Manhattan City Commission and Manhattan/Ogden USD 383 School Board members were asked questions on a variety of topics during Thursday night’s forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Manhattan/Riley County.
Economic development was a hot topic for Manhattan City Commission hopefuls. In regard to discussion about using the portion of the half-cent sales tax currently allotted for economic development, candidate Linda Morse said she supports the current structure of the tax distribution, and is not in favor of redistribution. Morse also discussed the Riley County community needs assessment and cited the community need for mental health care based on statements from local professionals. Morse said she feels the topic of mental health is a major issue that we’re not addressing as a society, and believes it needs to begin on a community level.
When asked about the half-cent sales tax distribution, Candidate Mike Dodson said although the city can’t be sure what’s coming in the way of new companies, it needs to be prepared to address a host of issues to ensure quality businesses are being brought in. He noted that catering to these employers will not only make the Manhattan area a more competitive economy, but also provide residents with more quality jobs. Dodson also talked about the distribution of funds for public health. Dodson added he thinks it’s necessary to understand what the trends are to properly address issues of health in the community.
John Ball said he supports the current use of the tax, but noted that using part of the funds to improve infrastructure might make the community more appealing to new businesses. He also talked about ways he feels the city can better address issues of mental health based on his concerns as a member of the Social Services Advisory Board. Ball added one of the major challenges the community is facing pertains to homelessness for children in USD 383, but cited the Families in Transition closet as a potential solution to the problem.
Mayor Wynn Butler explained his thoughts on the current utilization of the economic development fund, and said don’t fix what isn’t broken. Butler says another large impact on the community could be the upcoming possible troop cuts at Fort Riley. Butler says there isn’t a lot of decision making to be done at the city level, but Manhattan should look to diversify its economy to prevent losses. Butler says another one of his key issues in the upcoming election is the continued reduction in the deficit, and finding new ways to ensure support programs are supported by a mixture of public and private measures.
When asked how he felt about how the tax currently fits into the local economy, Candidate Kaleb James said he’s satistifed with its distribution and doesn’t believe the city needs to offer incentives to bring in new businesses. The topic of homelessness was also discussed at the forum. James said he believes many of the issues the Manhattan area is experiencing with poverty come from the region’s continued expansion, referring to them as “growing pains” and citing more quality jobs as a possible solution. James also talked about the connection between homelessness and mental health. He added he feels the city needs to empower established mental health agencies to assist in these issues to ensure they’re properly addressed.
Candidate Jerrod McKee stated two of his main platforms in the election are reducing poverty in the area and increasing housing affordability, which he addressed when asked how the city can better include the younger population. A recent graduate from K-State, McKee noted the dichotomy between the student and non-student population in Manhattan, adding that he hopes to help bridge the communication gap between the two. He also cited lack of affordability for the continually rising rates of homelessness in Manhattan. In the way of city development, McKee also said that he would be in support of using some of the half-cent sales tax to help with city infrastructure to avoid raising it even further in the future.
School funding continues to be a big topic in Kansas and was a major topic discussed at Thursday’s candidate forum for USD 383 School Board members. In particular, participants were asked to comment on the potential increase in the Local Option Budget authority, which candidate Curt Herrman said he supports as a way to mitigate major resource losses. The candidates also discussed what they feel are the top priorities in the school budget. Herrman said for him, programming that protects the physical well-being of students was the most important to preserve.
Candidate Nicholas Dyer said handling fiscal challenges will take some careful consideration… and especially when it comes to cutting programs. Dyer believes cutting some items would hurt the school system more than others. He expressed concern about possible cuts to special education.And he said while he is not in favor of raising the LOB, “I think that having the option to raise it might not necessarily be a bad thing.” He says he thinks it’s a good stopgap if things get really bad.
Candidate Darrell Edie discussed the challenging environment the board will be operating in as the state cuts funding to local schools. Edie said facing the fiscal challenges would be hard. However, he indicated he has a line in the sand he’ll fight to keep during the upcoming difficulties.
Candidate David Colburn says there will be some shortfalls coming, and had some pointed opinions about how the Local option budget initiative will become more important as the state draws back funding to schools. Some cuts may be necessary in the upcoming years, and Colburn said he would do his best to protect the children’s development in the school budget.
Candidate Leah Fliter had a professional commitment and was not available for the Thursday night forum.
The event will be re-broadcast on KMAN Saturday morning at 9:05.
The election is set for April seventh, but advance voting is going on during business hours at the Riley County Office Building.
The entire forum can also be heard on the “On Demand” section of this website.
