The Seward County Commission met Thursday evening and Declared a State of Emergency for Conty because of the February 17th fires.

The Seward County Commission approved an amended budget with a reduced mill levy at the revenue neutral rate for fiscal year 2026. This is pending formal approval from the Board of Tax Appeals.

Commissioners were given information about AcreStrong’s renewable energy consulting services to Seward County. AcreStrong assists counties with PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) negotiations, ordinance drafting and auditing, educating county leadership, and strategic advisory for utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage projects.

The Commission tabled the Fiscal Year 2027 Comprehensive Plan Grant Application for submission to the Kansas Department of Corrections for JCAPS. Approved was for the County to submit grants to KDHE and for the commission chair to sign the grant application.

The Commissioners gave a baseline approval for all open positions in the Sheriff’s Ofice:

Sheriff’s Deputy — $20–$22/hr based on experience
Sheriff Records Clerk — $16–17/hr based on experience
Sheriff Detention Officer — $18.54/hr
County Attorney Secretary — $15.00/hr
Health Department Clinical Nurse — $26.00-29.50/hr based on experience and approved the 2026 Lease Renewal Agreement for the Sheriff Department at the Liberal Airport.

Approved was a proposal to transition Seward County Development Corp. employees to City of Liberal employment and authorize the proration of the $200,000 annual contribution for the remainder of the 2026 fiscal year, followed by an ongoing annual commitment of $200,000 to be paid to the City of Liberal in the following years.

After an executive session the Commission approved the BOTA agreement to be signed.