Bourbon County removes two SEKMHC appointees and assigns interim commissioners
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Summary
The commission voted to terminate two Bourbon County appointees to the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center board and appointed county commissioners as interim representatives while the county reviews representation; commissioners said the move followed constituent concerns about transparency and executive pay at SEKMHC.
The Bourbon County Commission voted Dec. 15 to remove two county appointees from the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center (SEKMHC) board and to appoint county commissioners as interim representatives.
Commissioner Tran summarized constituent contact and concerns about SEKMHC governance and pay, and read information indicating SEKMHC's revenue growth and the organization's local footprint. The commission debated whether removal was appropriate without a prior conversation with the appointees. An email read into the record from a long‑serving appointee described 9 years of service and warned that abrupt removal "could be as pleasant as shooting ourselves in the foot," while noting SEKMHC leases space in the former hospital and serves multiple counties.
Chair moved and the commission voted to terminate the two Bourbon County board appointments for SEKMHC effective immediately; the board then moved to appoint Commissioner Tran and the commission chair as Bourbon County's interim representatives until the full five‑member commission is seated in January, when the question will be revisited.
The commission said staff would document the actions and coordinate with the mental‑health board about representation going forward.