At Post forum, De Soto mayor and council candidates lay out visions for quickly changing town

Candidates vying for De Soto mayor and two at-large city council seats shared their visions for one of Johnson County’s fastest-growing municipalities at a forum hosted by the Johnson County Post last week.

The candidates laid out their views on the impact of the Panasonic battery plant, how to meet the city’s rapidly changing infrastructure demands and maintain a small-town feel amid explosive growth, among other topics.

The forum came on the eleventh of 12 scheduled nights of local candidate forums that the Post is hosting across Johnson County ahead of the Nov. 4 election. Nearly 60 people attended.

The event was held in the auditorium at De Soto High School, 35000 W. 91st St.

Who is running?

Mayor 

• Robert Daniels
• Rick Walker (incumbent)

City Council (top two vote-getters win seats)

• Zack Bradley
• James Doscher
• Mark Gulley, Jr.
• Joe Sabo

How to watch the Post’s forum

The Post livestreamed Thursday’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 De Soto 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 and during the event.

The Post also asked a number of questions directly from the audience, submitted via index card during 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.

1. Opening statements [3:09]
2. Priorities: This question actually comes from the audience, and I think it’s a good starter. “If elected (or re-elected) what will be your priorities for the citizens of De Soto?” [9:15]
3. Managing growth: This also comes from the audience. This person asks, “How will you manage De Soto’s growth — we know, of course, De Soto has seen tremendous growth in recent years, especially commercial projects, you think of Panasonic, Merck Animal Health and the data center — and this person asks, how you manage that growth while also retaining the small-town feel De Soto residents desire?” [17:23]

   

   

4. Property taxes: The explosive growth in commercial development in De Soto has helped to allow the city to lower its municipal property tax rate significantly the last two years. The city council passed the 2026 budget that includes another cut to the city property tax rate to below 13 mills. What will be your approach to voting for the property tax rate the next four years, if elected? Should it be cut even more, remain steady … or would you ever anticipate a circumstance where it would have to be raised again? [23:43]
5. Panasonic: The EV battery plant is now online. The plant officially opened earlier this year, and Panasonic officials say they recently shipped out the millionth battery produced at the plant. There are currently about 1,200 workers there and the company says it remains on track to employ 4,000 people at the plant. This person from the audience asks, “Are you in general in favor of the Panasonic project? Why or why not?” Additionally, they ask, “Are there any developments you would say ‘no’ to?” [30:00]
6. Transparency: There are a lot of changes coming to De Soto in future years, so communicating those changes to residents will be key. We did have this question from the audience, “What is your plan for better communication for what is happening in De Soto?” [35:53]

   

7. City staffing: This also comes from the audience. This person writes, “Much of a city’s success comes from the culture and morale of its staff. How do you think the city administrator and department heads are performing and maintaining a high-functioning organization?” This person also asks you to give examples to support your comments. [40:33]
8. Infrastructure: All this growth may also strain the city’s existing infrastructure. The Panasonic plant, for instance, has required hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades, including to streets and the stormwater system … much of that paid for through the development agreement with Panasonic. What do you see as the biggest infrastructure challenge facing your city over the next four years and how would you tackle it if elected? [45:24]

   

9. Housing: De Soto is also in the midst of a housing boom, even as the broader Johnson County housing market remains tight and costly. Hundreds of apartment units have come online in recent years … and homeowners are seeing their appraised valuations rise sharply. How can De Soto best manage this growth in its housing market while also trying to keep the cost of that housing attainable for residents? [50:41]

   

10. Conflicts of interest: We did get a concern, or question, from a reader who is apparently concerned about real or perceived conflicts of interests when it comes to making decisions for the city. This reader wants to know if you will disclose any conflicts of interest you may have regarding business that comes before the city council. [56:33]
11. Qualifications: Consider this question a prompt for a closing statement. What qualifies you for this job? Why should voters vote for you? [58:13]