Thomas Boor is running for City County of the Third Ward in Great Bend. Thomas was born and raised in Great Bend and graduated in 1983 from Great Bend High School. After graduation he served in the United States Navy. Following his service he attended Devry Institute of Technology in Kansas City.
Boor lived in Hutchinson for 20 years before returning to Great Bend in 2010. His wife, Linda, is employed at Great Bend Children’s Clinic, and is involved with XI Delta Upsilon, a Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi. Thomas has two sons, three grandsons, and one granddaughter. Thomas is currently employed with Steris Corporation as a Service Representative. His career has allowed him to work with the public and has resulted in a true enjoyment of working with people. He attends the First Street Church of God in Hoisington where he is an active member of the congregation. Currently Thomas is pursuing a Chaplin position with a non-denominational ministry. Thomas has had the pleasure of meeting many of Great Bend’s citizens while working for his mother Joyce and father Leo in their catering business, Boor’s BBQ.
Thomas believes in a more transparent city council with greater involvement from the community. He hopes to put in place the ability for Great Bend citizens to have access to city council meetings without having to be physically present. He wants to accomplish this by making each meeting accessible via basic public broadcasting or the internet. “The people of Great Bend have a right to know what decisions are being made. Not all citizens of Great Bend have internet availability or subscribe to the local paper. Currently, the most common way to get information regarding council meetings is from the city website. Accessibility is key here, I want to make is possible for every citizen to know what is happening with their local government. ”
He feels passionately about responsible spending and wants to improve city investments. “Taxes are people’s hard earned money and we need to encourage the responsible spending of these funds. In today’s economy people are watching every penny and our local government should be no different. The citizens of Great Bend should have a greater input as to how their money is being spent. Accountability is crucial when it comes to spending.” He believes in stronger upholding of city contracts, encouraging the work that is hired out to be done on time to ensure spending is kept within the budget. He also wants to implement stronger penalties in these contracts for work that is not completed as promised.
He is enthusiastic about encouraging new business to come to Great Bend. “When fresh industry is interested in coming to Great Bend we need to reach mutual agreements that benefit not only the company, but the people of Great Bend. Our town has a great many things to offer and we need to continue to promote ourselves”  Boor said that growth of this kind not only fosters local economical growth, it also encourages our young people to return or stay in Great Bend. “We need to retain our local youth. So often our children graduate high school, attend college, and want to come back to Great Bend, but we have nothing to offer them in the way of opportunity or wages.  Our children are the gateway to not only the survival of the town but to the success of it.” The citizens of Great Bend need more choices. Choices promote spending which is good for our local economy.”
Thomas said that he is always ready to take note of public concerns and can be reached at (620) 603-6009.