Earlier this summer, the Post asked our readers what issues you wanted to hear candidates running for Gardner City Council to address leading up to the Nov. 4 election.
Based on that feedback, we developed a five-item questionnaire centering the issues most important to Gardner residents.
Each day this week, we’re publishing the candidates’ responses to one question.
Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
Budget: From inflation to rising health insurance costs to uncertainty around federal grants and programs, municipalities are facing a number of budgetary pressures. As you face difficult decisions about what city services to fund and how much to spend in coming years, what city services will you want to protect most? On the other hand, are there aspects of city spending you want to see trimmed?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on this issue:
Mark Baldwin (incumbent)
We’ve faced liability insurance doubling in price, losing our medical insurance provider forcing us to subsidize insurance from the market, supply chain issues driving prices up, etc. We’ve gotten thru that by being very judicious in what we’re spending this year vs next during the budgeting process and utilizing our reserve fund to keep from raising taxes. I want to continue protecting what government should be taking care of with our taxes dollars – infrastructure. Primarily, the hard infrastructure of streets/curbs and the soft infrastructure of the police department. As the fastest growing city in the KC metro we need our police force to stay adequately staffed. We’ve had to raise salaries to attract and retain qualified officers and our staffing is adequate at the moment. We’re constantly interviewing/testing to get to 100% staffed. City residents recently approved a streets/sidewalk/trails/etc sales tax ( the existing tax was sunsetting and this is essentially identical to that one ) demonstrating that they value streets not being in disrepair. We’ve implemented a pavement management program and work it each year to continue maintaining and rehabbing streets. The worst get the attention and we’re doing things like chip sealing roads to keep them from falling into disrepair quicker. Essentially, we’re trying to be as efficient with our road network as possible so we get the most value out of them. We’ve looked at the budget several times looking for places to cut and we’ll continue to do that to make sure residents get a good value for their tax dollars.
Kelly Johnson
As someone who has not yet served on City Council and hasn’t been privy to the full details of past budget discussions, my perspective is shaped by listening to residents and studying broad trends impacting municipalities. In the face of rising costs, I believe it’s crucial to protect core city services that directly affect the quality of life and public safety for all residents. These include public safety, clean water and utilities, road and sidewalk maintenance, and caring for our parks and trails. These foundational services are essential for the day-to-day well-being of our community and cannot be compromised without significant consequences.
At the same time, I recognize the need for fiscal responsibility and the importance of making difficult choices during budgetary constraints. Areas where I would consider trimming or seeking efficiencies include non-essential administrative expenses, duplicative programs, and costly initiatives that serve narrow interests rather than broad community needs. It may also be worth reviewing discretionary spending, outside consultant fees, and underutilized facilities to identify potential savings. My goal would be to ensure that every dollar spent advances the city’s long-term objectives and serves the greatest number of residents, while maintaining open communication and community input in the decision-making process.
Dawn Kirtley
As a senior accountant with experience in both public and commercial project development budgets, I understand how important it is to manage a budget that balances current needs with long-term stability. Every dollar must be spent wisely, and that should start with protecting the city services that residents rely on most, such as public safety, infrastructure maintenance, and parks and recreation.
Police, fire, and emergency services are essential to keeping our community safe, and our streets, sidewalks, and utilities are the backbone of daily life. I also believe parks, trails, and community spaces are key to our quality of life and worth protecting.
At the same time, I think the city of Gardner should regularly review programs and contracts to ensure they are getting the best value. Gardner officials should look for efficiencies in administrative spending, energy use, and technology, all areas where small changes can lead to meaningful savings over time.
My approach would be to make data-driven, transparent budget decisions that protect essential services while planning responsibly for the future.
Steve Shute (incumbent)
Did not provide the Post with a response.
John Snyder
We must be good stewards of City Funds. Good planning. I would start by updating the City’s Strategic Plan that has not been updated since 2023, then I would evaluate life-cycle equipment plans of every entity within the City Government, to ensure we are projecting them out at least seven years and updating them every year. Finding parts for outdated equipment or software can be expensive. There is nothing worse than having unfunded requirements, after the budget has been approved when it could have been avoided through planning. I would conduct an annual staff analysis to ensure we have the right number of staff to provide the serviced needed. I would also make sure that we have a programmed spend plans through-out the year to ensure money is appropriately spent or reallocated as necessary. We need to ensure we take care of the staff by providing purpose, motivation, incentives, and training. High turnover of staff can be costly to any organization. Earlier this year, the Council’s considerations to cut spending was to cut City Worker promotions, incentives, and employee appreciation events. I do not support this. I also want to ensure the safety of Gardner Citizens by ensuring the Police Depart have the right staff, and equipment to do their jobs. We should look at redundancy of services in all areas of the city government and trim areas that overlap or could be done by one entity rather than two. Having said that, my goal is generating more revenue into the city, which will keep taxes low and increase services provided by the city.
