Here’s where candidates stand on the hottest issues in the hottest race in Wichita
District 3 is the most crowded and hotly contested election on the Aug. 3 Wichita primary ballot, as seven candidates vie for the City Council seat formerly held by disgraced councilman James Clendenin.
Seeking to serve in the southeast Wichita-based district is council member Jared Cerullo, appointed three months ago to temporarily fill the seat after Clendenin’s resignation. Clendenin stepped down rather than face ouster in a scandal over the production and attempted cover-up of a false political attack ad targeting Mayor Brandon Whipple in the 2019 election.
Six candidates are trying to unseat Cerullo, several of them familiar names to city voters: Planning Commissioner Cindy Miles, who ran for a county commission seat in 2020; Ian Demory, a 2019 mayoral candidate; and Jerome Crawford, a member of the Haysville Board of Education who has also filed to retain that seat.
There’s Mike Hoheisel, small business owner and the brother of state Rep. Nick Hoheisel; Tevin Smith, a retail worker; and real estate investor/developer Jason Carmichael.
If there’s a sense of déjà vu to the race, it’s because four of the candidates — Cerullo, Miles, Hoheisel and Carmichael — all competed earlier this year for the appointment to fill the remaining 10 months of Clendenin’s term after he left.
They’re in the political arena in a time of turmoil over key issues that will affect Wichita for years, maybe decades to come, including how the city will handle sex, religion and race relations, the fate of Century II and the former Clapp Golf Course, and growing concerns over public safety and food access.
Here’s a look at the candidates and where they stand on key matters of public interest:
The candidates
Jared Cerullo
Age: 47
Family: Husband Brandon
Occupation: Self-employed freelance contractor/media production
Lived in Wichita area 47 years, 25 in District 3
Previous government service: Currently appointed member of Wichita City Council
Social media: Facebook, Jared Cerullo for Wichita City Council District 3
Mike Hoheisel
Age: 38
Occupation: Small-business owner
Family: Wife Christina
Lived in Wichita area: 38 years, 30 in District 3
Previous government service: Currently a Democratic precinct committeeman
Social Media: Facebook, Mike Hoheisel for Wichita
Cindy Miles
Age: 58
Occupation: President/CEO, Kansas Nonprofit Chamber. Owner, The Slumber Party Place
Family: Husband Mark Miles. Six grown children, ages 34-41. Sixteen grandchildren 10 months to 21.
Lived in Wichita area: 20 years, all in District 3
Previous government service: Wichita Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, Wichita City Council District 3 Advisory Board, Republican precinct committeewoman, Community Investment Plan Committee, South Central Neighborhood Plan Committee, Delano District Plan Committee, Clapp Transformation Committee, Kansas Volunteer Commission.
Social media: Facebook, Elect Cindy Miles for Wichita City Council
Ian M. Demory
Age: 42
Occupation: Public School Educator
Family: One child, Jordan, 15
Lived in Wichita area: 24 years, 20 in District 3
Previous government service: None
Social media: Facebook: Ian M. Demory, Independent Wichita City Council District 3 Candidate; Twitter: @demoryforwichi1
Jason Carmichael
Age: 47
Family: Rosco, Gabby, Daisy, Duke and Bootsie (dogs and cats)
Occupation: Real Estate Investor/Developer/Property Manager
Lived in Wichita area: 31 years, eight in District 3
Previous government service: U.S. Army, 9 1/2 years; Sedgwick County, 1 year.
Social media: Facebook, Jason Carmichael for Wichita City Council;, Twitter, @ICTJasonCar
Tevin Smith
Age: 22
Family: Single
Occupation: Retail worker
Lived in Wichita area: 22 year, 10 years in District 3
Previous government service: none
Social media: Facebook, Tevin for Wichita District 3
Jerome C. Crawford
Age: 58
Family: 17 year old son
Occupation: Team leader at Spirit Aerosystems.
Lived in Wichita area: 58 years, all in District 3
Previous government service: Currently on the school board, USD 261
Social media: Facebook: Candidate Jerome Crawford
On the issues
Do you believe Wichita City Council should pass a non-discrimination ordinance to protect minorities in housing, employment and public accommodations? Why or why not? If you support an NDO, do you believe it should include LGBTQ+ people as a protected class?
Cerullo: The city absolutely should pass a non-discrimination ordinance and I am fully supportive of such an ordinance. The council is in the process of bringing people and groups who have concerns to the table to find out what their solutions are. The council has heard plenty of complaints, but nobody has offered any solutions or ways to improve the ordinance, yet. Sexual orientation and gender identity will not be removed from the proposed ordinance.
Crawford: First of all, I’m not sure why this has become the hottest issue in our city. It’s not even in the top 100 issues plaguing our city. So I would vote no to such a divisive ordinance, we already have agencies and laws that protect everyone’s individual civil liberties. We need to quit pointing out and legislating to the differences of each other and start legislating for the good of all.
Hoheisel: I absolutely believe we should pass a Non-Discrimination Ordinance. This is a civil rights issue in my eyes, and it should include protections for LGBTQ+ people as well as veterans and other classes. Doing this is not only the moral thing to do, but it will also open the city to businesses who won’t move here without protections for their workers.
Miles: Yes, if these protections aren’t provided by state or federal law or there are gaps in those protections, but only if the ordinance is written in a way that it will actually provide the protections needed and adequate and fair processes for processing complaints. I believe that all people should be protected from discrimination and treated as equals. (NDO should include protection for LGBTQ+), but I do think there are a lot of other classes that should be protected.
Smith: Yes, I do feel like the city needs to pass a NDO to protect marginalized communities, because people still discriminate against them. It was apparent in the public hearings why we needed an NDO. Marginalized communities deserve to be treated like people.
Demory: I absolutely believe that an NDO should be passed, because I believe that discrimination of individuals based on their race, sexual orientation, age, sex, gender, religion (or lack thereof), or other reason is wrong and unacceptable, especially in 2021. And, as a faculty mentor to a good amount of LGBTQIA+ students as well as the father of a trans teenager, protection and support of their rights is a necessity.
Carmichael: Yes, [and] whoever wrote the ordinance as it is did a terrible job. . The protections in place through the EEOC, FHA, US Justice Department, the FBI, and the city of Wichita itself already have ways to report these crimes where there is zero cost to start the action. Having to pay for a mediator can never be a consideration when reporting discrimination. . I consider the LGBTQ+ in the broad category as familial status, I 100% support it, now they are double or even triple protected.
What do you want to do with the former Clapp Golf Course property in District 3?
Demory: Clapp Golf Course is another iconic part of the city, especially District 3. First and foremost, I want to see an actual, concrete plan in place. I could easily see part of it being used as a neighborhood park, as well as the addition of an amphitheater, (much like the Capitol Federal Amphitheater in Andover,) but again, we need a concrete plan in place to do so. Another option would be a renovation and partnership in order to hold extra golf tournaments.
Miles: I served on the Clapp Transformation Committee and we came up with several fantastic plans to develop Clapp into a destination park for the City of Wichita and the southside. I want to see one of the plans that have been created for Clapp Park to be implemented so that it will become a unique park and be a wonderful asset to our community. I don’t support commercializing developable parts of the park and . . . we heard over and over that community members did not want to see parts of the park developed into something else besides a park.
Carmichael: Clapp park is a magnificent opportunity to become a superior development in the heart of District 3 and for Wichita. Look towards Derby and the Courtyards at The Oaks development. Look at Innovation Campus at WSU. We have an excellent opportunity advance Wichita with some affordable housing and attract new businesses in a very busy area of Wichita.
Smith: I personally feel like Clapp park is something that the voters should have the last say about.
Hoheisel: I would like to see Clapp continue on its present course to becoming another great park in our city. Some of my fondest memories are of riding the little red train in Watson park or climbing the rocket in Riverside. It would be great for neighborhood children to have a world class park in the area to make lasting memories of their own. We can do that without commercializing any other parts of the park.
Crawford: The proposed park seems to be well received by the current residents in the area. And yes, I would support a small portion of the park to be commercialized to help offset the cost of the park.
Cerullo: I will continue to pursue council approval of the Clapp Park Master Plan. I will further continue to make sure that the city properly funds the plan to completion. Within five years I believe Clapp Park can be a destination that all Wichita residents will seek to visit. Commercialization options need to be vetted through the Park Board first. I would likely support their recommendation, whatever it may be.
Excluding Clapp, what issue do you think needs the most city attention specifically in District 3, and what would you seek to do about it as a council member?
Miles: So often big development in Wichita happens east or west. We need not only business development but housing development in South Wichita and especially in the Broadway corridor. I want to bring people together in District 3, including businesses, to identify priorities, strategies, and where we should begin with transforming the southside of Wichita. I believe it will also take the engagement of residents that live in District 3 and want to see changes as well as developing some pride in the southside.
Smith: I feel like the biggest issue D3 is facing has to be the food desert. No matter what people need to eat and having an affordable option nearby is important, especially when people might not have transportation to go miles away.
Hoheisel: Access to quality mental health and addiction treatment is the major issue that has stricken nearly every family in South Wichita. If we can address this issue in a real and thoughtful way, we can also impact the number of homeless who live on our streets, cases of domestic violence and abuse, and lower the crime rate in the area. We need to ensure current city programs that are working, such as the WPD’s ICT+1 where social workers are embedded with police units when responding to likely cases of a mental health crisis, are fully funded and available around the clock. We also need to ensure that local clinics work to become CCHBC certified, opening them to additional funding to treat all people in our area regardless of economic class thanks to recent legislation passed by our state legislature.
Crawford: The number one issue plaguing District 3 would be the homeless, mental health and substance abuse issues. We currently have a hot team to help with the homeless issue, so I would support expanding that to help with mental health and substance abuse issues with possibly having counselors riding with police officers in those areas found to be most in need. We need more commerce and industrial businesses in District 3. It is easier to buy alcohol than food in District 3, therefore I support local grocery stores in neighborhoods. We need more manufacturing and high paying jobs in our District because high paying jobs solve a lot of the social problems we have currently in District 3.
Demory: Our business and grocery sectors, first and foremost. I’d like to see an increase in neighborhood markets to help solve the food desert issues, and I would like to see more aid in development within our local business sector to attract more revenue and business to our district.
Carmichael: Broadway Corridor. Drugs, prostitution, human trafficking. There has never been so much violent crime in our area. It is time to start enforcing the Party Shack laws we already have KS 22-3901. I’m just one member of the council, and if the WPD only go by our directives, maybe I’ll need a megaphone to get them to hear what the resident citizens of District 3 are saying.
Cerullo: District 3 has some very significant problems with blight, specifically in Hilltop, Planeview and South City. As a council member, I will work with MABCD to stay on top of environmental complaints. I will also work alongside neighborhood association groups to foster good relationships in the community.
The next council will almost certainly have to take some actions with regard to the Century II Convention and Performing Arts Center. Do you support keeping its current use, tearing it down and replacing it, or repurposing it for another use (what), and why?
Carmichael: We have what we have because of over a decade of neglect and deferred maintenance. Fixing what we have is far more affordable than tearing down and rebuilding. I am in favor of adding on to the convention hall to the east where the parking lot is. I attended every Riverfront Legacy Master Plan “open house”. They did not listen, they only directed people and they limited the choices. 17,000+ voters spoke how they didn’t get to choose their choice about the “Master Plan.”
Miles: I believe we need a new performing arts center and possibly a new convention center; however, I also believe that Century II can be repurposed for another use, such as a museum center or an aquarium. After spending 3 years reviewing the budget while developing the comprehensive plan, I don’t believe the city has the funding to tear down Century II and/or build another facility to replace it. While I support development in Wichita, I am not supportive of the current Riverfront Legacy Master Plan as currently proposed.
Demory: As someone who has performed and attended conventions there (as well as celebrated the inclusion on the National Historic Building Registry), I want to see Century II continue to be used. However, I do want to see a new Performing Arts Center built in the city that can draw events that others in the area have been receiving. My worry about the Riverfront Legacy Master Plan proposal is that a lot of money will be spent on something that the attendance numbers may not justify.
Cerullo: If there are any vast changes to the future of Century II, the public must have their say. I will bind myself to the results of a public election, if one is ever held. Personally, I believe we should save Century II and find a use for it. I could support the RLMP if the plans they come up with public approval and don’t require a tax increase.
Smith: I support saving Century II and I feel like any serious votes need to be held by the general public. We could repurpose the center and have a multi use approach. I don’t support the Riverfront Legacy [Master] Plan because it has too much unnecessary spending.
Hoheisel: I support keeping Century II and the Downtown Public Library, they are iconic pieces of the Wichita skyline. Whether that means repurposing them or fixing them up, I want to ensure that these links to the past are around for as long as possible. Ultimately it should be the people’s decision and I support a binding vote. In regards to the Riverfront Legacy Master Plan, with rising costs of materials and uncertainty in the economy, I think now is not the time to embark on another costly project.
Crawford: I am not for tearing down Century II, it is an iconic building and has been a part of our skyline for decades. What we do with it should be left up to a vote of the citizens of Wichita. I am not in favor of Riverfront Legacy Master Plan as it stands today. But I do agree we should develop our natural resource that we have which is the riverbank.
This story was originally published July 25, 2021 at 4:11 AM with the headline "Here’s where candidates stand on the hottest issues in the hottest race in Wichita."
