Commission candidates talk about new majority

There were four chairs at the table for the Sedgwick County Commission candidates forum at the Wichita Public Library downtown, but only three of them were used.

Marcey Gregory and David Dennis, vying for the District 3 seat currently held by Karl Peterjohn, and District 2 incumbent Tim Norton fielded questions from a moderator and a crowd of about 50 people Saturday afternoon.

The fourth seat was reserved for Norton’s opponent in the general election, Michael O’Donnell, who had previously announced he would not participate in the forum because he considers the organization hosting the forum – Women for Kansas – biased against him.

The candidates were asked what they would do about the county budget, taxes, restoring mental health services and the county’s relationship with the city of Wichita.

“I’m not the problem,” Norton said of the at-times acrimonious relationship between the commission and the Wichita City Council.

Norton, who is seeking his fifth term on the commission, said even during his retail career managing an east-side Target, he considered 80 percent of his job to be building relationships.

“I’m a big believer in partnerships,” said Gregory, the mayor of Goddard who is running as an independent for the District 3 seat.

Dennis, who defeated Peterjohn in the August primary, said, “I believe there’s a wall right now down Central Avenue” between City Hall and the Sedgwick County Courthouse.

If he’s elected, Dennis said, he’ll “build a bridge rather than a wall” between the two governing bodies.

A common theme emerged from the candidates’ answers at the forum, and that was correcting what they considered to be missteps by a commission that has a conservative majority consisting of Peterjohn and Republican Commissioners Richard Ranzau and Jim Howell.

Among the changes the candidates at Saturday’s forum said they’d like to make is restoring the authority to issue bonds for capital projects such as bridges. They also talked about their desire to restore cuts made to local arts programs and the county health department during the recent contentious budget cycle. The budget is adopted in August.

Gregory said she would seek input from young professionals living in Sedgwick County for ways to improve the quality of life in Wichita, having seen that approach breathe fresh vitality into cities elsewhere. By attracting more people to the county through a higher quality of life, she said, they can strengthen the tax base.

O’Donnell was not mentioned during the forum by name, though one questioner voiced disappointment that he did not participate in the event.

This story was originally published September 17, 2016 at 6:42 PM with the headline "Commission candidates talk about new majority."