Rick Davis is filing for Barton County Commission 5th District, currently held by Jennifer Schartz. 

Born and raised in Great Bend, Davis is excited to bring his energy to the Commission and work with other commissioners to continue to develop a sustainably viable community for future generations. 

Davis is Chief of Operations at the MPIRE companies, located at their new facility at 108 10th St. in Great Bend. He resides in Great Bend with his wife and children. 

“I would be honored to serve the residents of Barton County’s 5th District as their commissioner. I will provide energy, honesty and integrity to the Commission while working with the communities of Barton County to continue growth and prosperity in a responsible and sustainable way. The current Commission has shown they are interested in promoting growth in our community, and I want to bring my business experience to the table to help keep this process moving forward.” 

Davis is pro law enforcement, and is excited the local law enforcement agencies have taken a strong stance on drugs and crime. In fact, Davis volunteered as a Sheriff’s Reserve under former Sheriff Jim Daily and has kept close ties with law enforcement in the community.

“I have always enjoyed public service and respect the men and women in Law Enforcement as well as all of our first responders and Military,” he said. 

An alumni of both Great Bend High School and Barton County Community College, Davis believes education is key when it comes to promoting people to move to the area, or stay in the area. “Education is just another piece of the puzzle we have to put together in order for our county to be viable in the future. We are very lucky to have wonderful school districts right here in our own backyards and we need to work to keep it that way. Providing the tools for success is what our educators do every day, and as commissioner I would help provide our educators and administration the tools to keep doing so.” 

Being the Chief Operations Officer at MPIRE Companies, Davis helps process the daily operations of both MPIRE Properties and MPIRE Improvements and Overhead Door. With over 23 years of property management experience, Davis knows full well the importance of quality housing for a community to thrive.

“At MPIRE Properties, our goal is to offer clean and safe housing over a broad price point. We strive to make our housing options a better value than one would expect. We are seeing people move to the community over the last few years that we didn’t use to see – folks from out of state that love the rural setting we have to offer.”

Davis will bring his expertise in housing and development to the table. “I get things done. Government contracts and regulations are things I deal with on a daily basis, and am excited to work with communities within Barton County to find ways to get things done when it comes to housing.” 

MPIRE Improvements and Overhead Door was started in 2017 when Davis and his partners decided to expand their services to include remodeling and construction services. “I enjoy this division of MPIRE. We started with one team member and now have over 20 of the greatest people I have had the pleasure of working with. We do large and small jobs across the state.” MPIRE has a passion for doing whatever it takes to make a customer happy. Staying within budget and quality work are key factors to MPIRE’s success. Understanding contracts, bidding processes, local and state codes and requirements, routine safety training and controlling spending are other parts of what rounds out Davis’s daily routine. 

“It would be the same as a Barton County Commissioner, there is always a budget and I will help make sure we stay within the budget. Taxpayers’ dollars will be respected and checks and balances will be adhered to. I won’t be part of spending money on anything unless it is going to make long term sense for the taxpayers of Barton County,” he said. 

“I am excited for this opportunity. I will do my best to make sure Barton County thrives. I will work for a larger tax base, not higher taxes. We are on the right track and I want to do whatever I can to keep this wonderful momentum moving forward for future generations.”