Sedgwick County Commission District 3 Republican primary

in the Republican primary for District 3, Hunter Larkin of Goddard is challenging incumbent David Dennis of Wichita, who was elected in 2016. The primary winner will face Democrat Mike Iuen in November. This is a mostly rural district which includes the cities of Andale, Bentley, Cheney, Colwich, Goddard, Garden Plain, Mount Hope and Viola as well as a small part of far west Wichita.

The five full-time county commissioners set policy and the $457 million budget for the county. They also serve as the Board of Canvassers for the election and the Board of Health.

Sedgwick County commissioners are elected to four-year terms and are paid $95,623 a year. Only voters who live in District 3 may vote in this election.

David Dennis

Age: 73

Education: BS Business and Education from Fort Hays, Master’s in Public Administration from University of Oklahoma, and 25 additional hours past Master’s Degree. Military education includes Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College, Air War College and numerous technical schools

Occupation: Sedgwick County Commissioner District 3

Political and civic experience: Kansas State Board of Education, Chairman for two of the four years; Sedgwick County Commissioner. Chairman for two of the four years; Wichita Area Metropolitan Area Planning Organization for four years, Vice-chairman two years.

Civic experience includes serving on District Advisory Board V for eight years, Chairman Pro-Tem all eight years; Metropolitan Area Planning Commission for nine years, Chairman two years and Vice-Chairman two years. President of Homeowner’s Association for 20 years and former Boy Scout Leader for 30 years, receiving the organization’s District Award of Merit and Silver Beaver award.

Endorsements: Governor Jeff Colyer, District Attorney Marc Bennett, Sheriff Jeff Easter, former Sheriff Mike Hill, Kansans for Life PAC, Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce PAC

Contact: Vote4DavidDennis@yahoo.com

1. What will be your top priorities as a county commissioner?

Public Safety, Behavioral Health needs of the community, fully funded core services, and quality of life without raising taxes are my top priorities. I am pro-life, a life member of the NRA, fiscally conservative and responsible.

2. On a scale of 1 to 5, rate the Sedgwick County Commission’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic with 5 being highly effective and 1 being highly ineffective. Explain how you came to that conclusion and what, if anything, you would do differently.

Four. As commissioners we must balance the health needs, economic needs and behavioral health needs of the entire county. We are transparent in the situation and post updates daily. We watch the hospital ICU bed situation closely. We have increased testing from a handful to over a thousand a week. We have implemented mobile testing. We applied for and received $99.6 million and are prioritizing how to fund the many needs of the community. We have authorized the hiring of more health professionals. We have flattened the curve for the hospitals. The virus is in our community and will be until a vaccine is developed. We are just now getting better information out to the community in different languages. We should have done that sooner.

3. Sedgwick County is expected to face serious budget shortfalls for the near future. Specify what taxes you would support raising and/or what cuts you would support to address this problem.

We are developing the 2021 budget now. Thankfully, we have had a budget surplus my first three years on the Commission and we have a healthy reserve. The draft 2021 budget does not include pay raises for employees, no travel or external training, no purchase of other than emergency items, and continued hiring delay with the exception of key emergency personnel. However, we must fully fund critical operations in a time of a pandemic and civil unrest. Therefore, there will be additions to high priority needs, including ICT1, the Sheriff and DA’s offices, EMS, Forensic Science Center, and the Health Department.

4. Do you believe that any changes need to be made in Sedgwick County to better protect the rights of minority citizens? If so, what?

I believe Sedgwick County must create a diversity and inclusion position immediately. Commissioners work closely with the other elected officials to protect the constitutional and civil rights of our citizens. We must provide them the tools and funding they need to support all our citizens. The County denounces racism in all its forms. All of our actions must reflect our core beliefs and values.

5. Each year, Wichita State University gets a share of Sedgwick County residents’ property tax mill levy equal to 1.5 mills. Is the university spending those funds effectively or should there be more oversight by the county government?

In 1987 Wichita and Sedgwick County entered into an agreement where the county would levy the 1.5 mills required by K.S.A 76-3a07. We have oversight. I just met with Dr. Golden to discuss their 2021 mill levy budget. The 1.5 mills will produce $8,471,225. That provides $2,654,756 for Capital Improvements, $5,013,469 for Student Support/Workforce Development, $446,000 for Economic and Community Development, $57,000 for University Research and Support Services, and Contingency $300,000. That budget benefits the whole campus, support for WSU Tech, scholarships, business and economic research and technical assistance and training to both Wichita, the County and interns for both.

Hunter Larkin

Age: 21

Education: Goddard High, Wichita Area Technical Collage, Real Estate Education

Occupation: I’m the head of finance for an oil pipe manufacturer in Wichita, Licensed Real Estate Agent.

Political and civic experience: Goddard City Council President. Chairman of Marketing for the Goddard USD 265 Career and Technical Education (CTE) board.

Endorsements: Candidate acknowledgment from Kansas for Life

Contact: Email: hunterlarkin67215@gmail.com; Website: electhunterlarkin.com; Facebook.

1. What will be your top priorities as a county commissioner?

1. Support our First Responders. 2. Lower our property taxes. 3. Save Century II. 4. Make real progress on the Northwest Bypass. 5. Help fight the liberal ideology growing in Sedgwick County.

2. On a scale of 1 to 5, rate the Sedgwick County Commission’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic with 5 being highly effective and 1 being highly ineffective. Explain how you came to that conclusion and what, if anything, you would do differently.

My score would be a 3 out of 5. I believe the BOCC worked hard to try and find quick solutions to help the people of Sedgwick County stay safe but they Shut down our County’s economy a week earlier than our liberal Governor did and they also kept abortion clinics open by considering them “essential”. For those reasons I can’t give them a perfect score and I believe that the people of Sedgwick County are unhappy with the actions of some of our Commissioners.

3. Sedgwick County is expected to face serious budget shortfalls for the near future. Specify what taxes you would support raising and/or what cuts you would support to address this problem.

I would consider cutting the 1.5 mill levy budget that goes to WSU until the university shows they support our communities values. Education should be about the presentation of diverse points of view which can and should be debated. The university showed that they were not open to diverse points of view when they denied Ivanka Trump the time to come and speak. When you only allow one point of view, you are indoctrinating not educating.

4. Do you believe that any changes need to be made in Sedgwick County to better protect the rights of minority citizens? If so, what?

I understand the narrative that is being put forth around the country regarding our men and women in blue. I can tell you that this narrative does not apply to our fine public servants here in Sedgwick County. I know many of them personally and know they respect everyone’s rights regardless of their race, creed or color. I stand behind our law enforcement officers and do not believe they need anymore restrictions on their ability in keeping us safe.

5. Each year, Wichita State University gets a share of Sedgwick County residents’ property tax mill levy equal to 1.5 mills. Is the university spending those funds effectively or should there be more oversight by the county government?

It appears that WSU is not representing our ideals of freedom of speech and diversity of thought. By excluding Ivanka Trump in speaking at WSU the administration showed they are not open to the conservative point of view and are more interested in Indoctrinating the students in the administration’s own ideology. I believe that indoctrination is occurring in many of our schools around the country and has had a negative impact on our youth which can be observed by merely watching the daily newscasts. I don’t want to see that negative impact occur here in Sedgwick County. Our School must create an environment were all points of view are heard and we should consider pulling our funding unless WSU agrees to educate and not indoctrinate.

This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 3:35 PM.