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Wanted . . .
A Few Good Men and Women
 |
| BY GREG WALTERS |
With only
15 days left until the filing period closes for political offices seekers in
Raytown only a few candidates have filed for political office. There are seven
elected positions to be chosen in the April, 2019 elections. In three of those
races the incumbent has announced he or she will not run for re-election.
The
following list of candidates was published by the City Clerk on December 28,
2018.
Candidate Filings / City of Raytown
MAYOR
Michael
McDonough
Tony Jacob
ALDERMAN, WARD 1
Joe
Creamer
Incumbent
Alderman Karen Black
is not
seeking re-election
ALDERMAN, WARD 2
Jim Aziere
Loretha
Hayden
ALDERMAN WARD 3
Janet
Emerson
Incumbent
Alderman Mark Moore
is not
seeking re-election
ALDERMAN WARD 4
No
Candidates Filed
Incumbent
Alderman Steve Meyers
is not
seeking re-election
ALDERMAN WARD 5
Derek Ward
Appointed to the seat in 2017
CITY COLLECTOR
No Candidates
Filed
City of Raytown Salary and Benefits:
MAYOR
Paid $14,400 annually
Eligible to participate in the City’s Group Health Care Plan
Eligible to participate in the City’s Group Dental Care Plan
ALDERMAN
Paid $450.00 monthly
Eligible to participate in the City’s Group
Health Care Plan
Eligible to participate in the City’s Group
Dental Care Plan
CITY COLLECTOR
Eligible to participate
in the City’s Group Health Care Plan
Eligible to
participate in the City’s Group Dental Care Plan
Filing for these positions closes on January 15th at
5:00 p.m. For more information contact he Raytown City
Clerk Teresa Henry at 737-6004.
Candidate Filings / Raytown Fire Board
RAYTOWN FIRE BOARD: The Raytown Fire Protection District is governed
by three Board Directors. Each Director is elected to a six year term of
office. This year one Director is up for election.
Salary / Benefits
Paid $450.00 monthly
Eligible to participate in the Fire District’s Health Care Plan
Eligible to participate in the Fire District’s Dental Care Plan
Eligible to participate in the Fire District’s
Retirement Plan
Filing for these positions closes on January 15th at
5:00 p.m. For more information contact Fire Chief Matt Mace at 737-6034.
Jackson County
Public Water District #2
JACKSON COUNTY PUBLIC WATER DISTRICT #2: The Jackson County Public Water District #2 is governed by five Directors. The Directors meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month. Directors are not paid a salary. There are two seats up for election this year, Subdistrict 3 and 5.
JACKSON COUNTY PUBLIC WATER DISTRICT #2: The Jackson County Public Water District #2 is governed by five Directors. The Directors meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month. Directors are not paid a salary. There are two seats up for election this year, Subdistrict 3 and 5.
Filing
deadline is January 15, 2019 and is at the district office 6945 Blue
Ridge Blvd, Raytown, MO 64133. For more information contact District Manager
Pat Ertz at 353-5550.
Subdistrict boundaries:
Subdistrict 3 - South of 75th St.
& East of Hedges
Subdistrict 5 - South of 75th St.
& West of Elm
Current fillings:
Subdistrict
3 – Fred Hartwell
Subdistrict
5 – Jim McClanahan
Raytown C2 School
District
Filing for seats on the Raytown
School Board will be open from January 3, 2019 through January 15, 2019.
There are 2 positions
available. Each position is for a three year term.
The incumbent School
Board members up for re-election this year are Pam Arlund and Bobbie
Saulsberry. The School Board does not mention on its website who has filed for the
two open seats.
For more information,
please contact Rachel Johnston, Board
Secretary, at 816-268-7008 or by email at rachel.johnston@raytownschools.org
Employment
Opportunity
During our
research for this week’s Raytown Report we learned of a local job opportunity
in Raytown. The information is posted below
Jackson County
Public Water District #2 has an opening in the outside operations. The
district offers great pay and benefits including fully paid insurance for the
employee. Individuals must be willing to be called in on evenings and
weekend and work in all weather conditions. For more information contact
District Manager Pat Ertz at 353-5550.
30 comments:
I wondered about the link not working as well. So I went to the city's website, searched out the city clerk's page and found the link. It was still working, but it had been changed. Apparently when the City Clerk updated the page last Friday she changed the date on the link.
The only question I would have is why make any change at all. I think the new link has the same exact information as the old link.
It doesn't really matter since I went ahead and published the information today. We will keep it up to date through to the 15th of January.
I find it interesting that some in our city believe our department heads or other city employees wouldn't change a link to hide the truth from the citizens.
Greg,
When I update or even check my personal documents I change the day so that I know when I last updated or checked it. Perhaps the City Clerk is required to verify information on certain dates or time periods. As for changing the link, it may be to insure that updated or verified information is being viewed and makes it impossible to view old or outdated information. If this is of concern to anyone, I suggest asking the City Clerk.
Happy New Year,
Andy Whiteman
I am a life-long Raytown resident (over 40 years). I have a business degree. I care about Raytown deeply. I am not in anyone's "hip pocket." I believe in listening to the facts of an issue and the people before making a decision. I am not an expert on city matters but am willing to learn.
I would make a good candidate however I would need to buy a hard hat and flak jacket for the attacks that will come.
Folks don't want to subject themselves to the vitriol so they don't run.
Andy
With a state audit underway and the number of individuals complaining around town and on unleashed about the city's poor management the city should be doing everything to be more transparent.
The question as already been asked by meaning why this year are the candidate fillings not on the homepage as in past. This has only fueled the complains about the city and something you would know if you still lived in the city.
The problem is that most of the vitriol can be traced to City Hall. A couple of years ago the city had a financial crisis. They could not continue the path of kicking the can down the road. The Board of Aldermen came under tremendous heat and attacks for something they had to do, cut the budget.
Did the Mayor the responsible thing and work with the Board of Aldermen? No. He chose to attack a Board that was doing the right thing.
I watched a Council meeting not long ago when the mayor pro tem offered some ideas on how to raise funds to improve our streets. In response, one of his seatmates, Alderman Meyers threw a very fit. Another Alderman shoved his chair into the Mayor Pro Tem's chair on his way out of the meeting.
This kind of bullying does no even belong in a school yard.
The answer is to replace those Board members with reasonable people. With four of the Aldermen seats literally being vacated by the current Aldermen now IS the time to file.
I urge you to reconsider your reason(s) for not running. Raytown needs real leadership now. I hope you reconsider your position.
For this city to come back we need decent honest people to run.
December 31, 2018 at 2:16 PM
You have nailed what happened and have indicated what needs tohappen.
I know that the mayor wanted to dig into the surplus, but there is limit of how long that can be
done. I would like to know how many years the previous maylopr and the current one used that procedure.
It is true, I sat at the meeting where between the mayor and chief of police they brought up one
after another what appeared to be outsiders from Lee Summit with the police association. If
the mayor really knew in his head that the city had a problem he would have bucked all of his
police brothers and stopped the circus. The remark was made to him that he should put down
his shield and become mayor rather than associate him self with the chief and the Lees Summit
police association. To be honest that evening I became very adverse to seeing bald headed cops.
It is a shame that we no longer have any type of news paper as we really do need help with letting
the citizens of Raytown know what is happening. Too bad no one can help.
I hope that this makes sense and it will b e printed.
Raytown politics is just like national politics if that tells you anything. Honest and decent people don’t like this type of confrontation. Think shark pit ok? Not everybody is cut out for it.
"I watched a Council meeting not long ago when the mayor pro tem offered some ideas on how to raise funds to improve our streets. In response, one of his seatmates, Alderman Meyers threw a very fit. Another Alderman shoved his chair into the Mayor Pro Tem's chair on his way out of the meeting."
The Mayor Pro Tem's efforts stemmed out of the purest of intents - to suggest alternatives to help the community. Whether we agreed or disagreed with his presentation, the point is is that he poured a tremendous amount of time and effort into it, and that he's an educated individual with a tremendous amount of potential. And when he was instantaneously, ridiculously "cut down" by a couple of his fellow board members, he didn't retaliate. Instead he listened, then persisted in presenting his ideas for discussion. Ryan is a class act.
We sorely need more qualified, decent people like Ryan.
OKAY, YA ACT LIKE THIS IS A SHOCK. THESE TACTICS HAVE BEEN GOING ON IN RAYTOWN FOR MANY YEARS AND NONE OF YOU BRIGHT PEOPLE STEPPED OUT AND TRIED TO CORRECT THIS MESS. THE NEW ELECTED PEOPLE HAVE BEEN POINTING OUR THESE PROBLEMS, AND TAKING NAMES, STANDING UP THE BULLYING, SPEAKING OUT AND UP FOR YOU PEOPLE AND YET YOU BEAT THE HELL OUT OF THEM. NOW SOME OF YOU GET IT. OH, BUT THE NEW PERSON WHO HAS BEEN AT THE HAND OF BULLYING AND STANDING UP, YA ALREADY TRYING TO DESTROY HIM -(TONY JACOBS). WHAT'S NEXT? on
Some backstory and history is in order for the GO Bond iniative that has been circulated by Alderman Ryan Myers. He first introduced the idea back in early 2018 when the 3 Tax Ballot iniatives were brought forward for Board consideration as well. The concept was discussed in a cordial manner at that point, but a unanimous vote was decided to bring the 3 ballot questions forward for public approval in August.
Prior to the last minute agenda request at the start of the Nov 13th BOA Mtg, the Board as a whole had not heard any further information from Alderman Myers regarding the GO Bond scenario. Standard protocol would have been for Alderman Myers to requestt that the matter go to the Finance Committee for discussion and analysis prior to an entire Board proposal.
To send a late afternoon presentation to then Asst City Administrator Damon Hodges on the day of the BOA meeting and then request an addition to an agenda that already had 20 items on it was not met with favorable responses as has been noted. My main issue with Alderman Myers that evening also was his desire to have CIty staff immediately draft Ballot language to send to Jeff City by Nov 27th in order to meet the deadlines required to have it placed on the April 2019 ballot.
To not have ample citizen input and opportunities to weigh in on another property tax increase after the thrashing of the August ballot issues was not something that should have been presented as I amplified as well that evening. In a time our citizens have spoken loud and clear about transparency issues within our elected official leadership, this Helter Skelter proposal by the current Mayor Pro Tem was met with Board dissatisfaction by the 11:00 PM hour.
As it turns out the agreement with the EMS transfer agreement with the Fire District to not have any competing ballot issues on the April 2019 election date nixed the 11th hour rush job idea anyway. The next available election date would be August 2019. Whether the idea has future merit and the bond market as well as the voting citizens appetite will absorb the idea is yet to be determined. No doubt there is a large and looming need that has been firmly established in our present and future road infrastructure.
Happy New Year!
Steve Meyers,
Alderman Ward 4
To not have ample citizen input and opportunities to weigh in on another property tax increase
after the thrashing of the August ballot issues was not something that should have been presented
as I amplified as well that evening.
Well Mr. Meyers I guess the board did not do a very good job explaining the 3 tax issues to the
public. I for one did not have any information as to where the tax revenue would be spent? It
may be would be used on the streets, maybe it would be used for the Mayor to give some of the
2.7 million back to the Chief. If the board had reached concrete ideas where the funds would be
spent I for one did not read it. I for one think that the communication between the board and the
public is lacking.
You do a very good job spreading blame around, I goes that is one reason that board members
are paid a fair amount for staying up until 11 to maybe figure out what is happening.
Your arrogant attitude does not go well with some citizens maybe it does with your friends.
I guess that the gang elected 4 years ago has failed to solve the financilal problems of the city.
"Some backstory and history is in order for the GO Bond iniative (sic) that has been circulated by Alderman Ryan Myers."
Nice try attempting to explain away your behavior, Steve. The fact remains that you acted inappropriately in a public forum.
The gang elected 4 years ago took up the necessary budget rollback that previous boards didn’t have the stones to do. That doesn’t happen Raytown is probably under receivership by Jeff City.
Well Stevie is at it again, the blame game. Maybe he should go back to playing football and learn the formation of team work and what working together does. Guess what working together have positive outcomes.
Yep, it was discussed in a nice nasty manner. The 3 taxes seemed to be more important than the GO Bonds, that's why they were put before the voters because some of your colleagues didn't feel comfortable in making the decision on the voters money.
Standard protocol, get real, Ryan shared why he was bringing the information forward for discussion - oh Stevie you wouldn't know what he said, you through one of your tantrums and left the room. The process was handled correctly.
How about your recent antic, when you brought forth your committee (that didn't go before any committee), appointed yourself the chair and picked your committee members. Stevie, you have utilized staff whenever you got a wild hair up your butt. Oh, only the "A Team" is allowed (BS). Grow up.
Stevie, maybe you should take some lesson from young Myers, class and style. We need more professional people on the BOA. We start getting them and they are not afraid of the good ole boys tactics. It's time for Raytown to have some strong, professional, experience people on the BOA.
"...maybe you should take some lesson from young Myers, class and style. We need more professional people on the BOA. We start getting them and they are not afraid of the good ole boys tactics. It's time for Raytown to have some strong, professional, experience people on the BOA."
Very well said. High standards. It's up to all of us to insist upon professionalism from our elected officials.
What a cheerful and uplifting commentary. I get it. You don't like Ryan Myers, probably because he was eleceted Mayor Pro Tem and you were not. Anything he proposes is not a good idea in your book.
Keep an open mind Mr. Meyers. At least Ryan is trying to do something.
Alderman Mock wanted to nominate Steve Meyers for Mayor Pro Tem when Mock’s term was up and Meyers turned it down because he thought the honor belonged to a more senior member of the board and proceeded to pass the nomination to Janet Emerson. What was that about teamwork?
Depends on what you mean by professional and experienced. Experienced in the passage of TIFF bonds? No thank you. Resumes matter in politics most of the time, we shall see.
Alderman Meyers, did you really just make an offical statement and use your offical title to do it? What about that ordinance you back that was supposed to prevent this exact thing from happening? Myers has his disclaimer.
I guess the rules don't apply to everyone equally. That's one of the problems with why the city doesn't trust the Board. You yourself implored them to be responsive and several aldermen and a woman have voicemails that are full, don't respond to emails or calls and believe (just as you've shown) the rules don't apply to them, they'll do what they want.
Sad times in Raytown.
I just saw a video on Facebook, is it true the State Audit is approved? I called city hall and was told it wasn't true and no one knew about it. I reaches out to the mayor and he started going on some tangent about some other guy, but I couldn't get a clear answer. Why wouldn't they post anything about it?!
Yep. That's what Steve said, but no one else heard it and no one has proof.
Always nice to say things that aren't verifiable. Typical of the mayor and his cronies (of which Steve is one).
Yep. That's what Steve said, but no one else heard it and no one has proof.
Always nice to say things that aren't verifiable. Typical of the mayor and his cronies (of which Steve is one).
I think we need to help Steve with coming up with that new catch slogan
1.) Raytown - the city of tax give aways
2.) Raytown - No longer reaching for tomorrow just your wallet
3.) Raytown - We are not "Rock Stars"
4.) Raytown - We love non-resident influence
5.) Raytown - The city that looks the other way
Sorry, these suggestions fall flat. Except 2 and 3.
Raytown gives away taxes to the mayor's friends and Wal-Mart. Weird how he didn't disclose his private meetings with them last year.
I wish Mr. Moore would please reconsider his decision not to run. I don't always agree with everything he says but at least he is a literate, intelligent, unafraid voice on a council that desperately needs it.
Can we please cut out the negativity? We are truly a divided town if we cannot stop putting Raytown down. That’s self loathing and defeatist behavior. That’s not what is going to turn Raytown around.
"I think we need to help Steve with coming up with that new catch slogan
1.) Raytown - the city of tax give aways
2.) Raytown - No longer reaching for tomorrow just your wallet
3.) Raytown - We are not "Rock Stars"
4.) Raytown - We love non-resident influence
5.) Raytown - The city that looks the other way"
I think you're onto something here. I'd say that everyone needs to contribute. Limit your submissions to say, three. There are some brilliant minds out there. Let's see what we can come up with. I really do need a laugh, and who knows, someone may come up with something really great that would, in all seriousness, be a great replacement for quote "Reaching..."
I have a great idea 6:17 PM. Since it seems you have quite a bit of spare time to be a basement posting dweller Negative Nancy step up and make a difference if you live in Raytown and maybe file for office in your particular Ward. Roll your sleeves up and be part of the solution. Tired of all these naysayers demanding change blah blah blah but sit on the sidelines taking pot shots but won’t put their work effort where their mouth is. Are we really headed towards possibly Creamer coming back with no opponent to challenge this retread. My god he carried the torch for the crippling TIF project. Raytown you deserve the hand you’re about to be dealt. Aziere filing for another term? My god he is shameless. Worthless work effort and adds nothing to the council.
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