By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
--Geary County Commissioners will meet with area state legislators next Monday ( Dec. 8 ) to discuss issues ahead of the upcoming 2026 legislative session. One topic sure to receive discussion involves unfunded mandates.
There will be a working lunch involving commissioners and legislators at noon at the County Office Building followed by discussion between other county elected officials and department heads with the legislators at 1 p.m.
--The governing body received a report from the Rural Fire Department. Year to date they have responded to 115 fire calls compared to 99 at this time one year ago. There were eight fire responses in November, three involving vehicles.
--Emergency Management will participate in a training exercise Dec. 18.
--Commissioners have received comments on the idea of going to a governing body with five menbers instead of three members. Commissioner Kathy Tremont noted that questions ranged from how and when to what while Commissioner Trish Giordano noted that there was some surprise that members of the governing body were only allowed to discuss county business at commission meetings. She wants to discuss the subject further and do more research.
--In recent months commissioners have held a night meeting once per month on the third Monday but attendance from the public was light. They took November and December off from that format but are scheduled to continue in January.
Commisssioner Keith Ascher thought that the night sessions would draw more audience paticipation, Kathy Tremont likes the night meeting but observed attendance was light and Trish Giordano wants to continue with the meetings until summer.