13-year resident of Great Bend, Somers and his wife Shannon have three children Ellyson, Ethan and Eli. He is a graduate of Kansas State University and co-owner of Golden Belt Cinema 6.  

He is also the former co-owner of Benefit Management Inc., and has been active investing in local businesses, real estate, agriculture and oil production ventures.