Incumbent Sheriff Don Ash, left, faces a challenge from Celisha Towers in the general election Nov. 7. Here they were preparing to speak at the Oct. 17 candidate forum at KCKCC. (Staff photo)
A contest between Incumbent Sheriff Don Ash and challenger Celisha Towers, a former Sheriff’s Department employee, is on the ballot for Tuesday’s general election in Wyandotte County.
In the primary, Ash received 49.9 percent of the vote to Towers’ 21.8 percent.
Several contests, including Unified Government mayor and some commissioners, are on the ballot for Tuesday’s general election in Wyandotte County.
Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Advance voting will take place from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, Nov. 6, at the election office, 850 State Ave. For more information on voting , see http://wycovotes.org/where-do-i-vote/. Also see the website, http://www.wycovotes.org/, or voters may call the election office at 913-573-8500.
The candidate forums on video will be shown on Monday afternoon, Nov. 6, starting at 1 p.m., on the KCKCC cable channel, Channel 17 on Spectrum and Channel 146 on Google TV. Also, the forums are available for viewing on the internet any time on the college’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/KCECable.
David Alvey, left, and Mayor Mark Holland prepared for a candidate forum on Oct. 17 at Kansas City Kansas Community College. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Mayor-CEO of the Unified Government
Incumbent Mayor Mark Holland and challenger David Alvey are running for mayor-CEO of the Unified Government.
Holland received about 40 percent of the vote to Alvey’s 31.6 percent in the primary election.
To see a video of the candidate forum held Oct. 17 at KCKCC, and sponsored by Business West neighborhood business revitalization groups, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRVRWswzWME.
J.D. Rios, left, and Tom Burroughs are running for the Unified Government Commission, 2nd District at large. They were preparing for the candidate forum Oct. 17 at KCKCC. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Unified Government Commission, 2nd District at large
An open seat on the Unified Government Commission has attracted two candidates who have served in public office for years in other capacities, Tom Burroughs, a state representative, and J.D. Rios, a member of the Kansas City Kansas Community College board.
Candidates running for the 8th District, UG Commission, from left, are Incumbent Commissioner Jane Winkler Philbrook and Kendon McClaine. Candidates running for the 1st District are, third from left, Victor Harris, and right, Incumbent Commissioner Gayle Townsend. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Unified Government Commission, 1st District
Incumbent Commissioner Gayle Townsend and challenger Victor Harris are running for the 1st District, Unified Government Commission, in the Nov. 7 general election. There was no primary contest this year as only two candidates filed.
At a candidate forum Oct. 17, Townsend said her focus was the use of money and policy in an effort to promote a changing look and perception of the 1st District. She said she initiated budget requests to enhance the level of maintenance of the UG parks, brought new curbs and sidewalks to the Parkwood neighborhood, directed funds toward design and renovations of Garland Park, including walking trails, and brought improvements to the ballfield at Quindaro Park.
In addition, Townsend successfully sought to preserve funding for emergency home repairs for homeowners. She said she initiated a budget request to fund the first northeast master plan, which is currently in progress. She also advocated against crime following the murder of several young residents.
Townsend, an attorney with a federal agency, was elected in 2013. She is a graduate of Sumner High School with a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Law.
Harris, president of OCP Neighborhood Association, said at the forum that he has tried to get the UG to help clean up the area, but so far that has not been done. He said if he couldn’t get them to do it as the neighborhood association president, he would run for commissioner and get it done.
“The constituents in the 1st District feel they have not been respected, that there’s no hope there, that the leadership they thought they was going to have was not there,” Harris said.
Townsend said a new UG program is addressing blight, it is currently moving forward, and it will take time to work through the process.
Harris is one of the organizers of the annual Juneteenth event held at Big 11 Lake. Harris, who has worked in the security field, holds a high school degree and also ran for the 1st District in 2013, placing fourth in the primary election. He was previously elected to sergeant-at-arms of the Wyandotte County Democratic Committee and has served as a precinct committeeman.
Harris opposed a residential prisoner re-entry facility recently proposed for the Fairfax and northeast area because there were already a number of halfway houses in the northeast area. He recommended moving it to another location out of the area.
Townsend also did not support this proposed re-entry facility, saying it was very close to residential areas and was not in line with what was trying to be done with the northeast master plan.
Incumbent Commissioner Jane Winkler Philbrook and Kendon McClaine are running for the 8th District, UG Commission.
Philbrook said her accomplishments included new curbs and sidewalks in areas, park improvements, working with Workforce Development, the Homeless Coalition for Greater Kansas City, supporting KCKCC and the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools in their efforts to help with social issues, the new Amazon project with 3,000 additional jobs including 1,000 jobs to Wyandotte County residents, working with small businesses and the State Avenue Corridor. The property tax was reduced 2 mills last year and 2 mills this year.
“I want to continue on with some of the projects I have worked on for you, especially with Workforce and the Homeless, and the businesses,” Philbrook said.
Philbrook, a third-generation optometrist, is a graduate of Washington High School, with a bachelor’s degree from Park University and a doctorate from the University of Missouri St. Louis School of Optometry. She was first elected in 2013. Philbrook previously worked for the Board of Public Utilities at the Quindaro Power Plant, and is a past president of the Kiwanis Kansas City West Club and a Leadership 2000 graduate.
McClaine said he is actively engaged in the community with the “I’m So Wyandotte” campaign, and he also has helped with giving backpacks to children, helping with job coaching and job training, feeding people at Central Park Towers when their air units were not working.
He said he has been in touch with 8th District families who lost four loved ones in five weeks, to try to figure out what could be done. Those are people issues, not policy issues, he said. McClaine said he wanted to work with the policies to make them work for the people.
McClaine, a graduate of Washington High School who has attended Kansas City Kansas Community College and the University of Kansas, has previously said he brings a mix of skills to the position, including board and financial experience, as well as community experience. He said he has worked in client services for a company that manages portfolios.
McClaine finished second in the August 2017 primary with 574 votes to Philbrook’s 1,064 votes. McLaine also ran for the 8th District Commission seat in 2013, placing fourth in the primary.
Candidates running for the 7th District, Unified Government Commission, are from left, George Cooper and Incumbent Commissioner Jim Walters. Candidates running for the 5th District, Unified Government Commission, are, third from left, Sarah Kremer, and right, Incumbent Commissioner Mike Kane. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Unified Government Commission, 5th District
Incumbent Commissioner Mike Kane and challenger Sarah Kremer are running for the 5th District, UG Commission.
Kane has served 12 years as UG commissioner, and said he would continue to work to make the district better. At the candidate forum Oct. 17, Kane said a location for a new fire station in the 5th District would be at Hutton and Leavenworth roads, with a park planned behind it.
“This is just a start of things to come,” Kane said.
Kane, a graduate of Bishop Ward High School, is the public affairs representative for the Construction and General Laborers Local Union 1290, AFL-CIO. He is retired from the United Auto Workers –GM after 35 years. He also is a past coach of junior varsity soccer at Piper High School, and also a former youth softball coach. He was appointed to the Kansas Human Rights Commission in 2013.
Kremer, a vice president of accounting for Belger Cartage Services, Kansas City, Mo., is originally from Iowa and has came to this area around 20 years ago. She received a bachelor’s degree from Emporia State University with an accounting emphasis, and is a certified public accountant and certified management accountant.
She said she would like to use her experience in accounting and finance, strategic thinking and budgeting to help the commission with the budget. She also said she would like to help the people in all areas of the 5th District, as well as the whole community.
“What I’ve learned in my current job in the corporate world translates to local government,” Kremer said. That includes areas such as investing in your organization, your community, and your employees, she added.
Kremer said the most important issue facing the community would be property taxes, and she supports decreasing the mill levy with the increased tax revenue coming in from the west side of the community. The community also needs to try to bring employees of some of the new development to live in Wyandotte County, and the county might consider tax abatements for three to five years for building new homes. She believes it would increase the tax base.
Kane said the UG lowered the mill levy by 2 mills this year, by 2 mills last year, and the goal is to lower it another 2 mills next year. Taxes, public safety, roads and parks are at the top of the list for residents’ concerns, he said.
Kane added he was trying to develop an area for a soccer field and park on the property from the former Thunderlake Speedway at 5501 Wolcott Drive. There are plans for a walking trail there, and discussions are underway for locating some ballfields there, he said. There currently isn’t a park located west of I-435 in northwestern Wyandotte County, he said.
In the primary election, Kane received 58.5 percent of the vote to Kremer’s 30.2 percent.
Incumbent Commissioner Jim Walters and challenger George Cooper are running for the 5th District, UG Commission.
Walters said he has spent his life in development and is most interested in economic development in Wyandotte County.
Walters, of Bonner Springs, is a native of Kansas City, Kansas, who moved to Edwardsville at age 12, and settled in Bonner Springs after getting married. He is a graduate of Bonner Springs High School, and has bachelor’s degrees from the University of Kansas in environmental design and architecture. He is an architect who has designed large sports stadiums around the world, including the stadium for Sporting Kansas City.
Cooper, a Bonner Springs City Council member for eight years, said he grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, then moved west. He is retired from the Board of Public Utilities. He has served as an advocate for Bonner’s parks, and was instrumental in starting the Bonner Springs Community Garden. Cooper is a Navy veteran.
“We want a seat at the table,” Cooper said about Bonner Springs and Edwardsville. “We have been forgotten. We do not get back anything that we should from our tax dollars with Unified Government.”
The most important issues to residents, Cooper said, are taxes, infrastructure and roads.
“In District 7, we have roads that need fixed,” Cooper said. “I’d like to see more county tax dollars come back in with the city dollars there in the little towns to fix more roads.”
Walters said the issues are different in District 7 depending on where people live.
“Taxes are an issue, and that’s why I proposed at our last budget session an additional mill levy reduction beyond what the commission had already adopted, because I think our taxes should be cut,” Walters said. “I did not get enough support from the rest of the commissioners to do that, but that’s what I will continue to do in my second term.”
In some areas of the 7th District, roads and sewers are issues, he added. Walters said the Unified Government includes Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County. It does not include Bonner Springs and Edwardsville for city services, he added. Bonner Springs and Edwardsville are included in the UG for county services. Roads, sewers and infrastructure are clearly city responsibilities, he said.
In the primary, Walters received 46.6 percent of the vote to Cooper’s 27.9 percent.
J.D. Rios, left, and Tom Burroughs are running for the Unified Government Commission, 2nd District at large. They were preparing for the candidate forum Oct. 17 at KCKCC. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
by Mary Rupert
An open seat on the Unified Government Commission has attracted two candidates who have served in public office for years in other capacities.
Tom Burroughs, a state representative and former House minority leader, and John “J.D.” Rios, a Kansas City Kansas Community College trustee and former Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools administrator, are running for the Unified Government Commission, Second District at large. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Commissioner Hal Walker is not seeking re-election to the UG seat, which serves the south side of Wyandotte County. In the general election, the vote for the seat is countywide. There was no primary contest for the seat, as only two candidates filed.
Twenty years ago, Rios said he was a member of the Citizens for Consolidation, and he is running now to ensure the fulfillment of the promise of prosperity across the county.
“Consolidation was but a step in the right direction,” Rios said at a candidate forum Oct. 17 at KCKCC. “There are many other steps that need to be followed.”
As former Kansas House Democratic leader, Burroughs said at a candidate forum on Oct. 17 at KCKCC that he recognized the challenges local governments and local leaders face under this administration.
He said that serving as minority leader allowed him to build coalitions, work in a bipartisan manner, and listen to multiple concerns and issues across all facets of the state and communities. He has met with many if not all organizations, worked with them and collaborated with them in the 21 years he served in the Kansas Legislature, he said.
“I believe those experiences will provide me the necessary tools to be a great partner with our local leaders and to do what we can to make Wyandotte County a brighter, better community as we move forward collectively,” Burroughs said.
Both candidates said the top issue for residents is property taxes.
“I want to bring some stability and accountability to our appraisal and valuation process so we can lower the property tax burden on the shoulders of the taxpayers,” Burroughs said. Another issue important to Burroughs is investment in the infrastructure, he said.
“We need to find a way to bring our assessment and valuation more in line with one another,” Burroughs said. “Then and only then will you be able to reinvest in your community and your neighborhood to make them whole and invest in the infrastructure that is so sorely needed.”
Rios agreed that taxes are a top concern, and said the UG should deal with the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) first.
“All citizens, whether they are property owners, or renters, pay the tax, so immediate relief for all citizens would be with the PILOT,” Rios said.
While he would lower it for individuals, those businesses that do not pay property taxes should still pay the PILOT, he said. He would keep the percentage the same for those who do not pay property taxes, but for those citizens who need additional resources, he suggested the UG should address the PILOT.
Rios said one of the reasons he is running is that the Hispanic population is 28 percent of the county, and there is no Hispanic representation. It is important not just to celebrate diversity, but to make sure government is representative of diversity, he said. It is necessary to have a strong community advocate, he said.
“That is the way to go about combatting oppression, is being part of the solution,” Rios said.
Burroughs said oppression is very offensive, and it holds people back, but Wyandotte County has been oppressed a long time by a high tax burden, by a mass exodus, by a school system challenged by underfunding from the state, and by a public safety image.
“We can control the destiny of our community by electing strong leaders, leaders that have a track record of success,” Burroughs said, leaders who can put aside their personal agendas – no hidden agendas, just a vision of what the community should look like, he added.
Both candidates said they are in support of the UG’s public safety departments.
Rios said the UG currently has shortages in public safety departments, and needs to get to capacity to ensure public safety. He said he had ideas on how to better recruit to fill the positions that are open in the public safety sector.
Burroughs said public safety personnel deserve utmost respect and support in everything they do. “As a city of the first class, we deserve to have law enforcement on the street that is well-equipped, well-funded and well-supported,” Burroughs said.
Burroughs said he would work in a collaborative manner with others to advance a vision for the community. He said the community is the “phoenix on the plains” as it has seen more than just development in Village West, it has seen an increase in housing stock in Argentine and Armourdale, and highway and government investment downtown. His vision is one of long-term fiscal and stable revenue stream and long-term viability, he said.
Rios said Village West’s success needs to be sustained, and there now needs to be Village Midtown and Village East. Not just businesses, but also individuals need incentives, he said. There should be a 20 percent reduction long-term for the property tax, he said. In the short term, he suggested an abatement of 20 percent on the property tax for teachers, health care professionals and UG employees. This would cost one-third of a mill, he said.
Other issues were discussed at the candidate forum, and to see a video of the forum with candidates for UG, Second District at large, visit https://www.youtube.com/user/KCECable.
The candidate forum video also is playing on the KCKCC cable channel, on Spectrum (Time Warner) on channel 17, and on Google TV on channel 146, at 3 p.m. in the afternoons daily through Nov. 6.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Advance voting is taking place; to find out about advance voting and advance voting places, visit http://wycovotes.org/.
To view more stories about the election, click onElection 2017.
Candidates running for Unified Government Commission appeared at a candidate forum on Sept. 20 at Kansas City Kansas Community College, sponsored by the Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus. From left to right were Rep. Tom Burroughs, running for 2nd District at large; and J.D. Rios, running for 2nd District at large. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
The candidates’ answers to a Wyandotte Daily questionnaire are below:
Tom Burroughs Age
62
Occupation
Retired, Colgate-Palmolive Co.
Education
Washington High School
KCKCC (Associate’s)
Friends University (Continued Studies)
Organizations, clubs, groups to which you belong.
Chair of the Kansas Athletic Commission
3rd Saturday Democrat Breakfast
Kansas State Legislature
Member of the Border War Task Force
Graduate of Leadership 2000 Class 3
Reasons for running
As former House Democratic Leader in the Kansas Legislature, I recognize the challenges elected leaders and local governments face. I offer my experiences and success as a leader to assist in building a brighter Wyandotte County at the local level.
What is your top campaign issue?
Property tax relief/reduction.
What is your position on property taxes and other taxes?
Property taxes are too high and our sales taxes have grown to be a burden on working families. Sales tax reduction (especially on food) must be reduced.
If you are an incumbent, list your top accomplishments in office. If you are not an incumbent, what would you change?
Prioritize our investment in infrastructure. Throughout our community there is a need for investment in our infrastructure. Many of our roads, curbs, and sidewalks are in need of repair and replacement. Our easements, right-of-ways, and vacant lots are eye sores and health hazards that diminish the value of our neighborhoods. We should be encouraging investment in the maintenance, replacement, and development throughout our community to provide better connectivity and walk-ability.
Have you run for elected office previously? When, results?
Yes, I presently serve as State Representative and Precinct Committeeman.
Include any achievements you have accomplished
11 terms in the Kansas Legislature
Assistant Democratic Leader (4 years)
Former Minority Leader of the Kansas House (2 years)
KBI Crime Lab at the KCKCC
Carried the first Star Bonds Bill for Kansas Motor Speedway including the 400 Acre Amendment for the Legends
Established the Kansas Athletic Commission
Instrumental in the passage of the Kansas Expanded Lottery Act (Gaming)
John “J.D.” Rios Age
55
Occupation
Retired educator
Education
Graduated from Wyandotte High School, Emporia State University with a Bachelor degree, and UMKC with a Master’s degree
Organizations, clubs, groups to which you belong
Just to name a few of the non-profit community service boards I have been actively involved with and also had leadership roles on are: the United Way of Wyandotte County, the NAACP of Kansas City, Kansas, El Centro, the REACH Foundation Community Advisory Board, Wyandot Mental Health Center, the Juvenile Corrections Advisory Board, the Hispanic Advisory Board for UMKC, and the Human Relations Commission for the Unified Government of KCK/WyCo. I have Pre-K through 16 experience with my career and volunteer boards and committees.
Reasons for running
I have a strong desire to continue to be of service to the community I care so deeply about and that has done so much for me and my family. I have experience, knowledge, and skills that equip me to be an effective advocate for all our citizens. Representative government is essential to viable government service. In these volatile times, it is important for our local government to reflect the demographic makeup of our community. Currently, 28 percent of our population is Hispanic, yet there is not one Hispanic commissioner. For a community as diverse as ours, that celebrates its diversity as a strength in all it does, it’s time to have an elected Hispanic commissioner.
What is your top campaign issue?
Actually, 3 areas have been consistently raised by voters, tax relief, maintaining a safe and livable city, and having commissioners who are responsive and open communicators to the citizens and fellow commissioners. I am anxious to work with my fellow commissioners and the mayor to build upon the current initiatives and to establish new initiatives designed to lower property taxes and the BPU PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes). I think we can achieve these goals and still support our police and fire departments and the Parks Master Plan in the budget process. Look for ways to increase the number of and participants in the current concept of the UG’s community listening tours as a means for growing citizens input for development issues and other policy matters.
What is your position on property taxes and other taxes?
The voters are being very clear in saying reduce their taxes, not just the tax rate (mills). I will look for innovative ways brought by developers, neighborhood advocates, urban planners and the like to increase home ownership across our county. I suggest that the UG could transfer property it owns to developers that agree to specific construction projects designed to further the UG’s Master Plan. There could be limited property tax abatement (20 percent reduction over the life of the mortgage) for those employed in public service such as teachers in local schools, public health professionals in local clinics and hospitals, and UG employees. Property tax reduction will come in the long term with strengthening economic development and targeted incentives for businesses and individuals. There should be less reliance on the BPU PILOT. It could be reduced for residents and kept at the current level for businesses that do not pay property taxes. This would make the “in lieu of taxes” actually true.
If you are an incumbent, list your top accomplishments in office. If you are not an incumbent, what would you change?
A commissioner needs a whole county perspective. Decisions should be made based in part on how there is a positive impact for “all” with whatever we do for any one district or part of our city/county. It is unwise to foster an environment putting district against district or certain personalities favored over others. We need a team approach. There must be a professional decorum and the art of compromise among our commissioners. I have a background to assist with establishing such a collaborative culture.
Have you run for elected office previously? When, results?
I have been elected to 3 four-year terms as a Trustee for our Kansas City Kansas Community College from 2005 to 2017.
Include any achievements you have accomplished
During my tenure, my fellow trustees have elected me Board Chair 4 times and Vice-Chair 2 times. I’ve also served as finance committee chairman for 8 years. I’m a respected and trusted leader with experience with our taxing system and budget process. My fellow trustees and I have overseen the building of the state of the art Tom Burke Technical Education Center, upgraded campus facilities including but not limited to the MaryAnn Flunder Lodge, the baseball, softball, and soccer fields, new police training center, and new fire science training center. The college has grown the Saturday Math and Science Academy which serves youth from across our county and the Summer Youth Camp. The college supports our local school district’s efforts to further their goals for all students to be college and career ready with program such as Diploma+. The college also has been a collaborative partner with UG workforce development efforts.
