Concerns remain about Carneiro trustee

Dear Editor, I would like to expand on the letter to the editor dated Aug. 30. Mr. Kelly Cikanek waited almost until the last “legal” date to organize a second budget meeting requiring approval by Aug.

25, calling into question why did the board not complete the budget approval process originally?

Cikanek’s action caused this meeting to be miserable. It was common knowledge there was a weather alert warning of excessive heat until 8 p.m. He chose not to use Webster Hall, for which the township pays. The building is equipped with air conditioning. Instead, he chose to have the meeting outside at a picnic table in triple digit heat. I found this utterly untenable.

As mentioned in my letter to the editor dated Aug. 1 regarding the initial budget meeting on Aug. 4, a constituent, Gretchen, addressed concerns surrounding the cemetery and its funding.

As the original budget meeting ended without an approval by the board, I thought this meeting might adjust for this concern. Hopeful that this meeting would address a modification, Cikanek brought the budget to the meeting without any changes whatsoever. No cemetery monetary needs were adopted, leaving the cemetery monies without transparency.

Again, he stated that our county clerk, Shelly Vopat, makes all the decisions for allocation of Carneiro Township line items on the budget. This innuendo by Cikanek has been videotaped for the record. He appears to forgo responsibility, instead relying on others to do his job. I feel this attitude is inappropriate for an official in public office and shows a lack of leadership.

As trustee, and in my opinion, Cikanek’s character is called into question. He has manipulated the truth on many occasions, as reviewed in videotapes of prior meetings. Leaving this meeting, Cikanek informed me I have no say at the meeting, nor can I vote in the township. I watched a video where he allowed another person, not living in the township, to read into the record a multiple-page document surrounding the cemetery.

As far as I’m concerned, Mr. Cikanek has placed himself above the law, and now is the time to remove him. I feel our County Attorney Paul J.

Kasper should take a closer look and address this behavior as elected officials are bound to follow the law! My understanding from the Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes is that as county attorney, Mr. Kasper has the authority to remedy the ongoing complaints/concerns.

Carneiro Township should follow KOMA/ KORA and other related Kansas statutes, yet Cikanek exhibits a tendency to disregard the Kansas statutes. Per KOMA, people from outside the township are welcome to attend.

I have digressed from my original complaint.

Back to the outdoor meeting, in triple digit heat.

I’m on 5 liters of oxygen and need power, which would have been available in Webster Hall. By the time I got home, I felt like I would have heat stroke. Thank the Lord, my Jeep has great air conditioning! It literally took hours for me to recover. I had to place my air conditioning at 64 degrees and use a fan blowing at maximum to recover.

As a last concern, Mr. Cikanek does not have township business posted in the paper like other townships. His words are “nobody reads the Ellsworth paper,” yet I disagree, with good reason. Most everyone I know reads the Ellsworth County Independent-Reporter.

It is my hope that action will be taken to remedy what I consider a travesty of a government official’s abuse of power.

As a Christian, I find Cikanek’s behavior abhorrent. Regards, Mary Schmidt Ellsworth