Kiowa County operates with the assistance of many boards.  These groups provide a unique expertise and commitment to our community.  The Kiowa County Board of Commissioners is a decision making board.  There are hundreds of different issues that local government deals with which are of significant importance to all who live in the county.  The Commissioners make daily decisions regarding, health and safety, economic development, planning and zoning, regulatory issues, legislative issues, historic preservation, roadways, solid waste and recycling, recreation, education, emergency services, disaster planning, veteran’s services, adult and child protection, assistance programs, transit, food programs, housing, broadband and many other issues to support the residents of the county.  There are several different boards that have been established to aide the Commissioners in their decision making and provide them with the best advice and ideas as they come from our residents.  The following is a list of county boards and districts that support the Board of Commissioners or provide special services within the county;  Fire Protection District, Library District, Recreation Districts, School Districts, Hospital District, Cemetery Districts, Planning & Zoning Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, Water Districts, Weed Board, Transit Advisory Council, Area on Aging Board, and Fair Board.  All of these boards provide for specific needs within the County.  Some are independent of the Board of Commissioners and some work directly with them but all provide for the needs of Kiowa County residents and a beautiful way of life.

We would like to tell all of the board members in the county how grateful we are for the significant amount of time and energy that they spend to make Kiowa County a better place.  They bring so much knowledge and experience to support the services in the County with no pay and very little thanks!  We generally have had good luck filling these boards with people who are interested and knowledgeable. The board members for some of the special districts are elected and some are appointed by the Board of Commissioners as well as the advisory boards. 

Most of the boards are full this year with the exception of our Fair Board.  Managing the Fair takes a very specific group of talented and community-oriented people.  A lot of boards meet monthly throughout the year and only have occasional projects or issues that take a considerable amount of time.  For the Fair Board, they must work all year, each taking specific tasks, working as a team and working individually, to plan and put on our favorite annual event.  The Kiowa County Fair & Rodeo has been an event that the entire county can participate in and look forward to annually for 73 years.  That is a whole lot of volunteers!  The Fair not only provides great entertainment but more importantly offers the kids in our county the opportunity to learn and show their skills in all types of projects through 4-H, Jr. Livestock and FFA. This year we are looking at restructuring our Fair Board with the possible addition of a Fair Manager.  As with everything else, it seems everything takes more effort as the years go by.  We understand that our board members have very busy lives and are trying to come up with a process that supports them and provides assistance with the recordkeeping and deadlines that must be met.  These board members work throughout the year planning and preparing for a week of events.  They spend their time and resources to provide all of us with a wonderfully unique time of community and fellowship, giving opportunity for learning, financial gain, and showing of each person’s unique skills.  They are a special type of people who work extremely hard and ask for nothing in return.  We have 4-6 vacant positions on the Fair Board and we are asking that anyone who would like to volunteer for this board to contact the Commissioners Office for mor information or submit a letter of interest.  We would really appreciate your consideration of this service. 

We will be having a Fair work session for anyone who is interested in giving their input on previous fairs, learning more, providing ideas for future fairs, or volunteering as a board member or on a specific committee for the fair.  The meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 23^rd at 5:00 p.m..  There will be a soup supper for those attending who wish to partake.

Our way of life cannot be sustained without the incredible volunteers who give of themselves to serve the community the love.   We appreciate you all! 

Sincerely, 

Tina Adamson, Kiowa County Administrator

On behalf of the Kiowa County Board of Commissioners