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County inventory approved
Past issue of missing firearms was never solved
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Barton County government property falls into three basic lists: general materials, vehicles and firearms and other law enforcement equipment. And all of that has to be accounted for.
The inventory of county property was approved by the Barton County Commission Monday with some concerns about specific items.
Information Technology Department Director John Debes reported Monday that the process to have an accurate inventory continues to be perfected by the county departments.
According to state regulations, “the inventory, which shall be taken during the month of December of each year, shall be filed with the County Clerk on or before Dec. 31 of each year. 
“The inventory shall not include books, records, files, stationery, writing materials and blank legal papers. The information will be presented to the commission during February of each year.”
In the past, there were problems with an area of inventory and commissioners raised questions in the discussions Monday.
Commissioner John Edmonds recalled that there were weapons on the Barton County Sheriff’s Office inventory that were not accounted for and he asked Debes if that had ever been sorted out.
Debes explained that the current inventory is accurate.
County Administrator Richard Boeckman reported that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation did conduct an investigation into the suggestion that there were firearms that were not accounted for, involving a situation that predates the current county sheriff administration.
That investigation was inconclusive, Boeckman noted, but the KBI made it clear that it wasn’t following up on the issue.
In general, the county administrator explained, the county’s inventory is more accurate than it once was and Debes added that in spot checks that his office made this past year, the inventories checked were found to be more than 90 percent accurate.
Edmonds urged that weapons should be high on the county’s priority and that there should be a follow up to make sure there is no longer any problem.
Commissioner Jennifer Schartz added that the sheriff’s office and the Road and Bridge Department both have many items that are easily unaccounted for, and those should have more follow up in the months to come.