Earlier this summer, the Post asked our readers what issues you wanted to hear candidates running for Spring Hill 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 Spring Hill residents.
Each day this week, we’re publishing the candidates’ responses to one question.
Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
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. How should the city manage this growth and serve all its residents?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on this issue:
At-Large
Rodolfo Arevalo
The city will have to create a strategic plan to guide its growth. A strategic plan would develop objectives for future growth and establish key factors that would monitor the growth direction of the city. The objectives would help the city direct its resources and focus on the greatest needs. Involvement of residents in planning process would help the residence of Spring Hill to be informed of the growth direction of the city.
Steven Boswell
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Ivan Delgado
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Michael Grant (incumbent)
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Brian Peel (incumbent)
Managing our rapid growth is where most of our problems in Spring Hill generate from. Our roads and infrastructure need a lot of improvements. The cost and timeline for some of these improvements are huge obstacles that we are working on solutions for. Residential development in Spring Hill happens quite naturally based on the growth patterns of the larger KC Metro area. Our commercial and industrial developments have not kept the same pace, and it has put a lot of stress on residential property tax revenue. We have been and will continue to direct our economic development resources to generate more commercial and industrial developments. Breakthroughs in these kinds of developments will help us achieve our CIP and infrastructure needs and reduce the heavy reliance on the mill levy.
At-Large (two-year unexpired term)
Rodolfo Arevalo
The city will have to create a strategic plan to guide its growth. A strategic plan would develop objectives for future growth and establish key factors that would monitor the growth direction of the city. The objectives would help the city direct its resources and focus on the greatest needs. Involvement of residents in planning process would help the residence of Spring Hill to be informed of the growth direction of the city.
James Savage
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Phillip Thron (incumbent)
Did not provide the Post with a response.
