Sherman County County Clerk
Sherman County identifies Ashley Mannis as County Clerk. The county clerk page says the office serves as County Election Officer, ADA Coordinator, Drug & Alcohol Coordinator, and Freedom of Information Officer. Those duties make the office the county-level administrative records contact, but not the court clerk. The separate Clerk of the District Court, Jackie Waters, handles Sherman County District Court records and filings.
The County Clerk's work is broad. The office is the county accounting officer and is responsible for budgetary accounting for county funds. It sets levies to raise tax dollars for taxing districts, prepares levy sheets, prepares tax abstracts for the County Treasurer, maintains tax records and ownership records for real estate and severed minerals, and prepares valuation and tax abstracts for the Department of Property Valuation in July and November.
Sherman County County Clerk
County Clerk: Ashley Mannis
Sherman County, Goodland, KS
785-890-4806
Fax 785-890-4809
Sherman County Clerk Split
Sherman County has a split practical clerk structure. Court users should use the Clerk of the District Court for District Court filings, case documents, divorce decrees, probate records, criminal case files, civil case records, juvenile matters, and small-claims files. County government users should use the County Clerk for administrative records and Freedom of Information coordination.
| Office | Records Handled | Not the Right Place For |
|---|---|---|
| County Clerk | County administration, elections, budget records, levy material, commission minutes, KORA coordination. | District Court case files and court filings. |
| Clerk of the District Court | Civil, criminal, divorce, probate, domestic, juvenile, small-claims, and court document requests. | County commission records or election administration. |
| Register of Deeds | Deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, oil and gas leases, UCCs, and other land records. | Court case records or commission minutes. |
| Sheriff's Office | Sheriff reports, jail records, inmate roster, and law-enforcement records. | County budgets, court filings, or deed records. |
Sherman County Clerk Duties
The County Clerk serves as secretary to the County Commissioners. In that role, the office takes meeting minutes, prepares meeting agendas, researches issues for the board when requested, and handles board correspondence. For someone looking for county commission action, the County Clerk is the logical starting point because the office connects meeting records and administrative follow-up.
- County Election Officer duties for local election administration.
- ADA Coordinator duties for county accessibility coordination.
- Drug & Alcohol Coordinator duties listed by the county.
- Freedom of Information Officer duties for county records coordination.
- County accounting, levy, tax abstract, and commission secretary duties.
The County Clerk also maintains tax records and ownership records for real estate and severed minerals, but recorded land instruments use the Register of Deeds. That distinction matters when a user is looking for a deed, mortgage, lien, plat, or UCC filing rather than a tax abstract or county administrative record.
Sherman County KORA Requests
Sherman County's Open Records Request form cites K.S.A. 45-220 et seq. The form asks for requester information, a description of the information requested, how the information will be used, preferred medium, delivery method, certification signature, and date. Government-use sections track whether a request is granted or denied, estimated cost, payment, completion staff, and completion date.
- Identify the county office that likely holds the record before sending the request.
- Describe the requested information with dates, names, meeting references, department names, or other locating details.
- Select the preferred medium, such as paper or electronic records, when the form asks for it.
- Choose a delivery method, such as mail, priority mail, fax, email, or pickup, when available.
- Sign the certification about use of names and addresses and submit the request to the correct county custodian or County Clerk channel.
Note: A KORA form is not a substitute for a District Court case-document request when the record is a court filing.
Sherman County Request Form Fields
The Open Records Request form is one of the most useful county-specific sources for administrative records. It shows what the county needs to process a public-record request and what choices the requester should make before submitting it.
| Field | Type | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Requester, company, address, phone, fax, email | Contact details | Identifies the requester and how county staff can respond. |
| Description of information requested | Multiline text | States the records being requested. |
| How will information be used? | Multiline text | Supports the certification tied to legal limits on certain uses. |
| Preferred medium | Choice | Paper or electronically. |
| How obtain information | Choice | U.S. Mail, Priority Mail, fax, email, or pickup. |
| Certification signature and date | Signature/date | Requester certifies compliance with restrictions on names and addresses. |
| Estimated costs and payment | Government use | County staff track materials, labor, postage, other costs, and payment. |
Sherman County Clerk Costs
The research did not provide a fixed County Clerk copy fee schedule for every administrative record. The Open Records Request form does show that the county may estimate materials, labor, postage, and other costs, then track payment received by cash, check, or card. Because costs depend on the record and work required, requesters should wait for the county's estimate before assuming a total.
| Cost Category | Shown on County Form | Requester Action |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | Yes | Ask whether paper copies or electronic delivery change cost. |
| Labor | Yes | Give narrow date ranges and clear descriptions to reduce search time. |
| Postage | Yes | Use email or pickup if appropriate and available. |
| Other cost | Yes | Ask staff to explain any nonstandard charge. |
| Total estimated cost | Yes | Review the estimate before payment. |
Sherman County Public Access Law
Kansas public access law favors open public records unless another law provides otherwise. K.S.A. 45-216 states the open-records policy. K.S.A. 45-218 governs inspection, requests, responses, refusals, and fees. K.S.A. 45-220 allows agencies to adopt procedures for access and copies, which is why Sherman County's form matters.
K.S.A. 45-221 lists categories of records that are not required to be disclosed. K.S.A. 45-230 restricts unlawful use of names derived from public records, and the Sherman County form includes a certification against using lists of names or addresses for prohibited sales solicitation. A denial or redaction should be tied to a legal reason rather than a general preference for privacy.
Sherman County Clerk Context
Sherman County is a northwest Kansas county on the Colorado border, with Goodland as the county seat and main public office location. The county building and court functions are centered around Broadway Avenue, and the Sheriff/Bastille jail sits nearby at 813 1/2 Broadway. The local setup means many record questions can be routed by office rather than by searching many separate county branches.
Goodland Municipal Court is another local records path for city ordinance and city traffic matters. The County Clerk does not handle those city court files. Likewise, the Goodland Police Department is a city law-enforcement agency, while sheriff records route through the Sherman County Sheriff's Office. A precise request should name the department, meeting, tax year, election, or county function involved.