NEOSHO COUNTY, Kan. — When Interim Neosho County Attorney Sheryl Bussell took over last month for Tiana McElroy following her sudden resignation, she stepped into a lot of issues within the office; some financial, some organizational. Bussell met with Neosho County Commissioners at a special meeting Monday, and reviewed those and ideas she has for the office.
She was appointed Interim County Attorney by 31st Judicial District Chief Judge Daniel Creitz After McElory’s departure to serve until a successor has been nominated by the Neosho County Republican Precinct Committee and appointed by the Governor. A nominating convention is currently planned for Feb. 12.
Bussell had some questions about the office’s budget, specifically the number of staff budgeted for. The office has four employees now, while the 2026 budget After Commission Chair Gail Klassen provided Bussell with 2026 budget sheets, Bussell asked for and the Commission approved rolling back her annual salary to $72,000, which it was prior to McElroy being granted an $18,000 raise during 2025.
Bussell discussed with Commissioners some short term challenges she is facing, including a jury trial currently scheduled for April in a child sex crimes case. She said he is going to be asking for a continuance in the trial based on a forensic expert not being available for the current setting due to travel restrictions related to a medical issue around the current date. It was also noted the defendant in that case is free on an own-recognizance per an agreement with the former prosecutor.
Bussell said he also is going to be gone for about five days in the near future for a previously scheduled vacation with her daughter.
Long term, Bussell said she wants to make future plans for the office including having a person in place that could ultimately take over as she is well past normal retirement age. As it is in many rural counties in Kansas, finding attorneys willing to relocate to rural communities is very much a challenge. She noted Montgomery County has been looking for an assistant county attorney for some time, and even with a starting salary higher that what McElroy was making, they are not getting any interest in this.
Much of the discussion during the meeting centered on Diversion funds. At the present time, an audit is in progress on the funds that had been under the control of former County Attorney Linus Thuston, and Bussell has asked the banks where diversion funds have been deposited for statements on those accounts.
When she assumed the office and asked staff about those funds, one of them provided three large manila envelopes, full of documents and also a large amount of cash. One change she’s already made is that when a diversion agreement is entered into, the court fees are now to be paid directly to the district court.
Remaining funds within the account are often given to charity, which currently is CASA of the 31st Judicial District, and starting in July to Hope Unlimited. Bussell said there was also an issue with co-mingling diversion funds, a practice she noted from time to time has been the subject of disciplinary proceedings before the Kansas Supreme Court.
In response to a Commissioner question, Bussell said she has been staying away from handling any criminal cases for some time, and is currently wrapping up some remaining civil matters. Two of those involved people who have criminal cases currently pending, and the Allen County Attorney’s Office has agreed to take over those.
There was also some discussion regarding payments for a software system the office recently obtained, and the very large volume of old case files currently in storage at the Courthouse. This includes records from when Bussell previously served as County Attorney in the 1990’s, and there are many records which could be destroyed.
Office hours were another topic discussed. Currently the office is open from 8 AM to 4 PM, and there was discussion about adding a lunch period for staff, which could add another half hour to their day and would be staggered so someone could be in the office during the noon hour. Another issue Commissioners raised was holiday observance. Generally, it has been the practice of the office to follow the schedules of District Court, which as state employees have more holidays than the 11 Neosho County recognizes.
In summation, Klassen said she feels Bussell has things headed in the right direction. Bussell outlined her philosophy, which is that a prosecutor’s office is to be about and for the community. Commissioners asked Bussard to keep them up to date on what is going on in the office. Scheduling of these reports could vary somewhat because she is usually in court for a regularly scheduled docket at the same time as the Commission meets.
