Earlier this summer, the Post asked our readers what issues you wanted to hear candidates running for Prairie Village 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 Prairie Village residents.
Each day this week, we’re publishing the candidates’ responses to one question.
Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
Divisiveness: From housing to a new proposed community center to the plan to build a new city hall, issues in Prairie Village in recent years have frequently broken down into bitter recriminations and finger-pointing. This is reflected in the many yard signs seen around the city and heard in the impassioned testimony of resident commenters at city council meetings. To what do you attribute this divisive atmosphere? And if elected, what would be your approach to addressing it and moving on from it?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on this issue:
Ward 1
Daniel Garrett
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Cole Robinson (incumbent)
The topic of divisiveness may not be a number one issue for voters in Prairie Village – with generational investments in our city top of mind and the abandonment of our government on the ballot – but it must be an immediate priority for all of us to bring the city back together. I hear it over and over again at the door that residents are tired of the political drama in our community.
I think Ward One can be a model for what that can look like moving forward. My Ward One colleague, Terry O’Toole, was unopposed and elected in 2023. When he and I go to vote on state and federal elections, we probably end up canceling each other out across the board. But when it has come to working together towards solutions for our city, time and time again we have found common ground. We treat each other with trust and respect, and I’ve learned a tremendous amount from him and our growing relationship. And I’m proud to have earned his endorsement in my reelection campaign.
If we can come together in good faith as neighbors and with the knowledge that we all want the best for Prairie Village, we will put the conflict and divisiveness behind us. That will be my hope and goal if I’m reelected.
Ward 2
Edward Boersma
A toxic environment often begins at the top. As your City Council representative for Ward 2, I will welcome all feedback and remain available to meet with residents at any time. I will never speak down to or malign residents whether from the dais or in public. I will never assume that I know better. Differing opinions never eliminate the responsibility of treating one another with kindness and grace.
We must put residents above politics and foster a community where every voice is heard and respected. While walking through neighborhoods and knocking on doors, I’ve met residents who initially disagreed with me or had heard stories about me. After open, respectful conversations, we found common ground and mutual understanding.
As your City Council member for Ward 2, I will continue to engage with residents positively and respectfully. We may not always agree on every issue, but we are all neighbors working toward the same goal, a stronger, more united Prairie Village.
Ron Nelson (incumbent)
In these last few weeks before the November 4 Prairie Village municipal election, in fact, for the past 3 years, misinformation about Prairie Village government has exploded online and in other places. Recently, several candidates from a unified slate have insisted that the proposed Prairie Village city hall building will “Cost per Square Foot: $1000 or $1278 or other high numbers)” saying “always good to look at facts and to compare.” But that number is wildly — and intentionally — inflated to include items that anyone who knows how “per square” foot costs are actually calculated. So why is this divisive group spreading falsehoods, lies, misinformation, and dissension instead of trying to work with others to resolve disagreements? Because the individuals who have repeatedly tried to cause that divisiveness and anger apparently think division and anger benefits them. It’s been their mode of operation now for over three years. From housing affordability to figuring out the best way to approach every other concern expressed by residents, for these 3 long years, it’s been about polarization. Polarization and throwing accusations at sitting councilmembers as well as anyone else would would dare disagee with its tactics. How to address it and move on? Continue to rely on experts and facts and professional opinions rather than emotional appeals, disinformation, and intentional misinformation. I will continue to work for consensus with residents who want to resolve real issues rather than thriving on division.
Ward 3
Amy Aldrich
The divisiveness we’ve seen in Prairie Village comes down to a breakdown in trust and communication. When residents feel left out of the process or that decisions are being rushed, frustration builds. The yard signs and passionate comments at council meetings show that people care deeply, but also that they feel disconnected.
What’s made things worse is that residents have been denied the chance to vote on major issues. That’s not how local democracy should work!
If elected, I’ll work to restore trust by leading with transparency and collaboration. I’ll make sure residents are heard, informed, and included in the process from the start.
We won’t always agree, but we can choose to engage with respect and integrity. That’s the kind of leadership I’ll bring to City Council.
Shelby Bartelt
We can’t move forward when truth is treated like a membership list. When only some residents receive updates or hear one version of events, it creates confusion and erodes trust. I’ve heard from many neighbors who simply want clarity, honesty, and to feel included in what’s happening in their own community.
As a representative, my commitment is to serve everyone in Ward 3 — those who agree with me and those who don’t. Every resident deserves equal access to information, honest communication, and the chance to be heard. This isn’t about sides; it’s about service.
I believe transparency, fairness, and kindness must guide how we lead and communicate. My goal is to rebuild trust by keeping residents informed, listening first, and remembering that we’re all neighbors who care deeply about this city. Prairie Village is stronger when everyone feels seen and valued.
Ward 4
Kelly Sullivan Angles
City residents by and large seem very satisfied with our beautiful and friendly residential neighborhoods. So why did city leaders push significant zoning changes that would further increase population density and change the unique character of our small, suburban community?
And I’ve yet to meet a resident who thinks a brand new city government building is our #1 most pressing need, let alone at a cost of $50 million with interest. So why are city leaders pushing for a massive spending project that includes 1) a building demolition, 2) a building renovation, and 3) the construction of a brand-new building from the ground up, all of which will take 30 years to pay off?
These and other unpopular proposals being pushed by the City Council, along with big property tax hikes, are resulting in significant citizen engagement. I strongly suspect this “divisiveness” will end when councilmembers start listening to the people again instead of pushing expensive, personal agendas.
Nathan Vallette
The divisions we’ve seen in Prairie Village aren’t really about zoning or city hall — they’re about trust. National politics and social media outrage have crept into local conversations, turning neighbors into opponents and simple disagreements into full-blown battles. That’s not who we are as a city, and it’s not how we solve problems.
I’m not part of a slate, a bloc, or any political machine. I’m running as an individual because I believe Prairie Village doesn’t need more “sides” — it needs people willing to listen and work together, even when we disagree. If I’m elected, I’ll host regular listening sessions, communicate in plain language, and bring residents into discussions early, before decisions are made.
Most of us share the same basic goals: safe streets, well-kept parks, a respectful tone in our discussions, and the ability to age in place. I believe empathy and transparency are the bridge back to that sense of community. We don’t have to agree on every issue, but we can agree to treat each other like neighbors again. That’s the spirit I’ll bring to every conversation — calm, collaborative, and focused on moving Prairie Village forward, together.
Ward 5
John Beeder
Much of the division in Prairie Village comes from residents feeling they are not being listened to on major issues like zoning, City Hall, and the community center. When people believe decisions are made without their input, frustration builds and trust in city government erodes. If elected, my approach will be straightforward: listen first, respect differing views, and ensure residents have a real voice in large decisions through open dialogue and, when appropriate, public votes. Even when we disagree, we can lower the temperature by focusing on facts, transparency, and practical solutions that serve the whole community.
Betsy Lawrence
Prairie Village is a great place to live. Part of what makes it so great is a friendly wave from a neighbor on a morning walk, meeting a neighbor for coffee at Hattie’s or The Market, having a neighbor’s kiddo pop over for crackers and peanut butter, sitting by a neighbor’s campfire roasting marshmallows with trick-or-treaters… I could go on and on about why I love living in Prairie Village, and I believe most of our residents can too.
So, I am not going to weigh in on the driving forces behind the recent political divisiveness in Prairie Village. Not because I don’t have thoughts on the subject but because I don’t think it’s constructive for me to share them here and because I don’t think the characterization is reflective of the atmosphere most of us experience day-to-day in Prairie Village.
Elected or not, my approach is to help our community refocus on our shared values. I believe we all agree that Prairie Village is a great place to live. That’s why we’re here. I also believe we all agree that part of what makes Prairie Village special is our commitment to public safety, beautiful parks, quality city services and infrastructure, fun community events, the dedicated city staff and police who make it all happen, and our neighbors. I don’t have a magic bullet here. What I can and will do is take personal responsibility for how I show up in our community and encourage others to do the same.
Ward 6
Dan Prussing
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Jim Sellers
I believe our community is stronger when we work together to solve problems, and weaker when we work to stoke grievance and pit resident against resident. There’s no easy answer, but I’ll focus my efforts on the following actions to rebuild trust and improve the effectiveness of city council:
- Build consensus around the specific problems we want to solve first
- Align on the relevant set of facts most relevant to those problems
- Develop alternative solutions based on wide resident input
- Prioritize potential solutions by determining their costs and benefits
- Present recommendations for action
- Include fact-based success measures to monitor how well solutions are working
- Ensure we capture constructive resident feedback throughout the process
- Communicate regularly, openly, honestly, and in simple straightforward terms
- Expose dis- and misinformation as it appears by contrasting it with accurate information
- Recognize that we all won’t always agree, but continually reinforce the more we work together, the better for our community and importantly—for future generations that will come after us
