Seat next to Commissioner Kenny Schremmer usually occupied by attorney Carey Hipp. The seat was left unfilled Jan. 2, 2018 as commissioners voted on the county counselor position for 2018.
After a delayed vote, the Barton County Commissioners voted to have an out-of-county attorney handle the County Counselor position for Barton County in 2018. With a 4-1 vote, Carey Hipp was chosen as County Counselor Tuesday and will be paid $4,500 per month, or $54,000 a year, as a part-time counselor handling mostly civil cases.
Hipp was selected from two bidders for the position offering both a flat monthly rate and an hourly rate. Discussion and the vote on the topic was tabled from the December 26 meeting because Commissioner Alicia Straub was not in attendance.
Straub felt it was wise to stay with a monthly rate.
Alicia Straub Audio
Hipp serves as an attorney for Sherman, Hoffman & Hipp in Ellsworth. The other bidder was Allen Glendenning from Watkins Calcara in Great Bend. Both Hipp and Glendenning offered a $4,500 monthly rate. Hipp’s hourly rate is $180 with an $1,800 monthly minimum and Glendenning’s hourly rate offered was $175 with no minimum.
Straub was also concerned with Glendenning’s bid which did not include time for the tax sale and other hearings.
Alicia Straub Audio
Commission Chair Jennifer Schartz was the lone dissenting vote in the motion to have Hipp resume her duties in 2018. Hipp was hired in January of 2017 with a $3,000 per month agreement for six months. Hipp’s second contract to finish the 2017 year paid her $6,000 per month. Those contracts budgeted for 10 hours a week for Hipp’s services.
Barton County District Attorney Amy Mellor questioned the expense when the Commission approved the second contract for Hipp in July and suggested for her staff take on the project by hiring additional help.
Barton County has split the duties of counselor and county administrator since the resignation of Richard Boeckman in 2016. Phil Hathcock, Landfill Manager, slid into the newly created position of Director of Operations in June of 2017. The position covers many of same duties the county administrator did and bumped Hathcock’s salary up $12,000 per year.