To the editor:

I want to address something that keeps happening in our conversations about Great Bend.

We need to stop comparing Great Bend to other towns or larger cities only when it’s convenient to make a point. You can’t compare us to a small rural town when it benefits your argument, and then turn around and compare us to a large city when that supports a different one. That’s not consistency — that’s convenience.

Great Bend is unique.

Our size is unique.

Our economy is unique.

Our people, our workforce, our tax base, our challenges, and our opportunities — they are all specific to Great Bend.

What works in Wichita may not work here.

What failed in a town half our size doesn’t automatically mean it will fail here. And what succeeds in a booming metro area isn’t always realistic for our budget or our structure.

Instead of chasing comparisons, let’s focus on data that reflects Great Bend. Let’s look at our numbers, our infrastructure, our long-term goals, and what makes sense for our community — not someone else’s.

If we’re going to move forward responsibly, we need decisions based on who we are — not who we’re being compared to this week.

Great Bend deserves solutions built for Great Bend.

Councilman Davis Jimenez

Ward 3

Great Bend