Reno County Commissioner Dan Deming filed today for re-election and is seeking his second 4-year term. The 71-year-old Deming who lives at 24 East 28th, in Hutchinson has represented the county’s first district since 2011. This is the district that composes all city precincts, generally north of 17th, west of Severance, but as far south as 4th Street to the cities westside.
Deming a Republican says he wants to finish the nearly 30-million dollar, new county jail, secured courthouse entrance and moving four courthouse offices into the current jail annex, all of which was approved by county voters two years ago. “It is critical that we hold down costs on this project and make certain taxpayers are getting full value for their vote,” said Deming. He adds, I have a record of closely watching how tax dollars are spent and there are plenty of opportunities for cost over-runs if we don’t carefully monitor this important project.”
Deming says he takes time to review in detail each weeks county expenditures and frequently raises possibilities for reduced cost and improved efficiencies with the county administrator and when necessary, in public meetings. He says unlike the other two commissioners, he’s retired and can devote more time to being at the courthouse. He says he’s there every day and tries to devote 25-30 hours per weeks working on county business. He says, “I feel its important for an elected official to be easily available to answer public questions and concerns, which why I readily give out my cell phone number and try to respond to every e-mail or letter promptly.”
Deming also takes credit for making the commission meetings more open to the public. He arranged to have the meetings televised on the county website as well as the local government access channel, Cox Cable Channel 7.
He says he also pushed for revising the commission agenda for additional citizen opportunity to voice comments and also defeated an effort to restrict public hearings on zoning and planning issues, after the commission initially voted over his objection to limit citizen comments. He also pushed to establish a system to allow low and moderate income residents to receive free R-Cat transportation to and from medical appointments.
He says in his second term, he wants to concentrate on ideas to improve local government, including appointing through qualifications and experience, several county offices, rather then having them elected.
And he still believes that commissioners pay should be reduced further. He says commissioners should confine their activities to setting policy and over-site, which he says doesn’t justify an 18-thousand dollar salary considering the amount of time they spend on county business.