Republican · Ellis County Commissioner, District 1
Sources for Michael Berges
20 public sources used in researching this candidate. Every claim in the profile traces back to one or more of these URLs.
13
primary
5
secondary
2
social
Primary Records
13 sources- Michael Berges is listed as a Republican candidate for Commission District 1
- Commission District 1 appears on Ellis County's 2026 primary candidate filing list
- Michael Berges is listed as Ellis County Commissioner for the First District
- Ellis County publishes commission agendas, minutes, and meeting information
- Ellis County Commission Official Page
- County commissioners serve four-year overlapping terms
- Michael Berges, District I, is listed with term expiring January 2027
- County commission duties include budgets, tax levies, roads, contracts for public health and welfare, appointments, facilities, and local legislation
- Open
Ellis County, Kansas · 2026-05-19
Ellis County Board of County Commissioners Minutes - July 1, 2025ellisco.net
- Berges served as chair for the July 1, 2025 meeting
- Fairview Patch final plat and Resolution 2025-12 passed 2-1
- Berges seconded the Fairview Patch final plat motion; Leiker was the no vote
- 2026 Mill Levy Discussion was presented by Michael Berges
- Agenda cover sheet says Berges asked commissioners to consider adding one to two mills for capital projects and service-level risk
- Open
Ellis County, Kansas · 2026-05-19
Ellis County Board of County Commissioners Minutes - August 19, 2025ellisco.net
- Berges moved to authorize publication of the 2026 Ellis County General Fund and Fire District budgets
- Berges asked commissioners to sign a support letter for the City of Ellis road project
- Berges opened continued discussion on county-maintained subdivision roads
- Open
Ellis County, Kansas · 2026-05-19
Ellis County Board of County Commissioners Minutes - September 9, 2025ellisco.net
- 2026 General Fund and Fire District budgets exceeded revenue-neutral rates
- Budget approval passed 3-0 by named roll call: Berges yes, Younger yes, Leiker yes
- Berges thanked hearing participants, apologized for remote attendance, and invited public participation in a later work session
- Open
Ellis County, Kansas · 2026-05-19
Ellis County Board of County Commissioners Minutes - January 13, 2026ellisco.net
- Berges seconded Resolution 2026-04 setting elected-official salary step adjustments
- County Commissioner District 1 salary was listed at Pay Grade 35, Step 4, $20,746
- Neal Younger was selected chair, Nathan Leiker vice-chair, and Berges was listed as member for 2026
- Open
Ellis County, Kansas · 2026-05-19
Ellis County Board of County Commissioners Minutes - February 17, 2026ellisco.net
- Berges was present for recovery court grant presentation
- Berges seconded opioid-fund use for three sheriff's officers to attend Kansas Narcotics Officers Association training
- Berges asked for right-of-way project update during road-tour discussion
- Open
Ellis County, Kansas · 2026-05-19
Ellis County Board of County Commissioners Special Meeting Minutes - April 8, 2026ellisco.net
- Berges attended the April 8, 2026 county retreat
- Retreat discussion included possible transient guest tax, fairgrounds/Historical Society funding, motor-vehicle fee, and sheriff staffing
- Berges announced he had filed for the 2022 Ellis County Commission District 1 race
- Berges identified housing, roads and bridges, facility plans, growth, emergency services, economic vitality, innovation, and cooperation as campaign themes
- The article identified Berges as Hays vice-mayor, Development Services of Northwest Kansas employee, ARC of Central Plains treasurer, Tiger Takedown Club chair, St. Joseph Catholic Church member, and participant at Firs...
- Berges discussed sales-tax sunset options, including cuts, mill-levy offset, voter-approved extension, or permanent sales tax
- Berges said he supported earmarking sales-tax revenue for infrastructure upkeep
- Berges identified sheriff's department facility needs and outside inmate-housing costs as a major issue
- Michael Berges is listed as Business Services Director at the Innovation Center
- The staff biography describes his work supporting businesses across a 26-county service area
- The biography describes experience in hotel management, foundation development, and financial and investment management
Reporting and Public Context
5 sources- Open
Hays Post · 2026-05-19
Berges, Leiker presumptive new Ellis County commissioners after canvasshayspost.com
- Berges won the 2022 District 1 Republican primary after canvass, 848-835 over Jim Pfeifer
- Hays Post reported no Democratic challengers on the November ballot
- Berges, Leiker Presumptive New Commissioners -- Hays Post
- Open
Hays Post · 2026-05-19
Ellis County Commission approves 2025 budget with reduction in mill levyhayspost.com
- The 2025 budget reduced the mill levy by 0.639 mills while exceeding the revenue-neutral rate
- Berges connected budget increases to employee wages and benefits
- Berges criticized revenue-neutral-rate framing
- Open
Hays Post · 2026-05-19
Ellis County Commission discuss final budget draft with mill levy increasehayspost.com
- Draft 2026 budget had a proposed general-fund mill levy increase
- Berges said Grow Hays had asked for $5,000 to be reinstated
- Commission reinstated Grow Hays' $165,000 and maintained Historical Society allocation at $115,000
- Open
Hays Post · 2026-05-19
City commissioners plea for residents to wear face masks, despite no county enforcementhayspost.com
- As a Hays city commissioner, Berges made a personal plea for residents to wear masks
- Berges said he was not asking for a city ordinance at that point
- League of Kansas Municipalities lists Michael Berges as Commissioner, Ellis County
- Profile was listed as last updated January 5, 2026
Public Online Activity
2 sources- Source/lead URLs: https://www.facebook.com/EllisCountyDistrict1/ (lead only); https://www.facebook.com/HaysDailyNews/posts/ellis-county-commission-chair-michael-berges-asserted-that-commissioners-are-not/150924030436217...
- Hays Daily News -- Berges Commission Comment
