By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Two candidates will vie for the First District seat on the Ellis County Commission in the August 5 primary.
Martha “Marcy” McClelland, Hays, and Lyle Johnston, Ellis, are both Republicans. Both filed their paperwork and paid the fee with the Ellis County Clerk’s office.
McClelland, is a member of the Ellis County Joint Planning Commission and Ellis County Farm Bureau board. She lives in Hays and owns farm ground northwest of the city.
Although this would be her first time to serve in public office, McClelland has been attending Ellis County Commission meetings since she retired in 2006.
The county’s budget is always a top priority to McClelland who “does not want property taxes to increase:”
“I worked at Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas, and we did a lot of interaction with the state legislature about state funding and making our voices heard. I believe I can help the county in that area,” McClelland said.
“I’ve attended the recent 2015 draft budget meetings, and I know everybody thinks they’ve cut to the bone, but we’re still going to have to cut more …really hard decisions to make.”
McClelland believes she can “be the voice of rural residents in Ellis County.”
She supports the Buckeye wind project and is open to the idea of establishing a permanent county-wide sales tax to help increase revenues.
The District 1 seat is held by Republican Swede Holmgren, Ellis. He did not file for re-election, but has said he might run as an independent candidate in the November general election.