Longtime Manhattan city commissioner John Matta said Monday he still has no intentions of seeking re-election.
“It’s more just a personal decision,” he said. “It’s eight years on the commission, three stints as chairman of the law board and serving on the housing authority.”
Matta hinted in November he would not be seeking another term. On Monday’s edition of “Within Reason” with Mike Matson on KMAN, he said it has been more challenging to accomplish some of his key agenda items, given the current commission makeup.
“I know when I’ve run before, I’ve always brought that up, we need three votes,” he said. “You can’t get anything done by yourself and some people kind of like that you’re going to have to compromise.”
Matta said he’s always found it good when there are like-minded individuals who can get issues moved forward.
“To make a lot of progress, I always find it good to have that and if people don’t like that agenda, you won’t have those three votes for very long,” he said.
Matta said he’s never held back from speaking his mind at meetings and doesn’t expect that to change as a lame duck commissioner.
Matta served on the commission from 2011 to 2015. He was re-elected to a two-year term in 2021 and again in 2023.
Commissioners Peter Oppelt and Jayme Minton, whose seats will be up for election this year, have both said they intend to run. The commission appointed Minton in May to fill the seat vacated by Wynn Butler when he resigned.
Oppelt was elected in November 2023 and began serving in January 2024; as the third-place vote-getter, he has a two-year term. Mayor Karen McCulloh and Commissioner Susan Adamchak, also elected in 2023, have four-year terms.
