Where should the Emporia City Commission focus its energy once the new election cycle is finalized?
KVOE listeners got several options during Tuesday’s Candidate Forum involving incumbent Susan Brinkman and challengers Travis Hitt and Jamie Sauder. For Sauder, housing trumps other issues because it’s connected to them and the housing market is extremely tight.
Brinkman says Emporia has a unique leadership opportunity ahead.
Hitt says Emporia is ready for new growth and development, so resource allocation becomes paramount.
Tuesday’s candidates discussed plans for wages benefiting city staff after the City Commission approved both a pay increase for next year and a long-term wage plan. Brinkman is pleased with the City Commission action from earlier this year, but she says that’s not enough. She says the city needs a balanced approach with more potential action coming Wednesday, but she stopped short of saying project or equipment deferments are needed.
Both Hitt and Sauder said the city needs to focus on making salaries more competitive, and both mentioned deferments or cost offsets as possibilities. Hitt says the city could have been in a better position if it hadn’t “punted the can down the road” years ago.
Sauder says the city has to increase wages if it wants “A+” people, citing the city’s high-end salary for the open Zoning Director position near the low end of Hutchinson’s search for the same position.
Candidates were also asked for their thoughts on the tight labor market. Brinkman says the city needs to focus on infrastructure matters, quality of life and affordability to help business owners, while Hitt says the city needs to reach out to businesses to see how local government can help and Sauder says the city needs to follow the comprehensive plan as a way to guide business growth and development.
Brinkman, HItt and Sauder follow a Candidate Forum last week involving incumbent Danny Giefer and challenger William Garner. Jermy Hinkle was invited but was unavailable.
The USD 253 Emporia Board of Education will now be the focus Oct. 12 and Oct. 14, with incumbent Mike Crouch and hopefuls Lillian Lingenfelter and Paul Meinke on the Oct. 12 program and hopefuls Christina Faulkner, Jami Reever and Jennifer Thomas on the program Oct. 14.
Programs can be found in the KVOE.com Audio Vault after their completion. The general election is Nov. 2.
As the election approaches, be sure to browse the KVOE-Community National Bank voter information guide that’s now available by clicking here. The page includes information about candidates, upcoming deadlines, Candidate Forums, advance voting procedures and polling locations.
