Phillips County, KS elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Phillips County: 8 seats on 6 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Phillips County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Douglas Zillinger sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2Brenda Chance source
County Commissioner, District 3Jerry Gruwell source

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
County AttorneyMelissa Schoen source
County ClerkGrant Rahjes source
Register of DeedsBailey Bogart source
SheriffKyle Pinkerton source
County TreasurerBret Derr source

How many local governments Phillips County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 43 local governments in Phillips County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships (8 municipal, 25 township)330
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)70

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Phillips County

4,813people
45.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$62,123 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
15.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
22.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$96,500median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.2%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
1.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.4%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.2%U.S.: 8.4%
42.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
20.1%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 3.4% · White 91.6% · Black 0.7% · Asian 0.4% · Other or more than one race 3.8% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Phillips County

3.5%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.4%. Kansas: 3.8%.
84people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
2,335people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
2,419in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Phillips County 0.0%0.9%1.8%2.8%3.7% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.5%842,3352,419
August 20263.9%902,2382,328
July 20263.6%842,2532,337
June 20263.7%892,3492,438
May 20263.2%802,3882,468
April 20262.9%712,3412,412
March 20263.2%772,3232,400
February 20263.7%922,4152,507
January 20263.7%922,3702,462
December 20252.9%722,4192,491
November 20253.1%752,3652,440
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.4%822,3322,414
August 20254.0%922,2192,311
July 20253.5%842,2832,367
June 20253.4%822,3132,395
May 20253.1%742,3392,413
April 20253.0%732,3332,406
March 20253.1%742,3032,377
February 20253.1%772,3772,454
January 20253.0%742,4002,474
December 20242.7%662,3822,448
November 20242.7%662,3702,436
October 20243.0%752,4072,482
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.2%782,3352,413
20242.9%702,3242,394
20232.4%572,3122,369
20222.4%592,3592,418
20212.4%582,3382,396
20203.5%862,3392,425
20192.7%672,3722,439
20182.6%672,4892,556
20173.2%822,5122,594
20163.4%892,5432,632

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Kansas's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.8% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Phillips County

81.2 per 100,0002024. Kansas: 460.7.
54.2 per 100,0002024. Kansas: 2,108.7.
0murders2024, 6 violent crimes in all.

2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
2024681.2454.2
202212164.2454.7
2021674.1112.4
2020561.4336.9
2019784.5560.4
By police agency (1)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Phillips County Sheriff's Office2024644,742

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Kansas · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.71 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 4,675 people.
8sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
4civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Phillips County Sheriff's Office844,675
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
202581.7141
202481.6901
202381.6941
202281.7151
202191.7451
202081.5431
201991.7151
201891.6951
201791.6751
201681.4951

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Phillips County County Attorney?
Melissa Schoen is the County Attorney of Phillips County, Kansas.
Who is the Phillips County County Clerk?
Grant Rahjes is the County Clerk of Phillips County, Kansas.
Who is the Phillips County Register of Deeds?
Bailey Bogart is the Register of Deeds of Phillips County, Kansas.
Who is the Phillips County Sheriff?
Kyle Pinkerton is the Sheriff of Phillips County, Kansas.
Who is the Phillips County County Treasurer?
Bret Derr is the County Treasurer of Phillips County, Kansas.
Who are the Phillips County commissioners?
Douglas Zillinger (District 1); Brenda Chance (District 2); Jerry Gruwell (District 3).
What is the population of Phillips County?
About 4,813 people, with a median age of 45.7; the median household income is $62,123 and 15.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Phillips County?
3.5% in September 2026 (preliminary): 84 people unemployed in a labor force of 2,419, against 3.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Phillips County?
43 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 8 municipal, 25 township, 2 school district and 7 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from each county's own website, the Secretary of State's list of county election officers (the county clerks) and its 2024 official vote totals (district attorneys); officials appointed since a page was updated may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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