The City Council is the legislative body for the City of Wichita. They discuss and enact policies, enforce local taxes, and create and staff committees and citizen advisory boards.
You can only vote for the city council race in your district and in the mayor’s race, which fills the at-large seat.
There are seven members of the City Council, one for each of the six districts in Wichita and a place for the mayor. They are elected every four years; Becky Tuttle is the only current councilperson rerunning for her seat. Three seats are up for this election: the seats in Districts 2, 4 and 5.
Why are you running for your position?
I love Wichita and I am proud to call it my home. I’m strongly committed to serving my community with excellence and integrity. For over twenty-five years, I have worked to help make Wichita the best city in America to live, learn, earn, play and pray. I am seeking re-election because I believe with all my heart in servant leadership. I believe in transparency in government. I believe in civility while we are making decisions for Wichita’s future. I believe in focusing on good policy and not politics. I have only one agenda on the Wichita City Council – Wichita First!
What are your main priorities? What do you hope to plan to address those issues?
Keeping our community safe is a core function of the Mission for the City of Wichita. A priority that I am currently hearing the most about from residents is concerns of a staffing crisis in the Wichita Police Department. Reduced police recruitment and retention is a trend occurring across the nation and the WPD has over 100 vacancies with many more staff who are eligible for retirement. The City of Wichita and the WPD are looking at peer city police departments who have been successful in addressing staffing shortages and implementing those tactics here. These efforts, coupled with opening the Fraternal Order of Police contract early, will help address the immediate needs and set a path forward with staffing, salary and morale solutions. I am a strong advocate for any initiatives that build safe and healthy communities and I have been an avid supporter of our police and fire departments during my tenure of Wichita City Council. It is my honor to have been unanimously endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police.
As we are in unstable economic times, we need to be laser focused on diversifying our economy and utilizing our exceptionally well-trained and skilled workforce. Our City’s Economic Development team has done an exceptional job of collaborating with community partners and industries to keep our anchor industries here and sharing with the rest of the world why other industries should call Wichita their home. I will support and empower this work in every capacity I can. Maximizing our economic opportunities will depend on identifying new industries, strong infrastructure, transportation, and a safe community.
What are your qualifications for your position?
Prior to serving on Wichita City Council, I have over twenty-five years of professional experience engaging community partners through grassroots local coalition efforts focusing on tobacco, physical activity, healthy eating, oral health, fetal infant mortality, and worksite wellness. The majority of the experience has focused on policy and environmental changes to improve the health of the community.
I serve on the Arts Council Board of Directors, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coalition Executive Committee, Leadership Wichita Board of Trustees, Wichita Coalition for Child Abuse Prevention, Greater Wichita Area Veterans Advocacy Board, Bike Share Advisory Board, Open Streets ICT Planning Committee, Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce Young Professional Mentor, Governor’s Council on Fitness, National Baseball Congress Board of Directors, Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Chair, City Arts Advisory Committee, Wichita State University Public Policy & Management Center Advisory Board, Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita (past Chair), and Plastic Bag Task Force. I am a member of the Regional Economic Area Partnership, Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition (past President), Kansas Public Health Association (past President), Tobacco Free Wichita, Bike Walk Wichita, Health Alliance (past Chair), Coalition of Coalitions Building the Case for Public Health in Sedgwick County, Sedgwick County Association of Cities, Wichita Metropolitan Crime Commission and the Food & Farm Council.
I am a Kansas Public Health Leadership Institute Scholar, Advance Kansas graduate, Kansas Dental Champion, Kansas Leadership Center Champion, 2015 Leadership Wichita participant, Sunflower Foundation Advocacy Fellow and Leadership Kansas nominee.
I earned Master of Arts degrees from Appalachian State University in Student Development Administration and School Counseling and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Dakota in Psychology and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Studies.
Why should college students vote for you?
I consider myself to be forward thinking and the bulk of my career has been emersed in public health and quality of life initiatives. To name a few, I have been a strong advocate for safe and reliable walking and biking for transportation and not just recreation and I was a founder of Bike Share ICT. I have been a leader in efforts to address food deserts and food insecurity, especially in our city’s core. I was a founding member of Open Streets ICT, which not only provides recreation and civic pride, but also spurs economic momentum in downtown Wichita.
But more important that what I have done is what I want to do. I want to continue to listen, learn and lead while serving on City Council. I never make decisions in isolation, and I lean into community members to get input and try to resolve unintended consequences from the decisions we make. I believe the best way to plan for the future of Wichita is to listen to those who will be the next generation of leaders. I am a proud Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce W Mentor (previously Young Professionals of Wichita) and have gained as much or more value from my mentees as they have gained my me. I utilize the information that I hear young leaders in our community want for Wichita’s future and incorporate that into the decisions I make on a daily basis. I surround myself with diverse residents who represent so many aspects of our great city to make sure I have my finger on the pulse of what community members want for the next generation of Wichita.
Wichita State is located in a food desert, with our on-campus food pantry facing an increased student demand compared to last year. What plans do you have to address that issue and make groceries more accessible?
This very important issue is one that I have been involved in for a decade! As a long time member and past Chair of the Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita, food deserts have been a passion project for many of my public health colleagues and me. The Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita conducted the Wichita Food Deserts. Why We Should Care study in the winter of 2013. Traditionally, a food desert is defined as a low-income area where a significant number of residents have low access to supermarkets or grocery stores. The USDA describes low access for urban areas, like Wichita, as living more than one mile from a full-service grocery store. The Wichita Food Deserts. Why We Should Care study revealed there are approximately 44 square miles of food deserts in Wichita and 25% of the population lives in a food desert. This was the catalyst for the community to have meaning discussions regarding how to get people to food and food to people. Additional follow up studies were conducted to learn more regarding the barriers to healthy food access and the local food system. www.hwcwichita.org
In 2022, the Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita, the City of Wichita, Sedgwick County, and community partners adopted a Food System Master Plan and established the Food & Farm Council. The Food System Master Plan aims to transform the food system in our community. It is a long-range plan that provides a vision for addressing food deserts. The Food & Farm Council will serve as an advisory board to the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County. Work for the council includes providing a forum for food system collaboration by convening stakeholders from all sectors of the food system, compiling feedback from these food system stakeholders and offering policy solutions and recommendations to the governing bodies and supporting awareness of funding opportunities amongst food system partners.
There can be public transit issues throughout Wichita, which can impact students without their own transportation in working off campus or going through the city. How would you go about improving transportation?
As a long time member and past Chair of the Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita, I provided input as a community member on the original Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plans which provides guidance for the development and implementation of bicycle and pedestrian projects. I have been a constant advocate for walking and biking as safe and reliable forms of transportation and not just recreation. Along with City of Wichita staff, I solidified the public private partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas to fully fund Bike Share ICT from 2017 – 2024, which allows for the membership rates to remain low and accessible to all.
Wichita Transit continues to evolve its service delivery model from hub and spoke to a grid system based on community demand. These new routes bolstered operations with increased ridership through partnerships with USD 259, WSU Tech and WSU. As our city grows and needs change, I will coordinate with our City’s Transit department to seek input from community members and the Transit Advisory Board and pivot as needed to be more customer service oriented.
I support efforts of the City of Wichita’s Public Works and Utilities/Engineering Department in making it easy and safe for community members to traverse across the city. Priority is and should continue to be maintenance of our infrastructure before enhancement or expansion. With 5600 lane miles within the City, it is imperative that we remain efficient and strategic when allocating city resources.
Recently, there have been student housing concerns on and around campus, as well as crime happening near campus. How would you ensure that students have access to safe and affordable housing?
To ensure that Wichita can thrive, we need to address our housing shortage and have multi-generational housing options. Wichita needs a combination of affordable housing and housing that’s affordable, both of which are essential for the future stability of Wichita’s housing market. Subsidized public housing, or affordable housing, supports low-income tenants struggling with rising rents. Affordable housing, by contrast, is when rents or mortgages are no more than 30% of one’s income. As it stands, Wichita struggles to provide both. Implementing the Places for People Plan to help prompt development in the core of the city where infrastructure costs have been realized long ago will help with both affordable housing and housing that’s affordable. During my time serving the city as an appointee and as an elected official, I have supported zoning and land use for all types of housing, including single family, duplex and multi-family. The path to home ownership is different for everyone; the notification, petition and hearing process works well to ensure fair and equal representation for all parties involved.
The best solution for homelessness is a home. I am honored that the Realtors of South Central Kansas have given me their endorsement as a candidate because they see I have been a thought leader when our community is discussing affordable housing and have worked hard to learn from community members and content experts in this field.
With overall inflation and rising tuition for college, how would you support students pursuing post-secondary education?
One of the best ways the City can support students is to address the affordable housing issue and to continue to grow the economy so that full and part time jobs are abundant. In addition, the City of Wichita has robust partnerships with USD 259, WSU Tech, WSU, KU School of Medicine and the other institutions of higher learning in our community. The City has utilized American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the FutureReady Center for healthcare, manufacturing, and advance manufacturing pathways and should continue to seek more opportunities such as this. Finally, the City of Wichita has a state and federal legislative agenda that includes workforce development. Higher education is steeped in workforce development and the City should advocate for additional workforce training.
How would you plan to address mental health?
I started my career as a School Counselor and an Adolescence Substance Abuse Prevention Counselor, so I am extremely passionate about this issue! I am a member of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coalition Executive Committee and this allows me to stay highly informed of what is needed from mental health professionals, law enforcement, the business community and service providers. The mission of the Coalition is to develop a sustainable, accessible, and integrated system of care that serves people with mental health and substance abuse disorders who are in crisis, to efficiently and effectively deliver services that create positive outcomes.
The Coalition has developed a 2020 -2025 Strategic Plan that provides a framework to address mental health and substance abuse in our community. The Plan was developed by key stakeholders who shared their content expertise to ensure it is focused and ambitious. The Strategic Priorities in the Plan to address mental health in our community focus on access to care by reducing barriers, collaboration among service provides to prevent duplication and expanding the mental health professional workforce.
How would you encourage Wichita State students to stay in the Wichita area after graduating?
No one can do everything, but everyone can do one thing. That has been my mantra for over two decades. The best advice that I can give anyone who is interested in staying in our great city is for them to become involved as students. I would encourage everyone in our community, not just WSU students, to find an issue that you are passionate about and try to become part of the solution. Wichitans are smart and no more than ever, we need every generation to come together to help make Wichita the best city in America to live, learn, earn, play and pray. By becoming involved in advocacy issues while in college, it will help to build a network of personal and professional colleagues that will make it easier to want to stay in Wichita.
Also, seek applied learning opportunities while attending WSU that can ultimately result in a professional position after graduation. Applied learning opportunities are abundant in our community and region and can provide not only theory and knowledge, but also hands on experience an authentic learning in a variety of professional fields. Traditional classroom knowledge is invaluable, but applied learning allows for knowledge seekers to be creative, develop a professional network while still in classes and apply what is gained to the academic setting. The applied learning environment can often lead to a full-time position after graduation.
Why are you running for your position?
I’m running because I believe that I’m qualified for the position, and because there needs to be a more energetic voice that’s more in touch with younger voters and more willing to engage with them than there currently is on city council.
What are your main priorities? What do you hope to plan to address those issues?
My main three priorities are water, housing, and transportation. I hope to create a more sustainable future for the water infrastructure in the city now, before it becomes a critical problem in the future, I hope to drastically increase the amount of sustainable housing here in Wichita, and I hope to boost public transportation for the people of Wichita so that people can live and work in the city even if you can’t affor your own personal vehicle.
What are your qualifications for your position?
I’ve lived in Wichita for the past twenty years, I’ve grown up here from elementary school to obtaining both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees at WSU. I’m invested in Wichita and making it a better place to live and I don’t plan on leaving it.
Why should college students vote for you?
Honestly, I’d hope that college students would come out and vote in more local elections in general. There’s very little voter engagement on local issues because these votes don’t happen on years with national elections, and it’s troubling because these votes have a much higher impact on our daily lives, especially for students at any education level, than the more popular national votes. Many local votes are decided by hundreds or even just dozens of votes. If even half or less of the students at WSU voted, they would easily be a deciding factor in the outcomes of many votes. Whether it’s to vote for me or for one of my opponents, I just want the students at WSU to know that you can make a difference in your local community, that my campaign is an example of that, and I hope to see them at the polls this voting day.
What is your current / most recent occupation?
I currently work as an engineer at Textron Aviation, though I’ve also worked as a dishwasher, pharmacy tech, delivery driver, factory worker, and retail sales lead all here in Wichita.
Wichita State is located in a food desert, with our on-campus food pantry facing an increased student demand compared to last year. What plans do you have to address that issue and make groceries more accessible?
Linking this to the following question as well, I believe that by improving the layout of the city, making it better and easier to walk and bike and increasing the amount of public transportation we can make it easier for people to move around the city increasing the areas where people can conveniently obtain food. There may also need to be modifications to the zoning around the university to provide food in places physically closer to campus.
There can be public transit issues throughout Wichita, which can impact students without their own transportation in working off campus or going through the city. How would you go about improving transportation?
As I stated before, transportation is a big issue for me, and I would want to take a hard look at the layout of the city and ways to both boost the throughput of public transport and to make it easier to reach all of the basic necessary services of living without the use of a personal vehicle.
Recently, there have been student housing concerns on and around campus, as well as crime happening near campus. How would you ensure that students have access to safe and affordable housing?
There is a shortage of affordable housing across the city, and I believe that the city has the capacity to do more in incentivizing the creation of affordable housing all across the city and that the city council needs to move aggressively along multiple avenues in order to address the issue.
With overall inflation and rising tuition for college, how would you support students pursuing post-secondary education?
The city would have to work with state and federal authorities on the subject as the cost of post-secondary education has really become a nationwide problem and there’s only so much city council has the authority to do on it’s own.
How would you plan to address mental health?
From my time at WSU I know that there’s actually a really good set of outreach and mental health programs available to students, but unfortunately people can still be reluctant to take these helping hands due to stigma surrounding mental health. By continuing to discuss mental health in the public sphere we can make it easier for people to accept help and understand that it’s normal to have problems. A great piece of advice I’d give to your readers is that you can’t choose how you feel, but you can chose how you feel about how you feel. It’s ok to be sad and angry and upset but getting upset at yourself for having emotions that you didn’t want to is in effect letting those emotions dictate your actions to you.
How would you encourage Wichita State students to stay in the Wichita area after graduating?
The best way to encourage students to stay in Wichita from the point of view of the city is to reach out to them, engage with them on local issues and create a sense of ownership and buy-in on local affairs. By making the city easier to live in and moving towards a more sustainable future, we can make the city better able to fit the desires and hopes of the students and have it be a place where they can pursue their dreams.
Why are you running for your position?
Wichita needs a City Council that is made up of problem solvers, strategic thinkers, bridge builders, and community volunteers. As a small business owner, I know how to balance budgets and ensure every penny has a purpose. As a community leader, I know how to work across factions and bring unheard voices to the table, and as a young professional who has spent his entire life in Wichita, I am committed to building a community in which my peers want to make their lives.
What are your main priorities? What do you hope to plan to address those issues?
Support our emergency services: We must fully fund our emergency responders – police and fire –- and support personnel in our city’s administrative offices. Our first responders and public service workers must be given competitive pay and state-of-the-art equipment. For too long, Wichita has worked to catch up with pay scales for our firefighters and police officers instead of leading in offering salaries that draw people to our community.
Ensure Wichita is open for business: I’m committed to cutting red tape and rolling out the red carpet. The more we empower our business leaders and remove burdens to development, the more we will see Wichita thrive. We must work to create the environment to attract private investment on the South side and build on its legacy as the manufacturing core of our city.
Invest in our neighborhoods: The City of Wichita must address the blight and dumping we see across our town, especially in South Wichita. If we don’t start there, we cannot expand affordable and safe housing options while working to encourage homeownership.
Why should college students vote for you?
I will fight for a Wichita for the future. A Wichita for the Future fosters a prosperous, business-friendly environment that upholds individual liberty, economic growth, and personal responsibility. That future is where parents can make a good wage, kids want to stay after graduation, and grandparents want to retire. It is a welcoming future where all feel welcome in our city and that we respect and appreciate our differences in ideology, faith, background, and experiences. It is a safe future where our roads are taken care of, and public safety is the primary function of local government.
As a proud lifelong Wichitan, I believe that while on the Council, prioritizing limited regulations, encouraging quality education, supporting job training, investing in our parks and recreational facilities, and providing residents with opportunities for leisure and community engagement will foster a sense of pride. If we create an environment for people to thrive, they will.
Wichita State is located in a food desert, with our on-campus food pantry facing an increased student demand compared to last year. What plans do you have to address that issue and make groceries more accessible?
As someone who lives in a food desert, I understand the challenges people who do not have consistent transportation face, particularly in South Wichita and the heart of our City, when accessing healthy and affordable food options. We must work with our federal and state partners on grant applications through the United States Department of Agriculture, including seeking some of their more than $100 million in the Healthy Food Financing Initiative and other need-based programs… It takes a multifaceted approach involving increasing local food production, access to healthy food, and reducing food waste, to name a few key components.
Working with the private sector, the City can help support community gardens, farmers’ markets, and food cooperatives to increase access to fresh produce. Collaboration with local farmers and producers and exploring mobile markets or food delivery services are also essential. We can use our libraries and community recreation centers to teach people how to grow produce, helping reduce their monthly bills. We need to think innovatively about tackling this challenge. It may not make sense for a company to operate a standalone store in some regions of town, but how can we provide access that looks different but meets a need in our community.
There can be public transit issues throughout Wichita, which can impact students without their own transportation in working off campus or going through the city. How would you go about improving transportation?
The City of Wichita must look at moving from a city-limit approach to transit to a regional one. This would allow for transportation to some of our largest employers. In addition, expanding transit to second and third shifts will help provide access for those who need the system most. Our current routes are cumbersome and time consuming, and until we have a complete overhaul of the system, we will face access and quality challenges.
Recently, there have been student housing concerns on and around campus and crime happening near campus. How would you ensure that students have access to safe and affordable housing?
We need an above-all approach – encouraging city infill and rehabilitating existing residential communities while supporting new development of all types of residential homes.
When it comes to affordable housing, there is a role of government and a role of the private sector. Government must create an environment that allows the development of these new units, and that happens through the zoning process. (When I was ) As Chairman of the District 4 Advisory Board …, many zoning and development cases come before us before moving to the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission or Council. I in nearly every case, except with overwhelming neighborhood character protests from neighbors, I have voted to expand housing options in the District.
New or old, Wichita must support rehabilitation and development.
With overall inflation and rising tuition for college, how would you support students pursuing post-secondary education?
While we do not have control over tuition, the city must continue our support of Wichita State and WSU Technical College. Our role is to create an environment in this city that helps lead to the growth of the University and elevates students in our committees and boards. In regards to combatting inflation, our only control would be to keep our taxes low and make sure this is a place where students can get a good paying job after school and during their studies.
How would you encourage Wichita State students to stay in the Wichita area after graduating?
There must be job opportunities and economic development for not only our graduates but also our students. It can’t start once you turn the tassel, but it must happen early in your college career. Economic development matters little if we don’t ensure this is a safe community to live in. If we focus on the basic functions of government, like public safety and infrastructure, we can allow the private sector to build a high quality of life that keeps students in Wichita.
Representation matters, and as a young professional running for City Council and a recent graduate of Wichita State University, I will work to elevate students on boards and committees and ensure that I have an open-door policy to hear concerns and opportunities for growth.
Why are you running for your position?
I have served on the District 5 Advisory Board for 8 years. During this time, I saw how the city is operated and began a passion for seeing Wichita grow and prosper. I want a Wichita that will keep my grandkids here. Also, I have the business background with financial skills that will allow me to be a fierce advocate for taxpayer’s dollars. This is the right time for me to give back to the city I love!
What are your main priorities? What do you hope to plan to address those issues?
1. Fully funding and supporting our police department and other first responders. 2. Creating and implementing a plan for our homeless situation. 3. Property tax relief for homeowners, rising property valuation can be offset by adjusting the local mill levy to obtain a revenue neutral budget (adjusted for inflation).
What are your qualifications for your position?
I have served on the District Advisory Board in District 5 for 8 years and chaired it for 5+ years. My 28 years as an owner of Johnston’s Clothiers, 6 years as VP for Advancement for Newman University, and the last 4 years leading Guadalupe Clinic have allowed me to obtain the financial skill set to critically analyze budgets and proposals.
Why should college students vote for you?
The future of Wichita rests in our young adults. I want to help create an environment that attracts and retains their talent for companies in our city.
Wichita State is located in a food desert, with our on-campus food pantry facing an increased student demand compared to last year. What plans do you have to address that issue and make groceries more accessible?
Both our Guadalupe Clinics are in food deserts and are a major problem for the surrounding neighborhoods. Free enterprise will determine where grocery stores are located. Local and state government can create incentives to make it attractive for them to locate in food deserts.
There can be public transit issues throughout Wichita, which can impact students without their own transportation in working off campus or going through the city. How would you go about improving transportation?
This is also an issue for low-income people commuting to their jobs. There are several ways bus systems can operate. A full analysis of different options should allow improved transit availability.
Recently, there have been student housing concerns on and around campus, as well as crime happening near campus. How would you ensure that students have access to safe and affordable housing?
Candidate said his response to the question below answered this question.
With overall inflation and rising tuition for college, how would you support students pursuing post-secondary education? Wichita State should take the lead on these issues. Campus security should partner with the Wichita Police Department to set patrols to improve safety. Student housing has traditionally been a function of universities, including graduate housing. There is an affordable housing shortage in Wichita, and it affects students as well as low income families.
How would you plan to address mental health?
I am a member of the Homelessness Task Force, being led by a department of WSU. They are doing a great job and moving forward quickly. A big part of a plan/solution for the homeless is mental health. As a community we must invest more resources into mental health and substance abuse.
How would you encourage Wichita State students to stay in the Wichita area after graduating?
We must create an atmosphere where students choose to stay in Wichita. We have a great community to raise a family. We must also have amenities for single wage earners, such as great bars, concerts, affordable outdoor events, choices in dining, the arts, parks, bike paths etc.
Why are you running for your position?
I am running for City Council District 5 because I want to give regular people like me a voice in city government. For too long District 5 has been influenced by special interest groups and it’s time to start listening to the residents again.
What are your main priorities? What do you hope to plan to address those issues?
Our City government needs to work for all the people in Wichita, not just the loudest or most well-connected. As a lifelong Wichitan, I’ve noticed that the same people who hate everything tend to dominate the conversation. However, if we want to grow and be a City my kids want to live in, we need to listen to that next generation.
Next, if we are going to continue to grow, we have to build more housing. Right now, my kids and their friends struggle to find affordable places to live. We must increase our housing supply, but that won’t happen if we let builders and real estate agents call the shots. When housing costs keep going up, the people who build and sell houses win while those of us buying houses lose. When I’m elected, I will make sure people in Wichita have a safe and affordable place to live
What are your qualifications for your position?
I have been a leader in my Union for a long time and have had to tackle many difficult issues between members of the IBEW and the companies I have worked with. In doing so, I have developed a real joy and proficiency for representing and listening to the needs of the more quiet voices. I am also not afraid to make my voice heard when representing the residents of Wichita.
Why should college students vote for you?
I have 2 children that are college age students and I see the struggles that they have on a daily basis. I will work to listen to the needs of college students and make sure they have a voice on Wichita City Council. Sometimes people don’t feel they want to speak up about issues unless they are asked and I feel it is up to the City to pick up on the issues and reach people to find out what the issues that are affecting them are.
Wichita State is located in a food desert, with our on-campus food pantry facing an increased student demand compared to last year. What plans do you have to address that issue and make groceries more accessible?
If elected, I would like to work with grocery stores in the area to try to see what can be done to open up locations that fall into the category of a food desert. Even if it isn’t a big box store, maybe a smaller grocery store would work for residents and still be profitable. Residents of Wichita need to be able to get nutritious groceries and necessities without having to travel way out of their community to get it.
There can be public transit issues throughout Wichita, which can impact students without their own transportation in working off campus or going through the city. How would you go about improving transportation?
Mayor Whipple has recently been looking at a plan to improve public transportation with more bus routes and convenience for riders. I support the effort to improve public transportation, not only for the convenience of riders, but also to reduce congestion on city streets.
Recently, there have been student housing concerns on and around campus, as well as crime happening near campus. How would you ensure that students have access to safe and affordable housing?
For too many years, the discussion about housing has been dominated by the local builders and the elected officials they support. When Wichita is short approx. 44,000 housing units, we need to do whatever we can to build housing and remodel our current housing stock. We should incentivize competition and encourage any housing investment in Wichita, even if it’s not the usual players. It’s also important to find ways to help homeowners fix up homes that currently exist. Instead of tearing down old houses, I want to look at ways we can revitalize those homes and get them back on the market.
With crime happening near campuses, I would support more community policing so police would have more of a presence in communities and be better available to respond to incidents.
With overall inflation and rising tuition for college, how would you support students pursuing post-secondary education?
I believe that if you want to help people with their problems, you need to listen to them so that you can know exactly what the issues are. I would like to hear from students so that I can have a better understanding of exactly everything that is affecting them. I hear about the issues that my children are going through, but would like a broader perspective of the issues.
I know that good paying jobs and affordable housing are 2 main concerns of college students, but I would like to know more.
How would you plan to address mental health?
Mental health is an issue that I believe needs to be addressed by recruiting and retaining more mental health professionals for the City as well as providing proper funding in this area. I believe that the fire and police departments are doing the best they can, but there needs to be better focus and funding for mental health.
How would you encourage Wichita State students to stay in the Wichita area after graduating?
- Access to affordable housing
- Good paying job opportunities
- Plenty of entertainment options
All three of the above would be important for a councilman to focus on to keep graduates in Wichita post graduation. I would also listen to the concerns of college students to hear from them what the issues are that make them want to leave Wichita and try to remedy them.
Gregory did not respond to The Sunflower’s attempts to contact her.
Gregory announced her candidacy for the District 2 city council position via Facebook on June 1, stating that she would “listen to all voices and collaborate on solutions that take everyone into account.”
Previously, Gregory served as the mayor of Goddard for a decade from 2007-2017. She has run unsuccessfully for the Sedgwick County Commission twice and lost the election to the state house in 2020.
According to The Wichita Eagle, Gregory said one of her priorities would be attracting new businesses that encourage workers to stay in the city.
To address food deserts, Gregory wrote in a KSN News questionnaire that she would encourage local growers to “establish ‘satellite’ locations” in food deserts for a “farmers market approach” and encourage school districts to let students staff those facilities.
To address homelessness and the need for affordable housing, Gregory told KSN News that she supported Project HOPE, a collaborative created by the City of Wichita to address violent crime and homelessness; Gregory also said existing structures can be repurposed into affordable housing.
Pierce did not respond to The Sunflower’s attempts to contact her.
Pierce filed on June 1 to run for the District 4 position on the Wichita City Council. The day before, she posted on Facebook about her candidacy, calling herself “a voice for the working class.”
According to The Wichita Eagle, Pierce has spent 20 years as president of the Wichita/Hutchinson Labor Federation, a nonprofit that represents 30 unions in south-central Kansas.
Pierce is endorsed by the Sedgwick County Democratic Party, according to KMUW.
Based on her campaign website, some of the issues that Pierce hopes to address, in addition to securing living-wage jobs, include:
- Protecting the rights of workers and union members
- Ensuring economic equality for everyone, particularly people of color
- Commonsense housing solutions
- Upholding the City of Wichita’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance and LGBTQ+ protections
- Practical solutions to Wichita’s food deserts
Pierce told both The Eagle and KMUW that she would like to replace city manager Robert Layton, who has served since his hiring by the City Council in 2008.
Bond did not respond to The Sunflower’s attempts to contact him.
Bond is running for District 5 of the Wichita City Council. According to his campaign website, his “firm belief in service to the community” led him to run for the position.
Bond was a 2015 District 5 City Council candidate, losing to Bryan Frye. He served on the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Advisory Council for four years.
For 20 years, he has served on both the Remodelers Council for the Wichita Area Builders Association and the Board of Directors for Wichita Area Business Association.
Based on his website, Bond said his platform include transparency; coordinating economic development strategies with the workforce, marketplace and community; and prioritizing public safety by supporting law enforcement and emergency services being fully funded and staffed.
According to The Wichita Eagle, Bond’s top priority is public safety; he said he hopes to “mend the relationship” between the police department and council. His father was a Wichita officer for 30 years.
Bond also aims to address Wichita’s need for more rooftops to match housing demand.