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Kechi mayor

The mayor is the elected chief executive in Kechi and serves a four-year term. The mayor has “superintending control” or “general supervision” of the officers and affairs of the city, presides over all meetings of the governing body, signs ordinances and appoints officers. He or she is paid $100 for each meeting of the governing body and a car allowance of $50 per month.
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  • Rick Eberhard

    President of the Kechi Senior Center, Over 55 Club
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    Robert Jackson

    Retired Educator
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  • Ed Parker

     
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Comparison
  1. Biographical Information
  2. Why are you running?
  3. Why should voters consider you the most qualified candidate? What in your background most prepares you to serve as mayor?
  4. How would you lead the city as mayor? Give us an idea of your leadership style and how you would approach the position.
  5. What is the biggest issue facing your city, and what would you do to address it? Please be specific.
  6. What other priorities would you have as mayor, and how would you address them?
  7. Please state, in detail, your position on open records, meetings and openness and transparency in gov-ernment.
Rick Eberhard: I am running for Mayor because the City of Kechi needs a change! All cities need to change or they die over time. Currently there is no communication between the organizations/committees in town and there is no direction nor leadership coming from city hall. Someone has to lead and we need a mayor who has that ability and will treat all people equally. I filed for public office in the summer of 2008 as I wanted people to know plus I wasn't going to wait for the deadline to see who else filed.
Rick Eberhard: I am the only Mayoral candidate who has served on the local Economic Development Committee, Planning Commission, Fair Committee, former city council member and Founder and President of the Kechi Senior Center. I have served on the Boeing Employees Board of Directors, South Center KS Tourism Board and serve as the Exec. Dir. for the Sedgwick Co. Assoc. of Cities representing all 20 cities in this county. I support networking and communicating with others as we can all learn from each other.
Rick Eberhard: I would lead by example and have capable staff members on my team. I would require detailed reports after the required research is done. Then I would share those findings with the staff and public as needed. I would start having Town Hall Meetings and start e-mail news and events along with snail mail. With the recession I would request regular reports to share showing the impact on city finances.
Rick Eberhard: The biggest issue is a lack of leadership & communications from City Hall. The current Mayor does little to inform the citizens on anything as a resident just commented on 2-12-09. The good old boy system needs to stop and all residents should be treated equally. Plus the city needs to be pro-active and not reactive. I plan to start electronic communications, town hall meetings and limit the ongoing OT problem just to name a few. Visit www.kechimayor.com for more details or call 744-1337.
Rick Eberhard: The mayor must stop having so many extra special & executive sessions behind closed doors. More items need to be discussed publicly and I would implement a freeze on city spending and hiring any new employees. I would consider cutting one council meeting a month and maybe have longer meetings to save utilities/OT for staff. Improve communications and start a city newsletter but reorganize some of the committees.
Rick Eberhard: The current adminisration now violates the KS Open Meeting Act regularly due to numerous closed door sessions and they hold to many special meetings which all cost $$. In short they do not want the public to be aware of what they are doing. A new sign needs to be installed in from of city hall to share all that info. Plus city council agendas needs to made public so people know what will be discussed at each council meeting and the city can utilize the city's www site more to communicate.
Age: 57
Education/Degrees: Attended Community College in El Dorado; Graduate of the Kanas Law Enforcement Academy; Attended courses at the Center for Management Development @ WSU.
Occupation: President of the Kechi Senior Center
Community Involvement: I am the Founder and President (2nd Term) of the Kechi Senior Center-Over 55 Club; I was the 1st Chairman for the Kechi Economic DevelopmentCommittee; former member of both the Kechi Planning Commission and Fair Committee; Past Chairman & Vice-Chairman of the South Central KS Tourism Region representing 22 counties; former Board of Director of the Boeing Employee's Assoc.; former Board Member of the Sedgwick County Extension Office in Wichita; former Executive Director of the 1st Kechi Area Chamber of Commerce for 11 years.
Political experience: Former Kechi City Council Member; Current Executive Director and Past Chairman & Vice-Chairman of the Sedgwick County Association of Cities representing all 20 cities (City Councils & Mayors) in Sedgwick County.
How long lived in district: I have lived in Kechi for the past 20 years.
Campaign Phone: Office 316.744.1337 and Cell 316.734.7530.
E-mail: rickeberhard@cox.net
Web site: www.kechimayor.com
Robert Jackson: As the population of Kechi continues to grow, the city faces new challenges. If given the opportunity to serve as Kechi Mayor, I believe that I can help the city to meet those challenges and to continue to grow in a positive direction.
Robert Jackson: I have been a member of the Kechi City Council since 1997, serving as the council president for the past 2 years. Prior to that, I was a member of the Kechi Economic Development Committee (1995-97). This public service experience, along with an education that includes a Specialist Degree in Administration, has provided the knowledge and skills necessary for effective leadership.
Robert Jackson: As Kechi Mayor, I would represent the interests of all residents of Kechi. I would promote open communications and encourage citizen involvement, inviting new ideas and suggestions for improvement. My leadership style is one of facilitating cooperation/collaboration between the Kechi City Council and Kechi Chamber, boards, committees and residents.
Robert Jackson: A major issue for Kechi is maintaining a low mill levy while still providing effective city services. I would address this challenge by working with the Kechi Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Committee to promote commercial development in the city. I would also work with the city staff to maintain or if possible, lower the costs of operating city government.
Robert Jackson: While it is essential for Kechi to retain its present business community and attract new businesses, there are more issues that need to be addressed. As Mayor, I would work with the Kechi Park Board to improve the present city park and to develop other areas to meet the recreational needs of the residents. Another priority would be improvement of the 2 major streets in the city (61st Street and Oliver). Working with KDOT and Sedgwick County, I would explore options for grants and other funding.
Robert Jackson: Records that are legally accessible to citizens must be kept readily available; only those items expressly protected are to remain closed to the public. All city activities, meetings and business must comply with the open meetings law. I believe that open communication between city government and residents is essential for the healthy growth of a community.
Age: 68
Education/Degrees: Bachelor Degree (Biology & Chemistry) Master's Degree (Natural Science) Specialist Degree (Administration)
Community Involvement: Kechi Economic Development Committee (1995-97) Kechi Park Board (Council Representative)
Political experience: Kechi City Council President (2007-Present) Kechi City Council Member (1997-Present)
How long lived in district: Since 1994
Campaign Phone: 316-744-8293
E-mail: rwjjack@att.net
Ed Parker: Candidate response is not yet available.
Ed Parker: Candidate response is not yet available.
Ed Parker: Candidate response is not yet available.
Ed Parker: Candidate response is not yet available.
Ed Parker: Candidate response is not yet available.
Ed Parker: Candidate response is not yet available.
 

The Wichita Eagle invited candidates in some contested races in Sedgwick, Butler and Sumner counties to respond to questions about key issues. You can compare the candidates and their responses side by side, and create your own printable or e-mailable ballot. The responses are largely unedited and presented as the candidates sent them to us.