By Eric Killough
Freelance reporter
Special to the Tribune
“Shall the Board of Pratt County Commissioners change the number of county commission districts from three (3) to five (5) county commission districts?”
That is the question all Pratt County voters will be asked to answer with a “yes” or “no” vote when filling out their November 5 ballot. The initiative, the brainchild of Pratt native Bob Blasi, has its origin in Blasi’s concern for more inclusive representation of Pratt County residents. Blasi shared his top priorities for Pratt County.
“In my opinion economic development is the top priority. We need manufacturing jobs. I think our Chamber of Commerce does an excellent job of taking care of Main Street and trying to attract retail business. However, I don’t think there’s near enough effort put into developing industrial jobs. Another concern is our aging population. We must make things look attractive for younger families, because that is our future. But the top emphasis needs to be on attracting industry,” Blasi said.
To the question of where the idea of adding two additional county commissioners formed Blasi said he become aware of what surrounding counties have done and saw that Great Bend (Barton County) has expanded theirs. Russell County just expanded theirs, and they are half the size of Pratt County.
“Russell County actually voted to go from three to five last November with the seats being filled this November,” Blasi said. “Everybody asks, ‘who are you going to get to run for your new seats?’ Well, in Russell County they have fifteen people running for those seats right now, and they’re half the size of Pratt County. I’ve got a friend in Barton County, Shawn Hutchinson, who is one of the new commissioners up there and I’ve visited with him a little bit. There is also a real estate lady in Russell who helped me get down the right track in this process. Good people willing to help with what I’m trying to get done here.”
Blasi shared his version of the benefits a five-person commission might bring.
“As an individual if you have smaller districts and more commissioners you’ve got a better chance of being heard,” he said. “If you’ve got a concern or something you want to take to the district leader, a smaller district should improve that.”
Blasi looks at the budgetary approval process and likes to point out how a church in Pratt might have a budget of somewhere around $400,000 with that money being overseen by as many as eight church board members. Blasi also pointed out that other entities with budgets either larger or smaller than the county’s, all operate with more board members or trustees than does the county. Those entities include but are not limited to the City of Pratt, Pratt Community College, the Airport Authority, and the Pratt Public Library.
“I look at Cullison, Sawyer, and Iuka and they are small towns each with five commissioners. To me, for Pratt County to have a $23,000,000 budget and two votes are the majority, that is not right,” he said. “Here again, I’ve had some of the existing commissioners ask me ‘who are you going to get to run?’ My theory is the reason a lot of people never ran is that if you’re running against an incumbent that’s been there for 20 years you’re not going to win. This gives somebody else a chance.”
Blasi said the only downside is, according to some, that Pratt really needs this, but we don’t want it to cost us a lot of money. There have been comments about dividing the salary that the three currently receive into five. Blasi said he understands that the salary decision will ultimately come down to what the commissioners decide.
“I have heard that Morgan Trinkle (facing incumbent and write-in candidate Dwight Adams in the general election) would make a motion at his first meeting to divide what the current three earn among the five,” Blasi said. “If you look at how many people have spent almost their entire adult lifetime on school boards or church boards for zero compensation, you have to ask yourself, ‘is running for Pratt County commission for the money? Or are you trying to do the community some good?’”
Touting the efficacy of his initiative and some of the additional advantages of a five-person commission, versus a three-person commission Blasi said that the commissioners will be able to hear from more people in each area of Pratt County. This would allow the individual commissioner to have a more personal relationship with the residents of a smaller district.
“Here again, let’s say they have something up for discussion at a meeting. I think having two more members, each with a different view and opinion, will help to eliminate some blinders that a smaller commission might have,” he said. “Let’s get some more eyes and ears on what’s going on.”
In preparation for the potentiality of passing, Pratt County officials are currently working on a map that will reflect the new districts.
“The state statute says that if this passes on November 5, the county will divide into five districts as evenly as possible using information from the last census (2020). The redrawn districts need to be completed, according to state statute, by January 1. If they have failed to do so the State of Kansas will draw the boundaries themselves,” Blasi said.
Blasi addressed the issue of where to hold county board meetings should there be a larger contingency of commissioners.
“We do not need a new building. The newly built county EMS building has a meeting room that holds a hundred and some people. Why not have the meetings there if the present location isn’t large enough?” he said.
In closing, Blasi said he wanted to dispel any suggestion that this initiative was directed at any person or persons.
“I want to emphasize this and thank the commissioners we have for their work. It’s a thankless job. I’m not mad at any of them, I just want to see the structure changed,” he said. “I’m not slinging mud at anybody.”
Blasi was born and raised in Pratt and is a 1978 graduate of Pratt High School. Directly out of high school Blasi went to work as an electrician for Hoffman Electric before winding up with Adams Electric, a company Blasi and brother Don would eventually buy outright from the retiring Adams. Blasi bought out brother Don in 2008 and in 2020 sold the company to Eck Electric where it was amalgamated into the existing Eck line of services. Blasi is married to wife, Susie, who is a graduate of Southwestern University where she earned a degree in accounting. The couple own and operate 54 Express in Pratt which provides oil changes, brake repairs, spark plugs, transmission services, tire sales, and repairs. The couple also owns West Wash, a car wash located on Iowa Avenue and First Street in Pratt. Together they have one son, Bronson, a graduate of Kansas State University who currently works for ME Engineers, a company based out of Kansas City, Missouri.
For election questions contact the Pratt County Clerk’s office located at 300 S Ninnescah St., Pratt. They can also be reached by calling (620) 672-4110.
