My job is to keep the public informed. My job is to raise awareness when there are issues and to help shine light in dark corners. My job is to uncover things that may otherwise go unnoticed. And it’s a job that I take seriously.

A big decision was made in Grandview last week, and the conversations leading up to it took place behind closed doors, without any public input. That’s just not good government.

I get it, sometimes discussions need to happen privately, and information needs to be disseminated in an appropriate manner, before going public sometimes. But, I sincerely believe that had I not been approached by Judge Johnson prior to last week’s vote in time to write a story, that the vast majority of the citizens in Grandview wouldn’t have even known that the fate of our Municipal Court was in the hands of our six elected aldermen.

If we are truly “Building Tomorrow’s Community,” as the City of Grandview would like us to believe, then perhaps we need to come out from behind closed doors and from underneath our desks. Last week, city administration compared Grandview to Lake Tapawingo. With a population of right around 700, Lake Tapawingo is roughly the size of, as Alderman John Maloney put it, Grand Summit apartment complex. Our grand city of 25,000 residents deserves better. And our citizens deserve to have more say in what happens here.

We are better than this. I’m proud to say that our Board of Aldermen voted, in my opinion, the way they should have last week. Grandview’s Municipal Court will stay in Grandview, where it should be, where it has been since well before any of us have been calling the shots in this city.

Citizens have every right, and the responsibility, to speak their minds and to voice their concerns. Be it spoken, or through written word, it’s our job to let our opinions known and our thoughts heard. And, it’s the city’s job to ensure that this happens, regardless of mandates, funded or otherwise.

Election season is one of my favorite times of the year. It’s full of surprises, some good, some not as flattering, but overall, it’s about people who have the desire and the calling to serve the community.
I commend those who have the gall to throw their name into the circus that election cycles inevitably become. I truly believe that elected officials, no matter their political affiliation, the size of their campaign bank accounts or their thoughts on social and economic issues, are all in the game for similar reasons. There is nothing more satisfying, I’m sure, than knowing you made the right decisions for those you serve.

On Monday night, I had the privilege to serve as moderator for a candidate forum featuring those who have expressed interest in giving back to their community through public service. Jackson County, as we’ve seen on television and read in the papers, has some issues to deal with in the coming months. It is up to us, as voters in this great county of ours, to determine who should lead the charge of becoming fiscally responsible, mending issues with the county jail, and determining how our future should play out.

Without getting too much into politics here, I will say that I personally am impressed with the slate of candidates for each race that affects us in Grandview and South Kansas City. While I may not agree with all of them on every issue, I feel as though they all would be a good fit. They all seem to genuinely care about Jackson County now and into the future.

Later this week, as the paper is published, I’ll provide for you on our website (www.jcadvocate.com) a quick synopsis of each candidate who presented either at the Grandview or South Kansas City forums. County Executive, Sheriff, Legislator and State Representative races were all represented, and I’ll provide information, in their own words, to help you make an informed decision on Tuesday, August 7.

Whomever we choose to lead the charge and in whatever capacity those leaders serve, if their heart is in Jackson County and it’s people, I know that we’ll be well taken care of.