Prairie Village voters on Tuesday granted Mayor Ron Shaffer an unprecedented fourth term in office, choosing him over City Councilman Michael Kelly by a margin of 57.6 to 41.2.
Shaffer will be sworn in at the next City Council meeting, to be held April 18.
Shaffer celebrated the victory at his Homestead Drive home with friends and volunteers, thanking them for their efforts as the sometimes contentious campaign drew to a close.
“For the last 12 years as mayor and during this campaign, Prairie Village has been foremost on my mind,” Shaffer said. “I feel the citizens of Prairie Village recognize and appreciate the truth, my efforts, and my love for this city. I want to thank all my supporters for both their effort and financial support.”
In a concession statement Tuesday night, Kelly congratulated Shaffer, and thanked his own volunteers for helping his campaign gain traction.
“But for them [the campaign volunteers], we wouldn’t have gotten as far as we did,” Kelly said. “I congratulate Ron and wish him success. The city we both love will continue to be home to the luckiest people in Kansas. When all is said and done, we are all proud to be Prairie Villagers.”
Shaffer said his focus for the coming six months would be to ensure Prairie Village maintained a reputation as one of the best cities in Johnson County.
“Together we are looking forward to finding ways to make Prairie Village an even better place to live, work and play in the future,” he said.
