Advance in-person voting began Oct. 23 in Johnson County, and Election Day is next week on Nov. 2. As residents head to the polls to cast their ballots for Shawnee City Council, we’ve put together an election primer to give people an easy way to find out where the candidates stand on the issues.
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Who’s on the ballot
Eight candidates are running for Shawnee City Council in contested races for all four wards. They are:
Ward 1
Ward 2
- Mike Kemmling (incumbent)
- Eric Persson
Ward 3
- Lisa Larson-Bunnell (incumbent)
- Angela Stiens
Ward 4
All Shawnee residents who are registered voters will be able to vote for the candidates within their ward. Click here to find your Shawnee City Council ward.
Candidate questionnaires
Earlier this month, the Post published the candidates’ responses to the questionnaire we developed with reader input. The five questionnaire items are linked below:
Question #1: The city has in recent years committed hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money to private business development projects in the downtown area through its Shawnee Entrepreneurial and Economic Development program. Do you support the use of public funds to try to spark the revitalization of downtown? Why or why not? Read answers here.
Question #2: People who run for elected office often have strong views about how things ought to be — views that may differ sharply from their colleagues on the city council. What steps would you take to ensure that you have positive, productive relationships with council peers who may have different views than your own? Read answers here.
Question #3: Taxation and spending are often contentious issues among members of the Shawnee governing body. What’s your take on the city’s current taxation environment? If you believe taxes in the city are too high, how would you propose cutting spending or increasing revenue? Read answers here.
Question #4: Climate change continues to be top of mind for many Shawnee Mission Post readers. What steps can Shawnee take to prepare neighborhoods for increased flooding, along with extreme heat and drought events? What steps would you like to see the city take to build climate resilience? Read answers here.
Question #5: What’s the top thing you’d like to be able to say about the city of Shawnee four years from today that you can’t say now? Why? Read answers here.
Candidate forum
The Post hosted in-person forums for the Shawnee City Council candidates Sept. 28. Video of the event is embedded below, followed by a summary of the topics they discussed and their corresponding time stamps to help readers find the candidates’ answers more quickly:
- Property values have increased sharply across Johnson County in recent years, making many of our readers nervous about the burden of property taxes on their incomes. In Shawnee, the city’s mill levy stands at 26.625, putting it on the lower end of cities in Johnson County. Also, over the past decade, voters have approved multiple sales tax assessments to go towards things like road maintenance, curbs and sidewalks and park improvements. Assess Shawnee’s “bang for its buck” for taxpayers. Do you think the city’s current tax rates are appropriate for what residents see in return? Would you support raising or lowering taxes if elected? [13:35]
- What’s one area where you’d like to see more money allocated in Shawnee’s budget and one where you think the budget could be cut? [28:10]
- The city has taken several steps in recent years into making downtown Shawnee a destination. Part of that is using so-called “road diets,” that is, taking busy roads such as Nieman, from four lanes down to three, in order to slow traffic with the aim of making the area safer for pedestrians. Now, the city is considering a similar “road diet” pilot project for Johnson Drive through downtown Shawnee. Would you support such a move going forward? If not, are there alternatives to explore that would achieve the same goal of making downtown Shawnee more pedestrian-friendly? [37:37]
- Like other growing parts of Johnson County, Shawneee has seen some homeowners push back against proposals for new residential projects, particularly multi-family developments. How should the city reconcile the desire for the continued development of some parts of Shawnee with the vocal concerns of some residents who oppose higher-density multi-family projects? [49:04]
- In line with current guidance from the county, Shawnee at this time is strongly recommending … but not requiring … masks be worn indoors. Some Johnson County cities, namely Prairie Village and Roeland Park, have mandated masks in most public indoor settings. If elected, you may be confronted with a decision that involves the city’s response to the ongoing pandemic. What is the best approach, in your opinion, for the city to take in helping mitigate spread of the disease? Under what circumstances, if any, would you support imposing a citywide mask order? [57:50]
- It’s been two years since Shawnee voters soundly rejected a proposal for a community center in the city. What are your hopes for the future of the site? Thoughts on having a community center proposal again, and what could that look like? [1:06:18]
