Osage County creates appointed controller post, names Anthony Parrish to start May 12

The Osage County Board of Commissioners on May 5 voted to create an appointed Osage County controller position and to appoint Anthony Parrish to the role effective 05/12/2026. The resolution cites the county's authority under KSA 19-6a02 and lists the statutory duties the position will hold.

During discussion, a county attorney outlined the statutory basis for the office, saying, "the county controller statutes in KSA 19-6a02" (S4). Commissioners debated how much detail to include in the resolution versus the employment contract and confirmed the board retains authority to assign additional administrative duties. The board also approved preliminary purchase and configuration of a laptop and monitors so the controller can be operational on arrival, and directed staff to complete account and software setups with CIC and other portal logins.

Why it matters: The new appointed position centralizes fiscal oversight and bookkeeping duties for county operations; commissioners said the controller will help reconcile lingering billing and payroll problems and give a single point of responsibility for financial systems. The board approved related hardware purchases and asked the clerk and future controller to coordinate fund coding and CIC training before the start date.