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Finney County officials take oaths in installation ceremony; commission briefly adjourns
Summary
Multiple Finney County officers were sworn into office during an installation observed by the Finney County Commission. The commission briefly adjourned to allow the oath-taking and then returned to conclude the meeting; one county officer's swearing-in was deferred to a later time.
Several Finney County officers took the oath of office during an installation observed by the Finney County Commission, and the commission briefly adjourned to permit the ceremony.
The installation included oath-taking for county commissioners and county officers administered by Chief Judge Christy Cott and other officials. Judge Cott administered the pledge and the oath, using the standard language: “I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Kansas and faithfully discharge the duties of [office].”
Why it matters: The swearing-in completes formal transitions of authority at the county level and makes newly elected or reappointed officials eligible to perform their duties, affecting local administration and constituent services across Finney County.
At the meeting, the commission’s chair announced the installation of newly elected or reappointed county officers and acknowledged retiring commissioners Duane Drees and Davy Jones. The commission made a procedural motion to adjourn the regular meeting in order to observe the installation; the motion was offered and seconded and approved by voice vote. After the oath-taking, the chair returned the meeting to order and noted that one county officer’s swearing-in would be completed later by the county clerk.
Officials sworn in during the ceremony, as recorded in the meeting transcript, included individuals identified by name and role. The transcript records oath administrations for the following roles: Finney County Commissioner District 1; Finney County Commissioner District 3; Finney County Clerk; Finney County Treasurer; County Attorney; and Finney County Sheriff. The transcript supplies full names for several of those sworn: Trista Joyce (Finney County Clerk), Susan Richmire (Finney County Treasurer), and Steve Martinez (Finney County Sheriff). The oath for county attorney and one of the commissioner seats was recorded in the transcript but the meeting record did not include a clear, separate printed name for every oath in the excerpt provided.
The commission’s chair opened the installation by noting it was a “monumental day” for Finney County and identified outgoing commissioners Duane Drees and Davy Jones, thanking them for their service. After Judge Cott administered oaths, the chair and other participants offered brief congratulations. The meeting record ends with the chair stating, “With nothing else before the commission, we are adjourned.”
No formal policy decisions, ordinances, or budget votes were taken during the installation portion of the meeting. The only recorded formal action in the provided excerpt was the procedural motion to adjourn the meeting to observe the installation, which passed by voice vote.
The county clerk will complete an outstanding swearing-in for one remaining county officer at a later time, according to the chair’s closing remarks.
