Chanute City Commission
Editor’s note: To help readers make their voting choices in the Nov. 5 general election for local offices, The Journal, the Kansas Leadership Center’s quarterly magazine, sent out a survey to more than 250 candidates in communities where our magazine’s readership is the largest. What follows is information from your local candidates, in their own words.
Update: The Chanute Tribune reports that incumbents Tim Fairchild and Phil Chaney were re-elected to the commission and will serve four-year terms. Kevin Berthot was elected to the commission for a two-year term.
Tim Egner, candidate for Chanute City Commission
Please provide a brief introduction and a description of why you are running for office.
My name is Tim Egner I had previously been on the City Commission for almost 10 yrs. I would like to rejoin the commission to continue with the positive things going on.
Should you be elected, what is the single most important issue that you would like to see improvement on during your term in office? Please write a few sentences explaining your choice.
Continued job growth/business expansion. During my first elected term, the commission brought in the first new larger business Chanute had seen in a long time I believe this attributes to the ongoing successes we have seen in Chanute.
As an office holder, how would you try to mobilize efforts to address the important issue you identified above? If you have a sense of specific steps you might take, please share those.
I was on the commission that started the CRDA (Chanute Regional Development Authority). It has been a wonderful tool in bringing businesses in. Their continued support by the commission is imperative for their success.
To what extent are you concerned about the future of health care in your community?
To a great extent
Do you see health care as being primarily a local issue or a regional one?
Regional issue
What role, if any, does local government have to play in ensuring the availability of health care in your community?
The hospital is a non-profit, county-owned entity, so city commission is not in play for this issue.
How would you prioritize health care in comparison to other issues that you expect to deal with while serving in office?
This is not a city issue. It’s county.
Martha McCoy, candidate for Chanute City Commission
Please provide a brief introduction and a description of why you are running for office.
My career has been in education. I have been in teaching and administration. I moved back to my hometown and have seen items that need to be done. I was a commissioner for four years (elected twice for two term stay). I was able to accomplish several things in office. There are more things to be done. That is why I am running again.
Should you be elected, what is the single most important issue that you would like to see improvement on during your term in office? Please write a few sentences explaining your choice.
The top item on my list is to get a city recycling program started. This would lessen the trash going to our city dump. This would also help the environment in our community.
As an office holder, how would you try to mobilize efforts to address the important issue you identified above? If you have a sense of specific steps you might take, please share those.
I have already researched several cities that have recycling services. I would have the city manager start the city employees on the purchase of the trucks, recycling receptacles and the logistics of selling the recycled materials to proper agencies.
To what extent are you concerned about the future of health care in your community?
To a very great extent
Do you see health care as being primarily a local issue or a regional one?
Regional issue
What role, if any, does local government have to play in ensuring the availability of health care in your community?
The role of local government is to help market the health care available in Chanute. The role is also to work as a partner to insure the stability of the community’s health care and to improve it.
How would you prioritize health care in comparison to other issues that you expect to deal with while serving in office?
It is on the top of the list. We must insure proper health care to the patrons that live in Chanute.
The Journal did not receive responses to its survey from Chanute City Commission candidates Phillip D. Chaney, Eddie Rosenberger, Kevin V. Berthot, Jon M. Odell and Tim D. Fairchild.
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