Candidates vying for three at-large seats on the Spring Hill City Council shared their views on a variety of topics Tuesday night, including how the city should best manage its rapid growth, bring new businesses to town and what infrastructure projects to prioritize.
The event was hosted by the Johnson County Post, the first time our publication has ever done a candidate forum in Spring Hill.
It was one of 12 scheduled nights of local candidate forums that the Post is hosting across Johnson County ahead of the Nov. 4 election.
The Spring Hill forum was hosted in the auditorium at Spring Hill Middle School.
Five of the seven candidates who are running attended.
Who is running?
There are two separate city council races on the ballot in Spring Hill this year.
One is a contest for a full four-year term, and the top two vote-getters in that race will be elected.
Another is for the final two years of the term begun by former councilmember Chip VanHouden, who left office after winning election to the Kansas House last year. The top single vote-getter in that race will be elected.
Additionally, readers will note that one candidate — Rodolfo Arevalo — has filed to run in both races, so his name will appear twice on ballots.
Full four-year term race (2 winners)
- Rodolfo Arevalo
- Steven Boswell
- Ivan Delgado
- Michael Grant (incumbent) *Did not participate*
- Brian Peel (incumbent)
Two-year unexpired term (1 winner)
- Rodolfo Arevalo
- James Savage *Did not participate*
- Phillip Thron (incumbent, appointed earlier this year)
How to watch Post’s forum
The Post livestreamed Wednesday’s event on our Facebook page. A recording of the forum can be viewed there, though it is now Facebook’s policy to erase live videos 30 days after they are produced.
You can also watch the full Spring Hill City Council forum on the Post’s new YouTube channel, where it should be preserved into the future.
The full forum video is also embedded below:
Questions
The candidates gave opening statements and answered a series of questions based on reader feedback and suggestions received by the Post before the event.
Timestamps are included at the end of each question to help you navigate through the forum video if you’d like to jump around to issues that matter most to you.
- Opening statements [:20]
- Spring Hill’s biggest challenge: What is the next big challenge for Spring Hill or your biggest priority if elected? And how will you address it over the next four years if elected? [6:00]
Rodolfo Arevalo is running for two separate city council seats, including an at-large four-year term and an at-large two-year unexpired term, and has also launched a write-in campaign for mayor. Photo credit Leah Wankum. 
Steven Boswell is running for an at-large four-year seat on the Spring Hill City Council. Photo credit Leah Wankum. - Managing growth: U.S. Census data shows Spring Hill is one of the fastest-growing cities in Johnson County, its population up more than 25% over the past four years. In many ways, that’s a good thing. More residents means more homeowners, a larger tax base, more economic activity. But such rapid growth can also strain the city’s current infrastructure and services. What does sustainable growth look like to you in Spring Hill, and what policies would you advocate for to manage that? [14:22]
Ivan Delgado is running for an at-large four-year seat on the Spring Hill City Council. Photo credit Leah Wankum. - Property taxes: Earlier this month, the city council approved next year’s budget with a property tax rate that is .75 mills lower than the current rate. That means a roughly $34 reduction in what the owner of a $400,000 home will pay the city next year. The city offset the cost of lowering tax revenues next year by moving some reserve funds into the general fund. So as you think about lowering taxes, you’re also thinking about keeping reserves flush and also having the spending to be able to support city services. Where do you fall when trying to balance those competing interests, of lower taxes, paying for city services and having reserves in the bank? [21:20]
Brian Peel is seeking reelection to his at-large seat on the Spring Hill City Council. Photo credit Leah Wankum. - Infrastructure: Along with the budget, the city council approved the next five-year capital improvement project list, which includes everything from street and sidewalk upgrades to new facilities and city vehicles. In addition, the city is set to start construction on a major new wastewater treatment facility. If you’re elected, you’ll help oversee the progress of these projects. What do you think are the biggest infrastructure needs for the city and what should be prioritized in coming years? [30:46]
Phillip Thron is seeking his first full term to the Spring Hill City Council. Photo credit Leah Wankum. - Trust in city governance: Spring Hill has seen a lot of turnover in its governing body over the past four years, most notably following the 2021 mayoral election in which the winning candidate resigned office before even taking it. Some of you have already spoke about the need to restore residents’ trust not only in the electoral process in Spring Hill but the governing body. How do you plan to do that if elected? [36:50]
- What are your qualifications: As a kind of a closing statement, I’d like to hear what you think your qualifications are for the job you’re seeking and what distinguishes you from the other candidates up here. [42:24]
