Woods says new college job won’t affect Morgan County board role

Morgan County’s three-member board is being forced to confront a practical question: how often will Dr. Michael Woods actually be in the room when county business is decided? Woods said his new job at an out-of-state college will not affect his board role, but recent meeting records and his travel schedule have put a spotlight on whether residents will see the same level of access and attendance from the commissioner who represents them.

County minutes from June 8 showed Woods absent while Commissioner Donnie Wood and Chairman Mike Wankel were present. County Clerk Sherry Sills recorded that a quorum was present and the meeting could continue. That matters in a board this small, where one member’s presence can shape whether business moves cleanly or waits for another meeting.

The concern grew after board leaders said they had been trying to reach Woods without success. Woods last attended a regular meeting in person on May 11 and joined the May 27 meeting by telephone. A receptionist in his Kansas office said he was in China for an agriculture conference and expected back in the United States about a week later. Woods had already taken a job in January as chair of the agriculture department at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, and the university’s faculty directory lists him as department chair in agriculture.

Woods’ county post is not in question on paper. Morgan County’s elected officials page lists Michael D. Woods as commissioner vice chairman and shows his current term running through Nov. 30, 2028. Morgan County State’s Attorney Gray Noll said the residency requirement for county commissioners is maintaining a residence in Morgan County, which narrows the issue to availability and service rather than eligibility.

The timing also intersects with the 2026 campaign. Woods said he was suspending his election campaign but would continue to serve through Nov. 30. Ballotpedia lists him as the Democratic Party candidate for Morgan County Commissioner Board at-large, and Republican Greg Hacker is listed as his opponent. For county residents, the immediate question is not just whether Woods keeps the seat, but whether the board member elected to serve Morgan County can remain consistently present for board votes, committee work, and constituent access while holding a leadership post in Kansas.