The letter has been sent, and Emporia Mayor Erren Harter is citing reasons previously stated and unstated for the City Commission’s demand to see the Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas reorganize as soon as possible.
City commissioners unanimously approved Harter sending a letter after an executive session Wednesday, at the time mentioning the need for a new board structure and diversity as significant city concerns. Harter agrees, saying the Chamber’s recent decision to not renew chair Kala Maxfield as their representative was the tipping point.
The current makeup of the seven-member board involves two appointees from the city of Emporia, two from the Lyon County Commission, and one each from the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and Emporia Enterprises. An agreement between those representatives is needed to fill the board’s at-large position.
Unspoken as part of Wednesday’s discussion but mentioned prominently in Harter’s letter was Emporia’s median household income, which has lagged behind national averages for years at a time when city population has gradually declined. The letter says Emporia’s median income was around $34,000 in 2007, or about $16,000 below the national median. Last year, Emporia’s median income had climbed to nearly $53,000 — but the national median was over $80,000. Emporia’s population has declined from around 26,300 in 2007 to just over 24,000 earlier this year, although this year’s population showed a slight increase from 2023.
Besides stressing adaptation to ongoing concerns like automation and artificial intelligence, Harter’s letter also says it is vitally important for Emporia to “create clear pathways” for graduates of Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College.
The letter officially asks for a response by Jan. 21, and it says failure to act means the City Commission will have to re-evaluate its annual allocation to the RDA. It also asks the RDA board to have a majority of its membership directly appointed by the City Commission, with “qualified” community members as part of the mix. If Emporia Enterprises dissolves, as requested in the Vision First economic study released earlier this year, Harter says financial and real estate professionals will be considered.
The letter also demands the RDA become a “true working board.” In Harter’s mind, this means all members contribute to the RDA’s initiatives, take active roles in committees and/or task forces, give support for projects and work as ambassadors for the RDA and its mission.
Maxfield and Interim President Jim Witt declined comment after the City Commission meeting Wednesday.
