Bourbon County Commissioner District 2 Jim Harris was sworn in on January 11, 2021.
” I plan on following through with my campaign promises,” Harris said. ” I believe it’s time for the Bourbon County citizens to be heard and for the government to represent the people with respect and provide transparency to our government.”
“I believe we have to visit with folks to fully understand what services they want and don’t want,” he said. “We are hoping to have a town hall meeting in March, if we can get warmer weather.”
“I would like to continue holding town hall meetings this year to give me the opportunity to visit with folks and to understand their concerns,” he said.
He said he enjoyed having a town hall meeting in Gunn Park, but if not perhaps the Empress Event Center, in downtown Fort Scott.
“I hope with our town hall meetings, folks will get involved in a positive way,” he said.
The commission is collaborating with other entities to provide services.
“We are working with the City of Fort Scott and our health care providers to continue providing long-term health care,” he said.
“I am excited that we have a new BEDCO (Bourbon County Ecomonic Development Council) committee with high expectations of moving forward with economic growth. If we can grow and expand our tax base and ensure efficient, responsible spending we can lower our mill levy.”
” We have begun working with the City of Fort Scott with shared services to reduce the cost of operations and to discontinue duplicated services,” Harris said.
“Another area of concern is our infrastructure, mainly bridges, that we must continue to fund and make necessary repairs to keep our roads open. We currently have a ten-year road program and I plan on requesting we put together and ten-year ditching and bridge replacement program with adequate funding.”
Since being sworn in, he has one appointment added.
“To date I have been appointed as a member of the Lake Advisory Committee,” Harris said.
” In closing, I want to express my thanks for the folks that elected me,” he said. “I will always be accessible and be a humbled servant of the folks that are my boss which is the citizens of Bourbon County.”
To view his candidate profile from July 2020:
Jim Harris: Candidate For Bourbon County Commission
Contact info is jharris@bourboncountyks.org and 620-224-0230.