Board of Aldermen Candidate Profile: Darren Mills

     Ward II alderman Darren Mills is seeking a second term in the April 4, 2023 municipal election and is running unopposed. Mills said he is pleased with the progress the Board and City has made over the past two years and looks forward to seeing several projects through in his next term.
     “I’m looking forward to seeing the police station completed. We’ve made a lot of progress in the last two years with several improvement projects, including the water tower, street repairs, and looking at adding additional parks and trails on the north side of town. I’ve enjoyed the last two years, and I think I have made a difference on the Board,” Mills said.
     Mills is also pleased with the selection of the newly hired police chief, Ed Turner.
     “I think the City handled the process really well, and I am excited to see what he is going to do.”
     Mills is also excited about the City’s recent branding process, and the efforts to revitalize downtown.
     “The census figures showed us how much our population has grown over the past 10 years. We experienced a bigger population growth than our neighbors in Blue Springs and Lees Summit. The challenge is to provide the growth residents need and want and keep our small town feel.”
     One of the challenges with a growing population is housing, and Mills said he is also focused on making sure there are options for all residents.
     “We need to provide affordable housing for the next generation. We don’t want to shoo them out of city if we have no options for them. Having apartment and multi-family options is going to benefit the city and bring in more tax dollars. This way we can keep tax dollars here and continue to grow the city.”
     As far as goals in his own ward, Mills is still focused on providing more sidewalks, particularly in Winding Creek where he said they are lacking.
     Mills enjoys representing the city at business events, including the Grain Valley Partnership luncheons and ribbon cuttings, and said he has enjoyed working with the board to do what they can to promote business development in the area.
     Mills is the Sales Manager with Blue Compass RV (previously Lifestyle RVs) in Grain Valley, is a past President of the Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS), and is an active member of First Baptist Grain Valley, where he leads the Kids Connect program.     


   Valley News will profile each candidate on the ballot in the weeks leading up to the election, provide a voter guide, and plans a candidate forum on March 21st at Grain Valley South Middle School. To search for all election related articles, click on “Elections” under the categories on our News page. For voter information and links to resources, visit our Voter Resource page. 

Ward II Alderman Darren Mills is running for re-election on the April 4th ballot. Photo credit: City of Grain Valley