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“If I Were Mayor” Essay Contest

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“If I Were Mayor” Essay Contest Salina’s “If I Were Mayor” Downtown Development Essay Contest Solutions Review Process Contents Volume 101 • Number 2 • March 2015 39 Features 39 “If I Were Mayor” Essay Contest 44 Salina’s Development Review Team Process 50 Downtown Solutions 53 Camp Great Adventure Departments 37 Director’s Foreword 44 49 Legal Forum 52 Best Practices 54 Kansas Government News 56 League Profiles 58 Classified Advertising 60 Professional Services 62 City Events 53 About the Cover: Winners of LKM’s annual “If I Were Mayor” Contest with teachers and Mount Hope Mayor and LKM President, Terry Somers. Photo by Jay Bachman. 54 Connect with LKM on Social Media https://www.facebook.com/ @LeagueKSMunis LeagueofKansasMunicipalities The Kansas Government Journal is published monthly by: © League of Kansas Municipalities 300 S.W. 8th Ave. • Topeka, Kansas 66603-3951 phone: (785) 354-9565 • fax: (785) 354-4186 www.lkm.org 2015 LKM Events Calendar General subscriptions are $40 annually. Subscriptions for League member cities and research subscribers are $20 annually. Individual issues cost $5, with an additional $5 charge for the Tax Rate Book edition. Nothing herein shall be construed to have the endorsement of the publisher unless expressly stated. March Governing Body President 06 - Governing Body Meeting, Topeka Terry Somers, Mayor, Mount Hope 13 - MLA: Municipal Finance, Edwardsville Vice President Larry Wolgast, Mayor, Topeka 14 - MLA: Municipal Finance, Maize Immediate Past President John Deardoff, City Manager, Hutchinson 27 - MLA: Municipal Finance, Galena Past Presidents April Brenda Chance, City Clerk, Phillipsburg Mike Boehm, Mayor, Lenexa 10 - MLA: Emergency Planning, Crisis City (Salina) Carl Brewer, Mayor, Wichita Carl Gerlach, Mayor, Overland Park 11 - MLA: Emergency Planning, Greensburg Directors May Gary Adrian, Mayor, Colby Herb Bath, Mayor, Altamont 15, 16 - Governing Body Institute, Topeka Joe Denoyer, Mayor, Liberal Kendal Francis, City Administrator, Lakin 25 - LKM Holiday: Memorial Day Daron Hall, City Manager, Pittsburg Mark Holland, Mayor, Kansas City Blake Jorgensen, Commissioner, Ottawa Jerry Lovett-Sperling, City Clerk, Lindsborg John McTaggart, Mayor, Edwardsville Kim Thomas, Mayor, Stockton James Toews, Mayor, Inman J. Michael Wilkes, City Manager, Olathe Executive Director Erik Sartorius Obituaries Kansas Government Journal Staff Ruth Elizabeth Blome, 91, died January 28, 2015. Editors in Chief Ms. Blome was born September 26, 1923, in Welda, Kansas, to George August Kate Cooley and Retta Zoola (Collins) Biggs. She grew up in Wayside, Kansas, and graduated Michael Koss from the Wayside High School. Ruth attended Independence Community College Managing Editor Andrey Ukrazhenko and Pittsburg State University. Ruth was the City Clerk of Cherryvale, Kansas, for over 20 years before retiring in 1988. League Staff Jay Bachman, Information Services Manager Brad A. Elliott, 52, died January 21, 2015. Larry Baer, Legal Counsel Kate Cooley, Conference/Marketing Coordinator Mr. Elliott grew up in Lakin and graduated from Lakin High School in 1980. He Anna DeBusk, Secretary to the Executive Director then earned his associate’s degree from Dodge City Community College in 1983 Nikki Harrison, Administrative Assistant Michael Koss, Legal Counsel & Member Services Manager and his bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State University in 1986. Brad returned Tami Martin, Administrative Assistant to Lakin where he worked as Deputy City Clerk. Rynae Plue, Accountant Nicole Proulx Aiken, Legal Counsel Erik Sartorius, Executive Director Cole D. Worrell, 57, died January 30, 2015. Eric B. Smith, Legal Counsel Mr. Worrel was born May 3, 1957, in Maywood, California, to V.C. and Edith Andrey Ukrazhenko, Communications Specialist (Dunsmore) Worrell. A longtime resident of Ellsworth, he was a former city mayor (2013-2014), member of the city council (2005-2013) and served on the The mission of the League shall be to strengthen and advocate for the golf advisory board. Mr. Worrel married Sherry L. Forbes, on June 12, 1976, in interests of Kansas municipalities to advance the general welfare and Pittsburg, Kansas. promote the quality of life of the people who live within our cities. © 2015 League of Kansas Municipalities 36 KANSAS GOVERNMENT JOURNAL • MARCH 2015 Director’s Foreword by Erik Sartorius DATA! DATA! DATA! Big data, little Although I have used several lines of this column offering my data, anecdotal data. It is alternately seen as personal frustrations with data overload, I do want to share with the panacea for addressing all the world’s you one data resource that might be handy for you when you are problems, or the bane of our existence. making presentations or pulling together information for reports. I can’t say I have ever agreed with the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), is an amazing resource former, but I have definitely leaned toward from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis - my employer the latter many times. before coming to the League. FRED is a free website (and app) That said, data has a central role in that aggregate’s economic data from over 59 sources. Over 1,700 how cities function. The data collected on data series are available just for Kansas, including unemployment myriad issues - pavement quality, public figures, homeownership rates, tax collections and median income safety response times, transit routes and ridership, even snow data, to name just a few. I have found this to be a great tool for plow routes - informs the policy decisions of governing bodies. presentations or developing testimony. You measure pavement quality to prioritize maintenance and We have several great features in this issue, and I hope you find replacement programs. Response times for public safety can them informative. My favorite is probably our coverage of the affect patrol territories or the placement of fire stations. Ridership “If I Were Mayor” essay contest. If you read nothing else in this patterns of buses may cause the adjustment of routes. issue - even if that means you stop reading my column right now The data you provide to the League when we make a request is of - turn to page 39 and read the essays. Our overall winner, Micayla great assistance to us and, in turn, you. This time of the year, your Gutierrez, and the other regional winners offer bright ideas and an quick responses to our inquiries can be the difference between impressive understanding of the role of mayors in Kansas cities. legislation passing or failing. Information about your local You can feel the pride these students have for their cities as elections, the status of abandoned housing in your communities you read about what they would seek to accomplish as mayor. and your use of a KDOT revolving loan fund are just a few recent Beyond that, I was surprised at the comprehension of our winners examples of data we have gathered and used to make the case for of the challenges that elected officials face. Many of their essays cities here in Topeka. demonstrate trying to balance the needs and aspirations of the city While aggregate data is important, the anecdotal information with finding that “just right” budget level that does not overburden you provide about your city breathes life into an issue for your residents with taxes. legislators. It is one thing to hear that 75 cities hold staggered Finally, quick reminders for a couple of contests the League has elections or 45 cities have used a revolving loan fund. Hearing underway. First, thank you to the cities that joined our inaugural about how Bel Aire or Lyndon or Potwin in their legislative “Hometown Showdown” competition. The bracket is quickly district will be directly affected by a legislative decision takes the being winnowed, with the overall winner to be crowned in early data to another level in the eyes of a legislator. April. Head to the League’s Facebook page to “like” your favorite Just as us sharing data from a city in a legislator’s district can city to victory! have a greater impact on their view of a legislative proposal than You should be receiving this KGJ issue just after your city has aggregate data from all cities, your drilling down in your own held any necessary primary elections, which makes it a perfect data can similarly increase its impact. For instance, telling your time to remind you about our other contest for cities. As we have legislators that you have twice used KDOT’s revolving loan fund discussed at conference and in these pages, a challenge mentioned demonstrates that the program is important to your city. However, for spring local elections is lower voter turnout. Our challenge what happens if you explain to your legislators that the loans to you is to drive voter turnout for your municipal elections this allowed two intersections to be improved, which in turn allowed April. See last month’s issue (p. 20) for turnout tips, or devise your four businesses to grow and residents to reduce their travel times? own methods. Top turnout (as a percent of voters) of a city for It helps the legislators understand how that program benefitted the each county will be recognized. The top overall turnout in three cities’ residents - who are also their constituents. population categories will share the cover of a future Kansas In this issue of the Kansas Government Journal, data is again Government Journal. on display in our annual “Kansas Tax Rate & Fiscal Data Book” As always, if you have questions or concerns, please reach out to insert. While I know the value our members find in receiving this me at [email protected] or 785.354.9565. annual report, I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of non-members who seek out this information. Several times over the past year, inquiries have come from reporters and others who follow municipal finances, as they too find value in this publication.
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