Governing Body

The Governing Body consists of the Mayor and 5 Council Members. Regular meetings of the Governing Body are held on the third Monday of each month at 7:00pm. The In the event the regular meeting day falls on any legal holiday or any day observed as a holiday by the City Offices, the meeting will be held the next day at 7:00pm. The Mayor and Council would like to encourage you to attend these meetings and participate in your local government.

Mayor Tyler Gottschalk
tgottschalk@bentonks.org
316-990-0664

Mayor Mayor Gottschalk was elected in the November 2020 General Election and took the oath of office at the regular City Council meeting in December 2020. He is serving a 4-year term.
Some of the duties of the mayor are as follows:

Preside at all meetings of the Governing Body. The Mayor shall have the tie-breaking vote on all questions when the members present are equally divided.
Have superintending control of all officers and affairs of the City.
Take care that the ordinances of the city are complied with.
Sign the commissions and appointments of all officers elected or appointed.
Endorse the approval of the Governing Body on all official bonds.
Communicate to the Council, information he or she may deem advisable.
Have the power to approve or veto any ordinance as the laws of the state shall prescribe.
Sign all orders and drafts drawn upon the city treasury for money.

Council Members

Members of the Council are elected for 4 year terms. Elections for Council Members are held on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November of even-numbered years with alternating terms every 2 years so 2 members are elected one year, then 3 are elected 2 years later. This insures there should always be someone with experience on the Council.

Any person desiring to become a candidate for city office elected at large shall file with the county election officer, before the filing deadline, established in K.S.A. 25–205, and amendments thereto, a declaration of candidacy on a form furnished by the county election officer as specified by the secretary of state. Each such filing shall be accompanied by a filing fee of $20 or, in lieu of such filing fee, by a petition signed by a number of such qualified electors of the city equal to not less than 10% of the ballots cast at the last general city election. (K.S.A. 25–2110)

The current city council members are –

Ross Schoneboom rschoneboom@bentonks.org 316-519-2079
Travis Swift tswift@bentonks.org 316-640-2645
Curt Ghormley curt@bentonks.org 316-832-5313
Dan Claycamp dclaycamp@bentonks.org
Cody Smith csmith@bentonks.org