With three resident-led petitions up in the air over the past month, Prairie Villagers may be wondering what to expect on their 2023 general election ballots.
Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman made it clear on Sept. 8 that no new questions will be accepted for the upcoming Nov. 7 election.
This means that even though Judge Rhonda Mason of Division 4 at Johnson County District Court ultimately found one of the three resident petitions eligible for a ballot measure, it won’t appear on ballots this November.
Still, there are six city council seats — half the council — on the general election ballot. And four of the six wards in Prairie Village look different this year after the city council approved boundary changes in April.
Official sample ballots will drop on Oct. 1, according to the election office website.
What you may have missed
For the past few weeks, there has been the possibility that some or all of three resident-led petitions could appear on Prairie Village ballots in November.
These petitions were drafted and circulated by a group of residents called Stop Rezoning Prairie Village, which formed in opposition to the city’s housing recommendations that, among other things, aim to broaden the city’s housing types.
This year, the group pushed for petitions that would restrict zoning changes in single-family neighborhoods and also reshape the city’s government.
After the petitions were submitted Aug. 1 with thousands of signatures on each of them, Prairie Village filed a lawsuit challenging their validity, asking a district court for a declaratory judgment to keep the measures of the ballot.
Judge Mason issued three rulings in early September — the first two of which contradicted each other — and ultimately found one petition to be eligible to take to Prairie Village voters.
Here is a summarized version of the three petitions:
- A “rezoning” petition called for limiting rezoning and particularly restrict the use of accessory dwelling units, also known as “granny flats,” in single-family neighborhoods. Mason found this petition ineligible for a ballot.
- An “abandon” petition aimed to get rid of the city’s current mayor-council form of government, an attempt to pare back mayoral powers in what petitioners call a “strong mayor” form of government. Mason found this petition eligible to put before voters.
- An “adoption” petition sought to replace the mayor-council form of government with a mayor-council-manager form of government and slash the city council in half from 12 to six councilmembers. Mason found this petition, which would have ended six councilmembers’ terms two years early, ineligible for a ballot.
There are five contested races in Prairie Village
A single seat in each of the city’s six wards are on the Nov. 7 ballot. Five of those races are contested. On Facebook, Stop Rezoning PV is advocating for Prairie Villagers to vote out the incumbents come November, and support the non-incumbents.
Here are the candidates who residents can expect to see on their ballots this November.
Ward 1
- Terry O’Toole is running unopposed for the seat being vacated by Councilmember Chad Herring.
- This ward represents residents who generally live between the northern city limits at 63rd and 71st Street to the north and south, and eastern city limits near Mission Road and Nall Avenue to the east and west.
- Residents who live between Fonticello Street and Reeds Road to the east and west, and between 69th and 71st streets to the north and south, are no longer part of Ward 1.
Ward 2
- Incumbent Councilmember Inga Selders faces Mark Samuel on the ballot, though Samuel does not appear to be running an active campaign and has not responded to the Post’s repeated requests for comment.
- A third candidate, Edward Boersma, recently mounted a write-in candidacy that includes some yard signs and a campaign website.
- Ward 2 generally represents homes between 69th and 79th streets to the north and south, and homes west of Tomahawk Road, Granada Lane and Juniper Street.
- Residents who live between Fonticello Street and Reeds Road to the east and west, and 69th to 71st streets to the north and south are now part of Ward 2.
Ward 3
- Incumbent Councilmember Bonnie Limbird faces Lori Sharp, a lead organizer of the Stop Rezoning group.
- Ward 3 represents residents who live between 71st and 75th streets to the north and south, and east of Tomahawk Road and Granada Lane to city limits to the east at State Line Road.
Ward 4
- Incumbent Councilmember Piper Reimer faces Tyler Agniel.
- Ward 4 generally represents residents who live in central Prairie Village between 75th and 86th streets to the north and south, and from Mission Road to Lamar Avenue to the east and west.
- Residents who generally live between Roe and Nall avenues to the east and west, and 83rd to 86th streets are now included in Ward 4.
Ward 5
- Nicholas Reddell and Ciara Chaney are vying for the seat being vacated by Councilmember Courtney McFadden.
- Residents who generally live south of 83rd Street to city limits at 95th Street and between Reinhardt Drive and Nall Avenue to the east and west are part of Ward 5.
- Ward 5 no longer represents residents who live between roughly Roe and Nall avenues to the east and west and 83rd to 86th streets to the north and south.
Ward 6
- Incumbent Councilmember Ian Graves faces challenger Kelly Wyer.
- Residents who live between 75th and 83rd streets to the north and south and east of Mission Road to city limits to the east at State Line Road are part of Ward 6.
