The ballot for the Nov. 2 general election includes a host of city council, school board, and other openings across Barton County, In addition, there will be sales tax questions in Great Bend and Ellinwood.

Ballots will vary somewhat from person to person, depending on where they live. But, the Great Bend Tribune has compiled a complete list of the candidates of each of the offices. 

Any voter can go to Voterview at myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView/Home or from the Barton County website at bartoncounty.org, go to the Departments tab and click on Elections, then Current Elections. 

Users can enter their name (typed exactly like it appears on their voter registration) and date of birth, and can learn if they are registered and where they vote, and can see a sample of their ballot (what city and county candidates appear on the ballot can depend on what ward or district in which the voter lives).

The candidates and the positions they seek include:

Great Bend

• Mayor, elect 1 – Cody Schmidt

• Council member 1st Ward, elect 1 – Alan Moeder

• Council member 2nd Ward, elect 1 – Chelsea Morris and Jolene Biggs

• Council member 3rd Ward, elect 1 – Cory Urban

• Council member 4th Ward, elect 1 – no filings

Hoisington

• Mayor, elect 1 – no filings

• Council member 1st Ward, elect 1 – Becky Steiner

• Council member 2nd Ward, elect 1 – Darren Reinert

• Council member 3rd Ward, elect 1 – James Morris

• Council member 4th Ward, elect 1 – Christina Smith

Ellinwood

• Mayor, elect 1 – Irlan Fullbright

• Council member, elect 2 – Jon L. Prescott and Steve Oelke

Claflin

• Council member, elect 3 – Robert Gunder, J.D. Linville, Dustin Daniels, Dorian Hickel and Doug Hubbard

Albert

• Mayor – no filings

• Council member – no filings

Galatia

• Mayor – no filings

• Council member – no filings

Olmitz

• Council member, elect 3 – Joshua Tessendorf and Curtis Bunting

Pawnee Rock

• Council member, elect 3 – Joyce Link, W. Paul Umble and Caitlin Cross

Susank

• Mayor, elect 1 – no filings

• Council member, elect 5 – no filings

Unified School District 428 

• Board Member, elect 3 – Donald Williams, Deanna Essmiller, Jacqueline M. Disque and Chad Burroughs

Unified School District  431

• Board Member, elect 3 – Sara Tarlton, Traci Schneider, Kevin Patterson, Shawn Ludwig and Matthew Keith Beaver

Unified School District 355 

• Board Member, elect 3 – Whitney Asher, Stephen L. Billinger, Jim Corbett and Craig Merritt

Barton Community College

• Trustee, elect 3 – Don Learned, John E. Moshier, Carl Helm, Tricia Reiser and Sonya Rein

Ellinwood Hospital District

• Trustee, elect 1 – David Gonzales

Cottonwood Extension District 17

• Board Member, elect 2 – Lori Waters, Rita Stolz and Alexa (Lexi) Straub

Taxing questions

The sales tax questions for Great Bend are:

• .10%- debt service construction of a new police station with a 20-year sunset. The estimated revenue comes to $377,752 per year.

The estimated $5.8 million, 25,000-square-foot facility at 12th and Baker on what is now a city parking lot and will also house the Municipal Court.

It reads: “Shall the City of Great Bend, Kansas be authorized to impose a one tenth of one percent (0.10%) City-wide retailers’ sales tax (the “Sales Tax”), to finance the costs of police station improvements, including the payment of financing costs related thereto, and to provide property tax relief; with the collection of the Sales Tax to commence on April 1, 2022, or as soon thereafter as permitted by law, and to terminate 20 years after its commencement; all pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 12-187 et seq. as amended? (KP &F) Shall the following be adopted?” (Vote yes or no.)

• .15% - quality of life improvements with no sunset. The estimated revenue comes to $566,628 per year.

This covers improvements to parks and other recreational facilities, as well as maintenance.

It reads: “Shall the City of Great Bend, Kansas be authorized to impose a fifteen-hundredths of one percent (0.15%) City-wide retailers’ sales tax (the “Sales Tax”), to pay the costs of Quality of Life purposes, improvements, and initiatives throughout the City, including the payment of financing costs related thereto, and to provide property tax relief; with the collection of the Sales Tax to commence on April 1, 2022, or as soon thereafter as permitted by law; all pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 12-187 et seq. as amended?” (Vote yes or no.)

• .20% - pension for public safety personnel (police and fire) with no sunset. The estimated revenue comes to $755,504 per year.

It reads: “Shall the City of Great Bend, Kansas be authorized to impose a two tenths of one percent (0.20%) City-wide retailers’ sales tax (the “Sales Tax”), for the purposes of financing the operations of the City’s police and fire departments, including the funding of pension plans therefore, and to provide property tax relief; with the collection of the Sales Tax to commence on April 1, 2022, or as soon thereafter as permitted by law; all pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 12-187 et seq. as amended?” (Vote yes or no.)

The sale tax question for Ellinwood is:

• .5% - funding construction, maintenance and repair of general infrastructure and for such other governmental purposes.

It reads: “Shall the City of Ellinwood, Kansas levy a retailers sales tax in the amount of .5 percent, the proceeds of which shall be used for the purpose of funding construction, maintenance and repair of general infrastructure, and for such other governmental purposes as may be in the best interest of the City of Ellinwood.” (Vote yes or no.)

Contact the County Clerk’s Office with questions concerning the election at 620-793-1835.