​April Claphan
 
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board of education?
My motivation to serve on the Grain Valley School Board is to advocate for the best education for our students. Our school is the biggest asset to our community . I want to be part of the partnership between the school and the residents of  Grain Valley. What is best for our students will always be at the forefront of that motivation to serve. 
 
What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
I have been part of the Grain Valley school district since 2003. Both of my kids went through the district. Having the parent lens has prepared me with the knowledge of the curriculum and policies and procedures that Grain Valley has established.  I currently work in the human resources department for a school district. This role has prepared me in seeing how school districts  systems can work and how valuable attaining great staff is for our student success.
 
What is the biggest challenge facing public education and how can the board best address the challenge in our community?
One of the challenges for Public schools is that our students have changed  and the world they are part of has greatly changed,  there are demands on educators to keep educating the same way as years past. We need to make sure we preparing our students with the tools they need to be successful in their futures no matter  what path they choose, may  it be college or a trade skill. 
 
Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
I truly care about Grain Valley. Our schools are the heart of our city and I want to work to keep Grain Valley on the cutting edge of education, our kids deserve the best. My experience provides me with a different lens that will be an asset to the decision making. People matter and I know I can ensure a solid partnership between the superintendent and residents of GV.
"Vote for April in April"
 


Julie Groff
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board of education?
I believe every child matters and their education should be the most important issue. Plus, there are a lot of outside influences trying to make their way into our schools.  I am running to prevent these influences from making their way into our schools.  I want to see education be the focus not politics.

What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
I have a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Math.  I have taught special education and worked with adults who have developmental disabilities.  I have been the manager of a group home and I work with low income seniors.  Advocating for people is an everyday part of my job.  I was a stay at home mother when my children were young.  I also have 18 years of experience on the Board of Education.  
 
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved?
I have volunteered in the schools for almost 20 years.  I started volunteering in the classroom and once my children were in high school, I volunteered as a Lunch Buddy.  I have been on the local PTA board, a Girl Scout leader, and a Pop Warner cheer coach.  I have also been a preschool teacher in my church.  
 
How should the district address teacher salaries and retention of employees during the exodus of teachers in Missouri and across the nation?
Here in Grain Valley, we are still able to attract good teachers.  In the high school, keeping the 8 block schedule helps.  We have had teachers leave for other districts and they come back because of the quality schools that we have.  We do need to keep our salaries competitive to continue to attract teachers.  Keeping class sizes small and having a supportive atmosphere from the board, administrators and parents is another way to keep attracting teachers.  We need to continue to strive for excellence and provide the support, tools, and training needed to achieve this.
 
What is the biggest challenge facing public education and how can the board best address the challenge in our community?
Staffing is an issue facing many businesses and the school district is also feeling that.  We need good staff at all levels.  From a bus driver who can be the first smile a child sees, to the mechanics who keep the buses running, every employee is important.  We need the staff to be able to operate the district, and we need to be able to pay the staff adequately for the work that they perform.  The lack of funding is a challenge for our district.  When legislators want to take tax dollars away from public education to support private education, it can be devastating for a community.  The Board members need to be advocates and fiscally responsible.  
 
Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
My background in education and my leadership skills make me a good choice for the Board of Education.  I am conservative, fiscally responsible, and an advocate. I am supported by both parents and teachers.  The GV National Education Association has endorsed me.   
 
 

Michael Hackett

Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board of education?
Broadly speaking, I want to see our School District get better every year. I would like to say that I have never had an agenda to carry out on the School Board, but I believe that every member who comes to the table has an agenda of some sort. It is important to remember that your personal agenda needs to fit in at the right time, and then you should lead the charge.  For myself, I want to see issues of early support and intervention for our students expanded. If we can get kids on grade level sooner, the time and money spent there avoids higher costing interventions further along.
 
What experiences or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
I have been serving our community and schools for the last 18 years in the capacity as a Board Member.  My direct experience as a longer term board member as well as being active in Public Education at the regional and state level, give me a broad and deep understanding of issues that impact our local schools.
 
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved?
I have served as a School Board Member, member of the Band Parents Association, local Methodist Church, Missouri School Board Associations Delegate Member and Cooperating School Districts of Greater Kansas City Vice President.  As you can see, Public Education ranks high on my list of priorities.
 
How should the district address teacher salaries and retention of employees during the exodus of teachers in Missouri and across the nation?
I want to increase the pay of our teachers and staff. In order to do that, the School District needs to engage our community and stakeholders in deep conversations and discussions about how our community wants to address this issue.  There are changes our State Congress will soon consider that will pull local tax money out of our district. If those dollars leave the community, they have an effect on the tight budget we have.  It will mean that we have less money to spend on opportunities for our students.
Grain Valley has been very lucky so far.  We have quality of life benefits in our School District that make us a place to be.  We have seen a much smaller exodus of teachers that has been happening across the state and nation. However, we will have openings for teachers and staff.  For teachers, we are seeking to get access to those newly graduating teachers earlier and earlier.  However, it is still difficult to find dedicated folks to work our busses and kitchens and keep the day-to-day of schools going.
 
What is the biggest challenge facing public education and how can the board best address the challenge in our community?
I believe that some of the biggest challenges facing Public Education today are going to revolve around budgets and funding.  As I have mentioned before, we have State Congressional action that may cause local tax money to leave the district, directly impacting funding for our local schools.  While Grain Valley starts a new teacher at $37,500 a year, our Governor rightly believes we should be offering more.  However, a $500 addition to the base pay will cost the district between $200,000 and $300,000 increase to our budget.  We have to find a way to fund that, and if there’s no more funding to cover it, it may require us to do something that we, and the community, has long indicated they didn’t want: increased class sizes.
In order to overcome these impending issues of budget and funding, I believe we have to engage our community and stakeholders, to have deep discussions about how we close these gaps and continue to be one of the best hidden gems in the area.
 
Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
I have a strong track record of supporting our students, teachers and community over the last 18 years.  I have worked to share the concerns of the community over pending legislation that will negatively impact our local schools with our State Legislators. I believe I can and will continue to serve our students and community in a way that continues to make our community stronger through Public Education, and will make us proud of Grain Valley and our School District.
 


Jeff Porter
 
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the Board of Education?
As I have been out speaking to members of the community during my door-to-door visits in the neighborhoods, this is one of the most asked questions.  My motivation to serve on the school board is purely my three children all under the age of five.  Their education and experience through the Grain Valley School District is of the utmost importance and I believe this to be true for all children in our community as they are our future.   I support a balanced education that is free from political views.  I do not have a hidden agenda or ulterior motive.
 
What experience or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
As Senior Project Manager of the company for which I work, I handle multimillion dollar contracts which has given me solid budgeting experience.  I also assist with the general operations and human resources of the company and therefore have experience managing our teams and making decisions with subjects such as health and general liability insurance.  I believe this will provide helpful oversight in these areas as well as others.  Finally, I am an Eagle Scout which proves my perseverance to complete work.  I think all of the above will give me guidance when these types of subjects are presented to the school board should I be elected.
 
In what school district or community activities/organizations have you been involved?
I am an active member of St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church in Blue Springs, MO.  I have also been an election day poll worker and I am a volunteer for the monthly Senior’s Lunch at the Grain Valley Community Center.  Also, I have served as a volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America.
 
How should the district address teacher salaries and retention of employees during the exodus of teachers in Missouri and across the nation?
Since last November, I have been regularly attending the school board meetings and I have been able to glean an overview of the budget.  However, attending meetings does not make us each privy to the itemized budget.  Should I be elected to the school board, I would suggest the school board closely analyze the district’s budget line-by-line to identify how money is being spent.  From there, a plan could be developed on how the district could find ways to improve teacher salaries and make them more competitive with the surrounding districts.   In order to address retention of employees, I must first understand the rate of turnover, in which departments is the turnover occurring and then determine why it is occurring.  As a member of the school board, I would request to review employee engagement surveys if they have been completed.  If not, I believe this is one way in which to begin the process for retaining employees.
 
What is the biggest challenge facing public education and how can the board best address the challenge in our community?
From my observations over the past two years, it appears that the COVID pandemic has brought to light that the parent-teacher relationship is not what it used to be.  I recognize that teachers have an extremely difficult and important job.  Daily, we entrust our children to our teachers for at least eight hours a day. The education and safety of our children is fundamental to the continued growth and development of our communities.  I want to support teachers and work with them to develop curriculum but I do believe parents need to be involved at the same time.  I think I can listen to both sides, parents and teachers, and assist with issues and rifts that have surfaced.  An example of this is from a parent I spoke with recently who had been trying to help her child with a learning disability.  She had scheduled time off from work during his breaks and thought this would be a good opportunity to spend some time helping him with school studies.  She asked his teacher and principal on two different occasions if his laptop could be sent home so they could work together over Christmas and Spring breaks.  It was not allowed either time and a reason was not provided to the parent as to why her child could not take the laptop home over break.  This was a very disheartening story to hear.  As a school board member, should I be elected, I want to provide an open door for parents to escalate their problems and concerns to the school board but will need to begin by understanding the process of how these items are brought to the attention of the board members. I believe the school board has a responsibility to help foster this parent-teacher relationship.
 
Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
I think I should be elected to the Board of Education because I can provide a fresh perspective with a different outlook and new ideas.  I am motivated to be involved with my three young children about to enter into the school district.  Also, I have experience managing businesses and people and I am willing to break down barriers between teachers/administrators and parents.  Parents know their children best and if they are taking an interest in their child’s education, they should be allowed to provide input.  While not all input can be implemented, teachers at the same time need to allow the parent’s voice to be heard.  I want to put our student’s needs first, keep political views out of the classroom and provide a balanced education for all students.
 
 
​
Jason Williams
 
Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the Board of Education?
There is no one special issue motivating me to seek election to the school board.  I am strongly motivated by my love for this community and the desire to serve the teachers, staff, and students of our district.  My goal is to help teachers and students fulfill theirs.
 
What experience or skills have prepared you to serve as a board member?
I feel that my experience and educational background are highly beneficial to a potential role on the GV School Board.  I have a degree in Administration of Christian Education. I was an educator for 8 years between 2000-'08, and have many family members past and present involved in the education system. I have sat on various community and sports boards, giving me experience dealing with budgets and helping to solve problems. I am currently the Lead Pastor of Valley Community Church in Grain Valley and Administrator of Valley Child Care.  I am also a parent of current students in the Grain Valley District, and a parent of a Grain Valley alumnus.
As the Lead Pastor of Valley Community Church, I have been heavily involved in events related to both the community and the school district. Whether those are events that our church is hosting, or events that the community or schools are having that we get to be a part of, we jump in and get involved in in any way that we can because we believe in the importance and value of community. 
 
How should the district address teacher salaries and retention of employees during the exodus of teachers in Missouri and across the nation?
The recruitment and retention of teachers is and will continue to be an ongoing challenge in the coming years.  There are several points of consideration that the board will need to look at to help meet this challenge: 

• Possibly raising the base salary for teachers and staff to be more competitive with larger districts in the area. 
• Increasing the number of years a teacher is able to receive raises. 
• Making sure benefit packages are adequate. 
• Recruiting more substitute teachers so that current teachers will be able to have their plan periods. 

I also think that finding creative ways that parents and the community can show our appreciation to our teachers and staff will be an important piece moving forward.  We have some of the best educators in the state, and I believe it is important to show them that they are appreciated!
 
What is the biggest challenge facing public education and how can the board best address the challenge in our community?
The biggest ongoing challenge will be the retention and recruitment of teachers and staff.  However, I feel that there are a couple other areas that are a very close second, and will need the attention of the board and administrators.  One of those is Mental and Emotional Health for both teachers and students.  The strain on teachers over the last 2 years has been enormous.  Fewer subs means more time covering other classrooms without time to prepare.  Not only making it difficult to be as effective, but weighing on the minds and emotions of teachers and administrators alike.  Some students have struggled to catch up, dealing with new social behaviors, spending more time studying and learning virtually, and so on.  That is why making sure that we give every teacher and student the opportunity and ability to speak with a trained professional that can provide proper counseling to those who need it is so important.  We also need to be ever vigilant where safety is concerned.  Not that our schools aren’t currently safe, but to make sure that they stay that way.  New technologies and ways to keep our students and teachers safe from both physical threats as well as virtual threats is vital.  Having the proper and necessary number of staff on hand to implement and ensure proper safety protocols is also something that will need to be considered in coming years.
 
Why should you be elected to the Board of Education?
In order to meet these obvious challenges, as well as the unseen challenges we will face in the coming years, it will require strong leadership.  There is no doubt that we are moving into an unprecedented time at the tail end of a world wide pandemic.  The challenges are great but the opportunities are also great; and we need to be ready to seize those possibilities.  With my experience as a leader in many different fields, I look forward to facing these challenges for the students and teachers of our school district if elected.  The future is bright in Grain Valley and I believe it can continue to be for many years yet to come.
 

Two candidates, current Mayor Chuck Johnston and former mayor Michael Todd are on the April 5th ballot. Each candidate responded to the following series of questions from Valley News.

Chuck Johnston
 
If elected, what are your top three priorities?
The City recently sold a portion of the Sni-A-Bar Farms site to the Mid-Continent Public Library to build a new branch. What is your vision for the remainder of the City-owned property?
I would like to see it sold off to a developer with the front third of the property along Buckner-Tarsney zoned as commercial and the back two thirds zoned as residential. While we do need more green space I don't believe however that putting a park in the most south eastern point of the city is that advantageous when the town is clearly growing to the north.
 
What should the City's priorities be in terms of economic development (attracting new businesses, developing downtown, improving environment for existing businesses, etc.)?
Something that everyone has always been asking for is sit-down restaurants. We are starting to get to the point were we could support a few more upscale restaurants I believe the citizen are at that stage where restaurants would be more feasible. I would also like to see more skilled labor trades coming to town where we would be able the provide jobs for the resident rather than having them have to drive to larger cities for work. The more we can do right here in Grain Valley captures more revenues to help support the tax base.
 
Do you feel the police department is adequately staffed and current patrols are sufficient? What are your suggestions to ensure residents feel safe and their property is secure? 
According to FBI guidelines where the smallest city they rank in their guideline is 50,000, they recommend 15 officers per 10,000 of population. With our population at just over 15,000 that would be 22 or 23 officers. We just had a swearing in that brings us to 30 officers. Based on the FBI guidelines we are fairly well over their recommendations. I believe we are at an adequate number of officers. We do have a bond issue on this years' ballot for a new Police Station. Getting that put through I believe will help the productivity, efficiency, and overall moral of the Police in Grain Valley. 
 
Many of our City candidates, including both mayoral candidates, have served in this position or as aldermen for multiple terms. While their dedication to the City and to public service is admirable and appreciated, what can long term leaders do to foster new leadership for future years?
This is a question that is starting to affect all aspects of life as things have evolved. Where will the replacements for all positions in life come from as people's goals, expectations, and needs change. Going into political life you are putting yourself out there under a microscope for very little pay, a lot of criticism, and very little reward unless you appreciate self accomplishment. I'm sure other will come along to fill the shoes of those that have already accepted this challenge and are stepping down or just moving on. But unfortunately those replacements aren't running around with a sign on their back saying they're ready to step up. I'm just not sure how you identify and find those that are ready. In the past I have approached several that have expressed an interest and a couple of those are still involved. I believe we just have to do our best to encourage those that do express an interest. It has always been that way in the past and a lot of great people have stepped up to fulfill the needs. I'm sure there will be other great leaders and/or just good people that will fill the vacancies as needed in the future.

 
​
Michael Todd
 
If elected, what are your top three priorities?

1. Staffing issues throughout the city primarily the Police Department.  I realize that we are in times where everyone is struggling to find employees, but just blaming hard times is not being proactive enough.  We have had some positions go months without a single applicant.  We need to do more to see what we can do to separate us out from other entities looking for employees so we can have good candidates for our positions.  The same goes with retaining the people we have.  From Public Works to Police we have good employees and we need to do a better job of retaining them.  It cost us thousands of dollars to train new employees when we lose employees.  In the last 18 months we have lost 8 rank and file officers.  Some of these officers are leaving to take lower paying jobs in other jurisdictions so it is an issue beyond money that we need to get to the bottom of.
2. Crime Prevention needs to be improved.  Some people want to say we don’t have a crime problem, or that it is a problem everywhere.  That isn’t good enough for me.  Just because there are increases everywhere doesn’t mean we should stick with the status quo and not be more proactive in what we are doing to protect our residents and their property.  I’m proposing we establish a Crime Prevention Unit.  This Unit would be comprised of dedicated officers who only worked towards Crime Prevention and didn’t work addition patrol shifts.  They would work flex schedules so they would be available at the times that we saw they were needed for Crime Prevention.  For example if trucks in the industrial park are being hit for their catalytic convertors they could set up to catch possible thieves,  if we have had cars being broken into in Rosewood they could set up to watch for suspicious activity there, maybe there are reports of speeding on Montana Ridge between 2 PM and 6 PM daily.  Again they could set up and run speed control on Montana Ridge.  Maybe some houses in Woodbury are wanting to establish a Neighborhood Watch Program.  These officers could meet with the residents of Woodbury to get that established.
3. Infrastructure Improvements.  We need to continue working towards the street plan that was established with the street study that was budgeted for during my last term as Mayor.  That identified the order of street resurfacing and curb/sidewalk repair around the city.  Included in that is we need to start working on the Buckner Tarsney corridor north of I-70.  What I mean about that is the intersections of Duncan Road and Buckner Tarsney and Rust Road and Buckner Tarsney.  The residents that live north of I-70 make up a very large portion of the population of Grain Valley and it is difficult and unsafe for them to get into town and back home.  These intersections need work and we need to start that process.

 
     The City recently sold a portion of the Sni-A-Bar Farms site to the Mid-Continent Public Library to build a new branch. What is your vision for the remainder of the City-owned property?
          First thing is I would like for the city to take the money they received from the sale of that land to the library and use it, along with any other property sales they make, to start the purchase of some land around the Rosewood/Woodbury subdivisions to star the process of having a park north of I-70.  Land is not getting cheaper and if we don’t start that process soon there will never be a dedicated park in the north portion of our town.  Now for the remainder of the Sni A Bar Farms property, which I believe is around 40 acres, I propose to dedicate it as Park and Recreation Space.  There are not a many large green spaces left in town and we need to protect that one from becoming several hundred homes and commercial properties.  There are lots of uses from a Parks standpoint it could be used for and that is something down the line for the residents to decide on.  Additional trails, splash pad, play grounds, even a possible location for a future Community Center close to the area where the library will be.  Lots of possibilities from a Parks and Recreation standpoint can go there.
 
     What should the City's priorities be in terms of economic development (attracting new businesses, developing downtown, improving environment for existing businesses, etc.)?
          Attracting New Business
               We need to be in constant communication with our developers, land owners, and brokers of vacant properties to see what they have in the works and what we can do for them to assist them.  Projects come up really quick and lots of times have quick turn arounds.  We also need to set up some meetings with our building owners to see what the city can do to help them lower the cost of rent in Grain Valley.  Business rent is very high and if we want to retain and attract businesses we need to see what we can do to assist landlords in lowering those rental costs.
          Developing Downtown
               I believe the biggest thing we can do here is to improve foot traffic to promote our downtown businesses.  The Grain Valley Fair Association is going to be trying something new this year on June 3rd, July 1st, and August 5th where we move our popular Food Truck Friday Nights back to downtown for those three nights to draw foot traffic downtown to see what all downtown has to offer.  I’m excited about the opportunity this brings and hopefully we can work on more of these types of events in the future to increase foot traffic.  Some great businesses have been added over the last few years and we need to promote those. 
               I think they city has also already taken an important step in trying to get some Main Street Improvement Grants.  Hopefully that comes through and can be used for some improvements that are needed as well.
          Improving Environment for Existing Businesses
               We start with having some meetings with existing businesses.  The landscape has changed since I was last in office with the onset of COVID so I’m not familiar with all of the struggles our businesses are currently having.  Once we can get a handle on those struggles we can work towards the solutions that we can make as a city.  We can’t help with everything, but there are things we can do.  I’m sure one struggle is the price of space in town and again that is something we need to talk with landlords about to see if there is anything from the city standpoint that can be done to help lower that.
 
     Do you feel the police department is adequately staffed and current patrols are sufficient? What are your suggestions to ensure residents feel safe and their property is secure?
          I addressed this a bit in my first response regarding my top three priorities.  I don’t believe we are adequately staffed at the moment.  Part of that is we can’t keep the positions we have filled.  The Board of Alderman took a step in the right direction with the 2022 budget when they added a few more officers.  The issue we run into is we are very seldom fully staffed.  We  have had 8 rank and file officers leave in the last 18 months.  That is a huge percentage of our officers.  These officers aren’t always leaving for better paying jurisdictions either.  Some are taking pay cuts to go to other departments.  We need to get to the bottom of what is going on and work to retain the officers we have so we aren’t constantly playing catch up and training new officers.  If we can get fully staffed and then focus on adding more officers through a Crime Prevention Unit I think we start to see the property crimes decrease.  These criminals are very seldom from Grain Valley.  They are coming from outside our community because they think we are easy targets.  We need to start catching them and prove to them we aren’t easy targets so the word will travel to avoid committing your crimes in Grain Valley.
 
     Many of our City candidates, including both mayoral candidates, have served in this position or as aldermen for multiple terms. While their dedication to the City and to public service is admirable and appreciated, what can long term leaders do to foster new leadership for future years?
          I’ve been called a glorified party planner by some because of my involvement in the Grain Valley Fair and Food Truck Friday Nights.  While I was Mayor we also did the Pool Parties for the kids and the Movie with the Mayor Event.  I really think getting the community involved through all of these types of events is how we get people involved.  I meet and talk to so many people at the Fair and FTF that I normally wouldn’t get the chance to.  Through the events we had for the kids I got the chance to talk with lots of parents.  Not to mention the kids got the chance to meet and talk to a lot of us involved in the city.  Being involved can be intimidating to some especially when your only experience with government might be what you see going on with the Federal or State Level.  By being out in the public, having these events, having the conversations, I think it gives people a bit more of a comfort with the city and then they are more ready to serve.  I know it’s a long ways off, but 20 years from now we might see my daughter in this position of answering questions for the Grain Valley News.
 

One aldermen position is open in each of Grain Valley's three wards. In Ward I, Dale Arnold and Chris Bamman are on the ballot. In Ward II, Rick Knox is running unopposed, and in Ward III, Ryan Skinner is running unopposed. Below are answers to questions Valley News sent to each candidate. 
*Updated 8:00pm 3/31/22. Responses from Rick Knox have been added. 

Dale Arnold, Ward I Candidate
 
I moved to Grain Valley in 1986 with my wife, of now 45 years, and our 2 daughters.  I served for 32 years with the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District attaining the rank of Captain/Acting Assistant Chief. I retired, due to an injury on the job, leading to my disability retirement 4 years ago. I have been active in the community and served in many ways through the years.
 
What are the top 3 priorities for the City in the next five years? How will you work with the Mayor, Aldermen, and City staff to address these issues?
 
 First and foremost, we need to maintain our communities infrastructure including water, sewer, streets, curbs and street lights. This is all needed to keep a safe environment for our citizens. Second: As our community has grown, we have outgrown many of our city's facilities. We need to balance the need for larger facilities, with the ability of the taxpayers to provide those necessities. Third: We must continue our efforts on economic development bringing more mercantile, sit down restaurants and industrial or light industry. That would hire and pay a higher scale wage for those who want to live, work and play in our community.
To achieve this will require leaving personal agendas at the door. Stepping up to help when needed, by attending events like Night out Against Crime, and Community Development evening to show support to our employees. Attending events allow the public access to their leaders to discuss what is occurring in our community.
 
When talking with constituents, what are the concerns you hear most often? What can the Board do to address these concerns?
The one concern most often heard are the taxes that we pay. I'm not sure what can be done to change this, other than working for the continued growth of our community. So that we spread the cost of government over more households and businesses. As we get larger the amount of taxes each individual will have to pay, should go down for the community.
 
What do you see as the best path forward for addressing facility needs for the police station, city hall, and community center?
 
 I feel that there is not a need to tear everything down and start with all new facilities. It is my feeling that if we approach the process with building a new community center first, then that would allow us to repurpose the old community center as a police station. With the police department move, we now can use the entire building as city hall. That should meet our needs for the next 20 years or more. This should save considerable taxes, at today's high cost of construction. This is a blueprint already used by our neighbor to the east and west of us. It has worked well for them, as it should for us.
 
What should the City's priorities be in terms of economic development (attracting new businesses, developing downtown, improving the environment for existing businesses, etc.)?
  This is a most challenging area for our community.  We set geographically to too close to Blue Springs, making it not profitable for some larger companies to come to our community based off populations and expected commercial viability.  This kind of ties into the needs for city facilities. Some believe that we should move away from the area on Main Street and sell the property to a big business, that will pay millions in taxes. It's just not feasible. That a Box store or something similar will come to our community and pay the kind of taxes that will reimburse the citizens for the millions of dollars already invested at the current city hall site and facilities.  One only has to look at the plight of big box stores and how they are disappearing to understand this is not in the future for Grain Valley. I spoke to economic development in my priorities above. As to improving the environment for current businesses, that would take an improved working relationship with the Chamber of Commerce (known as the Partnership). A refocusing on promoting existing businesses, should be a priority.

Do you feel the police department is adequately staffed and current patrols are sufficient? What are your suggestions to ensure residents feel safe and their property is secure?
 Our current police department has its struggles. Adjustments in patrol and personnel assignments may be necessary. The addition of three new officers this fiscal year should help with this. A study of needs may be needed to determine if more personnel are needed.  The tax base is what will limit what is feasible for the city to afford in this area.
Despite the current issues with crimes of opportunity, with car break ins and stolen autos', we still live in a safe community. The best way to handle this is to stay vigilant and aware of what is happening around you and early reporting of suspicious activity.
 
Many of our City candidates, including both mayoral candidates, have served in this position or as aldermen for multiple terms. While their dedication to the City and to public service is admirable and appreciated, what can long term leaders do to foster new leadership for future years?
My experience has shown that the average person including myself understand little about how our communities are managed. After a time in office I have learned how things work and began to figure out ways to improve our community, within the limitations that are there.  There are so many things that need to be done to keep our city healthy. Street improvements, expansion of the water and sewer systems, and additional personnel to meet the service needs of our community. All these things at once are pulling on the limited amount of funds available. Knowing the history of what has worked and what has not worked in our community's past helps make for better decision making as we move forward. Hopefully those who come after will have done their homework and are prepared to carry on. That is the way it has worked and will work for years to come. There will always be young leaders that will raise up and take on the tough challenges for whatever reason. We can help them through encouragement to get involved and by setting a good example for them to follow.
 
Chris Bamman, Ward I Candidate
My wife of 33 years and I have lived in Grain Valley for about 19 years.  We have 3 children all who graduated from Grain Valley Schools.  I’ve served our local Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, have coached youth basketball, baseball and soccer.  I’ve served on our local School Board for three, 3-year consecutive terms serving 4 of those 9 years as Board President.  I’ve served one, 2-year term as Alderman of Ward 1 and Mayor Pro Tem.  I stepped away from local politics for a short time focusing on my career and a significant amount of travel associated with my job.  I work in the area of Energy Engineering, Energy Conservation and Sustainability.  My travel requirements are reduced and I look forward to the opportunity of getting back to service to our community and to others.  Similarly, I worked for about 8 years as the Executive Director of Facilites Planning and Operations at the University of Central Missouri.  Running a college campus is very similar to running a small city.  These experiences coupled with my previous School Board and Alderman experience provide great experience and background for continued success in the role of Alderman for Ward 1.
 
What are the top 3 priorities for the City in the next five years? How will you work with the Mayor, Aldermen, and City staff to address these issues?
 
I see our top 3 priorities as supporting our Police.  There is too much turnover, too many vacant positions that can’t be filled and their facilities are sub standard for a city of this size.  Second, I see needed improvements to city infrastructure in the areas of streets, curbs and sidewalks.  There’s been focus on streets but our efforts need to be expanded. My experience with Engineering and Construction can provide valuable guidance in this area.  And last, but not least, providing focus on supporting competitive wages ad benefits for other areas of our city team is another area where we had success before when I served as Alderman.  There are many other areas that require focus and improvement but these are my top three for present and near term future needs.
 
When talking with constituents, what are the concerns you hear most often? What can the Board do to address these concerns?
 
The single biggest concern I hear is about the rising incidents of crime in our city.  I believe supporting our police and looking for way to attract and retain our veteran officers is the best way to correct that problem.  Having a full “quiver” of officers available to patrol and respond to calls is the best way for us to reduce the growing crime statistics.
 
What do you see as the best path forward for addressing facility needs for the police station, city hall, and community center?
 
I am a supporter of the new police station.  I prefer the butterfly trail location.  This is to make sure we aren’t infringing on activities like food truck Friday locations, our Fall Fair and our parks.  The activities that occur in these areas are too important for our community.  Regarding our community, I have always wondered why we would locate city hall and the community center on the most valuable piece of property in the city.   I believe the community center and recreation areas need to ultimately be moved to the Sni A Bar Farms property when this can be supported and it makes sense for the city. The current location is outgrown but more importantly can be better utilized generating revenue for our tax base and ultimately reducing our taxes.
 
What should the City's priorities be in terms of economic development (attracting new businesses, developing downtown, improving the environment for existing businesses, etc.)?
 
Future development in our city should be focused on bringing better paying jobs to the community. Technical and Healthcare and the like.  Further, the continued development and revitalizing our downtown area is also an area where we can continue to move forward. I am a fan of CID’s (Community Improvement Districts) and the like but I am not a fan of continuing the practice of TIF’s.  Our school district has taken it “on the chin” for far too long.

Do you feel the police department is adequately staffed and current patrols are sufficient? What are your suggestions to ensure residents feel safe and their property is secure?
 
I answered this up above and won’t take up more space repeating myself here.  In short, we need to make sure our Police Department is as healthy as possible as an organization.  From leadership, competitive wages and benefits, facilities, etc. 
 
Many of our City candidates, including both mayoral candidates, have served in this position or as aldermen for multiple terms. While their dedication to the City and to public service is admirable and appreciated, what can long term leaders do to foster new leadership for future years?
 
Politics in our community have become very ugly.  Our Mayor’s race is an example of this.  When you look at just finding someone to run for various offices you don’t have to look very far just to see the extremely low percentage of people who actually vote in these elections let alone find those willing and interested to serve.  So few are making the decisions for so many in our community which in my opinion is very sad.  It seems a little kindness would go a long way to draw more into the dialogue and maybe participate.
 
 
Rick Knox, Ward II Candidate
Rick Knox is currently serving as the Ward II aldermen and is running unopposed.

What should the City's priorities be in terms of economic development (attracting new businesses, developing downtown, improving the environment for existing businesses, etc.)?
It's my opinion that the City works to attract not just new business, but the correct business. What did I mean by correct? We need to work at bringing in business that meets the needs of our City. We need shopping here in The Valley that keeps or citizen shopping here, not in the neighboring communities. Developing our down town area is a major need that we have been working on and we're starting to see the fruits of our labor and we need to continue to push this.

Do you feel the police department is adequately staffed and current patrols are sufficient? What are your suggestions to ensure residents feel safe and their property is secure?
Is our Police department adequately staff? NO, it's my opinion we are understaffed. We must improve our staffing and minimum staffing per shift. I here Mayor Johnston talk about the F.B.I. statistics that say our staffing is where we should be. Those stats do not take into account the demographics of our city. Our city is cut into three sections due to the interstate and the railroad, with only one way to respond from opposite ends of the city this can cause major delays in response times for officers. This puts or officers in grave danger if they need back up. We must do a better job of attracting and retaining our officers. 

I also support the building of a new Police station to bring our police faculty up to code and todays standards. This not only allows for that, but also helps our city staff to have a better working environment that they need and deserve.

Many of our City candidates, including both mayoral candidates, have served in this position or as aldermen for multiple terms. While their dedication to the City and to public service is admirable and appreciated, what can long term leaders do to foster new leadership for future years?
I'm running for my second term, this first term has been a learning curve, with the tenured members they can give guidance to new members. It's also important to have members on the board who know the history of how, why past decisions  were made and if they worked. We need short term, medium term and long term goals. Tenured members who have helped set this goals can help new members understand the goals. Leading the city is a moving target 
and tenured members have to be willing to accept newer members and listen to their ideas and concerns. I have found this to be the case in my experience with the present board Alderman.  
The most important job of the Alderman is to be good stewards of the tax payers money.
 


 
Ryan Skinner, Ward III Candidate
I am a 2009 graduate from the Grain Valley School District. I graduated in 2012 from the University of Central Missouri with degrees in Criminal Justice and Political Science. I also attended the Central Missouri Police Academy, where I obtained my Peace Officer certification.
 
Following college and the police academy, I became a Deputy Sheriff in Boone County, MO (Columbia, MO) for 4 years as a patrol deputy. While at the sheriff’s department I also worked as a recruiter, where I had the opportunity to work on morale and retainment issues. I left the Sheriff’s Department and joined the Oak Grove, MO police department for a year before deciding to change careers. I now work for a manufacturer in Kansas City, MO as a Regional Manager. Aside from work history, my wife Laurel and I just welcomed our first child in September, and we look forward to raising her in Grain Valley.
 
What are the top 3 priorities for the City in the next five years? How will you work with the Mayor, Aldermen, and City staff to address these issues?
 
The police department, infrastructure, and commercial growth are the top 3 priorities for the city in the next five years in my view. Concerning the police department, working with the Board and City Staff, we need to take steps to bolster the department’s ability to retain officers. This includes addressing pay compression among our veteran officers, looking into forming specialized units so officers can grow their skill sets, and just as importantly how we recruit new officers.
 
Regarding infrastructure, the Board and City staff need to strategically work together to plan for these immense projects. There are key roadway and intersection issues, especially North of I-70, which create congestion and pose dangers to motorist. Also, facility infrastructure, such as the community center and city hall need to be addressed. A comprehensive plan that all parties can agree on is a must to move the city forward.
 
Lastly, responsible commercial growth is very important for the city. Working with the Board and City Staff, we need to ensure that we are thoughtfully looking at new commercial growth and ensuring that it benefits the city. It is important to bring in commercial businesses that will allow Grain Valley residents to spend their hard-earned money within our city. This will help grow our tax base and help ease the burden from single family residences.
 
When talking with constituents, what are the concerns you hear most often? What can the Board do to address these concerns?
 
The biggest concern I hear most is the increase in property crime occurring in our city. Supporting our police department by helping bring the department back to full staffing is the quickest way to address this. With an average of 2 or 3 officers working at any given time, it is impossible to have adequate coverage of the city. To improve the staffing issue, I would work with the board to find new ways to recruit officers and then retain them. One way to due this is recruiting from local colleges and paying for new recruits to attend the police academy. The officer would sign a contract and agree to work for the department for a set amount of time to pay back the expense of the academy. This would open the door to a new stream of potential officers to recruit from. 
 
What do you see as the best path forward for addressing facility needs for the police station, city hall, and community center?
 
I believe the best path forward concerning the police station is for voters to vote in favor of the new police station on April 5th. I believe this is an immediate need for the city and the proposal put before the voters meets the needs of the department. Regarding City Hall and the Community Center, I believe the Board who will be in place after April 5th needs to work with city staff to create a plan to address this. The politization of this topic has hit a breaking point in my opinion and the voters will decide on how this should be handled on April 5th.      
 
What should the City's priorities be in terms of economic development (attracting new businesses, developing downtown, improving the environment for existing businesses, etc.)?
 
The city should be encouraging responsible commercial growth. It is important to remove the tax burden from the single-family residences and transition this to commercial businesses through sales tax and property taxes. The city should have a strong focus on supporting the family owned businesses that have made Grain Valley what is today while also inviting new growth into our community.
For developing downtown, I believe it is important for the city to provide financial assistance to businesses who are looking into moving into existing downtown structures through engineering and architectural funding. This will help the city transform the downtown aesthetics and streetscape, while also assisting small businesses at the same time.   

Do you feel the police department is adequately staffed and current patrols are sufficient? What are your suggestions to ensure residents feel safe and their property is secure?
With the department having at least 8 open positions today, it is clearly not fully staffed. Once we have fixed our recruiting and retainment issues, I believe we need to take a serious look at creating specialized positions to address the real fear our residents have of crime in our neighborhoods. Patrol officers who are responding to call after call, unfortunately do not have the luxury of being able to sit in a neighborhood for a long period of time looking for criminal behavior. Instead, they are busy responding to calls for service. Specialized officers who are not responsible for responding to calls for service would allow for increased proactive patrolling to help catch and prevent criminals targeting our community.

Many of our City candidates, including both mayoral candidates, have served in this position or as aldermen for multiple terms. While their dedication to the City and to public service is admirable and appreciated, what can long term leaders do to foster new leadership for future years?
Leaders who have been in their position for multiple terms can bring experience and leadership to the city. To foster new leadership, long term leaders must have an open mind and willingness to listen to new members and those from different generations in our community. Grain Valley has a median age of 30.5 years, so this means that the decisions made by our current leaders will influence many generations to come. When making important decisions, such as the city complex, our leaders need to be thinking about the long-term consequences that come with it. I look forward to working with the leadership and ensuring every decision that will affect our future generations are carefully considered.   
 
 

     Grain Valley News was pleased to present a Candidate Forum on Wednesday, March 23rd at the Grain Valley Historical Society. School board candidates, Ward I candidates, and the Mayoral candidates on the April 5th ballot participated in the forum (video of forum provided below). 

     Voters on April 5th will be asked to decide on a $14,000,000 bond issue for the site development and the construction, furnishing, and equipping of a police facility.
     The proposed station will be approximately 22,000 square feet, which the City states is expected to accommodate 20 years of growth. The proposed building has been designed to allow for expansion if needed. 
     The estimated $14 million for the station project includes site development, including utility infrastructure, paved entrances and parking, and all the external and internal features including furniture. The City has emphasized its sound financial standing that would allow any type of municipal financing can be accomplished without an increase to the tax levy. It is anticipated that a no levy increase bond initiative will allow the headquarters to be built without maxing out debt capacities. 
     “The current building is a shared space housing the police department as well as many other departments in the city. The population of Grain Valley has tripled since the station was built in the early 2000's. With that growth, the number of commissioned officers alone has more than doubled in size. Currently the police department occupies 8,000 square feet but it has been determined that the department would operate most efficiently in a space almost triple that size," Theresa Osenbaugh, Deputy City Administrator, said. 
     "Besides the overall building layout and size not being conducive to department needs, national standards have changed since the station was originally built and much can be improved upon. We look forward to being able to provide our officers and civilian staff with the space needed to adequately complete paperwork, package and store evidence, and provide secure parking for vehicles and safety as well as have increased safety features for detaining and transferring prisoners and adequate space for training amongst other improvements."
     The City is hosting an open house and opportunity to tour the current facility, 711 Main, on March 30th from 5-7pm. Below is a virtual tour for those who are unable to attend in person.

Photo credit: City of Grain Valley

​     Join us Wedneday, March 23rd to meet the City and School Board candidates on the April 2022 ballot and learn about their views on the issues that matter to our community. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Schedule
6:30pm - 7:00pm Meet and Greet
7:00pm - 8:00pm Candidate Forum
(Unopposed candidates will not participate in the forum portion. School board candidates will be featured first, followed by board of aldermen candidates, and mayoral candidates.)

Light refreshments will be served.
Event sponsored by Grain Valley News

     As the final filing date for candidates approached on December 28th, former mayor Mike Todd added his name to the roster of candidates running for office in April. The final list of candidates includes: 

• Chuck Johnston - Mayor 
• Rick Knox - Alderman, Ward II
• Dale Arnold - Alderman, Ward I
• Ryan Skinner - Alderman, Ward III
• Chris Bamman - Alderman, Ward I
• Mike Todd - Mayor

     In a Facebook Live video following his filing, Mike Todd explained he had intended to step back and offer support to other candidates who decided to file for the position of mayor. When no one stepped forward to offer a challenge to current mayor Chuck Johnston, Todd decided to run again. Todd and Johnston have a long history of disagreements, many of which play out on social media channels. Todd alluded to this history and indicated he was not interested in continuing to feud, and pointed to issues surrounding police staffing and pay as well as his work on the Grain Valley Fair and Food Truck Friday events as his focus. 
     The last day to register to vote in the April 5th election is March 9th. Absentee voting begins February 22nd, and the last day to request absentee voting is March 23rd. For more information on registering to vote, visit www.jcebmo.org. 

     With just 10.5% of County voters casting a ballot, Grain Valley voters approved a measure to attach to the Junior College District of Metropolitan Kansas City, Missouri. Residents within the school district boundaries will now be eligible for in-district tuition rates at Metropolitan Community Colleges. The ballot measure won with 57.17% of the vote.
     Grain Valley residents may take advantage of in-district tuition rates beginning in the summer 2021 semester. Registration for summer courses begins Monday, April 12th.                
     A new tuition structure for Metropolitan Community College will take effect with the Fall 2021 semester. Tuition will increase from $107 to $116 per credit hour for in-district students, but MCC will eliminate most course fees currently added on top of tuition. Fees to be eliminated include lab fees, various course and program fees, the general fee of $10 per semester, distance education fee of $15 per credit hour for internet classes, student activity fee of $2 per credit hour, and technology fee of $5 per credit hour.
     MCC states the move to remove these fees is meant to increase transparency regarding the true cost of courses for students, and that the removal of most fees means that many students will pay no more than they do now.
     The two nursing programs offered by MCC will see a reduction in costs to students of nearly $2,500. The estimated cost to complete the LPN certificate will be approximately $735 less once the elimination of fees takes effect.
     The utility lineman program is estimated to be $2,000 less to complete the A.A.S. degree. Students in the A.A.S. degree programs in automotive technology (mechanical), HVAC and surgical technology will also become more affordable according to MCC.
     Voters served by the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District (CJCFPD) gave resounding support for two questions placed on the ballot asking voters for their support in adding a second fire station on the north side of Grain Valley. Question 1 was approved with 80.96% of the vote; Question 2 received 68.11% of the vote.
     In Ward 1, current alderman Tom Cleaver defeated Dale Arnold with 54.95% of the vote. In Ward 2, incumbent Nancy Totton lost her seat to challenger Darren Mills, who received 63.64% of the vote. In Ward 3, incumbent Shea Bass held his seat, defeating first-time candidate Kristen Rising. Bass received 58.33% of the vote.
 

​     With just 10.5% of County voters casting a ballot, Grain Valley voters approved
a measure to attach to the Junior College District of Metropolitan Kansas City, Missouri. Residents within the school district boundaries will now be eligible for in-district tuition rates at Metropolitan Community Colleges. The ballot measure won with 57.17% of the vote.
     Voters served by the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District (CJCFPD) gave resounding support for two questions placed on the ballot asking voters for their support in adding a second fire station on the north side of Grain Valley. Question 1 was approved with 80.96% of the vote; Question 2 received 68.11% of the vote.
     In Ward 1, current alderman Tom Cleaver defeated Dale Arnold with 54.95% of the vote. In Ward 2, incumbent Nancy Totton lost her seat to challenger Darren Mills, who received 63.64% of the vote. In Ward 3, incumbent Shea Bass held his seat, defeating first-time candidate Kristen Rising. Bass received 58.33% of the vote.