FIVE OF EIGHT CANDIDATES TAKE PART IN FORUM
About 40 people filled a Platte County meeting space Monday night for a candidate forum for those running in an election to fill three open positions on the non-partisan Platte County Health Department Board of Trustees.
The previously non-contentious board has been riddled in controversy the past few years for the group’s directives during the early days of COVID and a vote to purchase a building to become the new site of the health department headquarters.
The question-and-answer forum to hear from the eight candidates vying for the three open seats in the April 4 election was held at the Platte County Resource Center, 11724 N.W. Plaza Circle.
The event, which was sponsored by the Platte County Federated Democratic Women’s organization, included the following participants: Michael Shafe’, Steve Hoeger, Karen E. Payne, Paula Willmarth and Marygold Fry. Three candidates did not attend–Brandi Moritz, Kim Swaney and Susan Cole.
The health board advises and collaborates with Platte County Health Department officials, who are charged with overseeing and responding to public health issues and concerns. Health board members serve without compensation.
The recent building controversy began when the new presiding commissioner of the Platte County Commission questioned the legality of the purchase of the new building. Scott Fricker, who was elected presiding commissioner in November and took the office Jan. 1, joined first district commissioner Dagmar Wood in opposing the purchase. Health department trustees approved the purchase of the building at 7925 NW 110th St, Kansas City, in April 2020.
The purchase of the building for $1.9 million will consolidate staff currently operating from facilities in Platte City and Parkville.
County commissioners and health department trustees have had a contentious relationship since the early days of the COVID health crisis. Federation member Sharen Hunt, who moderated the panel discussion, said to chuckles from audience members, “There sure has been a lot of chatter about this non-partisan election.”
Trustee Paula Willmarth, the only incumbent seeking a seat, addressed the controversy surrounding many of the trustee’s decisions, including mask mandates and social distancing requirements. The decisions were contentious among the public and some county commissioners, she said.
“We took a lot of criticism for trying to protect the public, but we held strong,” said Willmarth, a social worker with a background in health care.
Karen Payne, a nurse since 1978, said she has worked in various health care roles, but found public health the “most satisfying” and that the fast-changing nature challenges those involved “to stay on top of things.”
Michael Shafe’ said his experience serving on the board of directors for the Platte County Developmentally Disabled since 2017 has been “the most rewarding experience I’ve had.”
Several questions, including one posed by Mark Kover, asked how candidates planned to separate political views from their service on the board. When Shafe’ said there’s “no role for partisanship” in health care, Kover asked about his endorsement by a Republican group, which was announced online.
“You present as a very decent person,” Kover said.
However, after the meeting, Kover said he would not vote for Shafe’ because of the endorsement from the Republican group, which he thought could have been influenced by Fricker, the presiding commissioner, whom Kover said he does not trust.
Willmarth said some county officials refuse to keep politics out of decisions. Willmarth said she believes the county commission’s disbursement of federal CARES Act money, federal aid intended to help communities during COVID, was fraught with bad choices.
The county commission opted not to award money to the health department for many months despite what she described as “a burdensome workload.” Instead, “a cigar shop received money, which really irritated me.” By the time the commissioners awarded money to the health department, it was “practically too late” to help, Willmarth said.
Marygold Fry said more money needs to be allotted to education about the importance of vaccines and their impact on the immune system. She said such education might help certain groups, such as young mothers, who are reluctant to have their children vaccinated “because they don’t know” the vaccines’ components.
Steve Hoeger, who leads a Kansas City hospital, said he “took a lot of grief from other hospitals” when his institution was the first in the Kansas City area to issue mask mandates and other such precautions early in the pandemic. Hoeger said a looming health crisis exists because some parents won’t get their children vaccinated for previously eradicated diseases, which are starting to re-occur. He said educating the public is key and added, “Everything should be done to encourage vaccination.”
Two candidates, Kim Swaney and Susan Cole, chose not to participate in the forum and sent letters to The Landmark explaining their decisions. Swaney and Cole said they decided to opt out of the forum after seeing their names on a non-endorsement list on the Platte County Democratic Central Committee website.
“Why would you invite me to your forum to introduce myself if you were already ousting me?” Cole asked in her letter to the editor.
However, Hunt, of the federation, said the candidates must not have realized the federation and the central committee are two separate groups.