A little baseball and a lot of local political updates, specifically more of our “follow the money” local campaign finance reports.
Just so you know, I’m writing this with one eye on the Royals in the MLB baseball playoffs playing on the other screen.
Perhaps one of the most quiet topics in Platte County politics is that there is actually a Democrat vs. Republican contest in a countywide office on the November ballot. It’s for the district one county commissioner seat being vacated by Dagmar Wood, who decided she didn’t want to run for a commission spot for a potential third term and instead ran for assessor. You now by now that Dagmar was defeated by 72 votes by Marcus Farr, who currently works in the assessor’s office as a certified appraiser.
Anyway, on Nov. 5 voters in the first commission district, generally speaking southern Platte County, will get to choose between Republican Allyson Berberich, who currently serves on the Parkville Board of Aldermen, and Democrat Charles McDonald.
The first district is an interesting place when it comes to politics in Platte County. Portions of the district are very “purple” when it comes to political leanings. So it would be wrong for anyone to assume a vast majority of voters will automatically be checking “R” on this one, though certainly Berberich would be the favorite if Vegas were to establish a betting line.
As of Sept. 5, Berberich lists $4,309 on hand in her campaign bank account. She has already spent $5,930 as of her most recent report. She has a recent expenditure listing of $2,349 to KC Sign Co. for signs.
By comparison, as of Sept. 7, McDonald lists $1,993 in his campaign account. He has spent only $1,580 up to this date.
Here’s another nugget that seems to be getting only a small amount of attention. Voters will soon get the chance to see a candidate forum featuring Berberich and McDonald. The Parkville Living Center will be hosting a Community Town Hall Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 9 from 6-8 p.m.
In addition to Berberich and McDonald scheduled to be presenting, there will also be presentations on the proposed Platte County Children’s Services Fund tax. That proposal will be voted on countywide, with a quarter cent sales tax being proposed for “children’s services.”
If you’re interested in attending, the Parkville Living Center is at 819 Main Street in Parkville. The event is free and open to the public.
Want some breaking news that just hit my inbox? Sarah Rudis has resigned as president of the Downtown Platte City Association. She was the first president of that group, founded last year.
“After careful consideration, I am writing to inform you that I will be stepping down from my role as board president of the Downtown Platte City Association, effective immediately,” Rudis wrote in an email to members Tuesday afternoon, without providing a reason for her resignation. “It has been an incredible honor to serve in this capacity, and I am deeply grateful for the support, collaboration, and dedication from each of you.”
Rudis said that Laura Lowry, owner of the Barley & Vine wine bar downtown, “will be stepping in as interim president.” Rudis said “Laura has been an invaluable member of our team and I have full confidence in her ability go guide the association forward during this transition.”
Time for a look back at the finances surrounding the August primary election for second district county commissioner, a race that featured incumbent Joe Vanover being challenged by Melissa Moran.
As you’ll recall, Vanover defeated Moran handily. The fact Vanover won didn’t surprise many observers, but the fact that he won by such a comfortable margin might have been a surprise, as many voters were anxiously looking to go against Vanover because of his staunch support of a very unpopular $408 million jail tax proposal. The jail tax lost 62-38%, yet Vanover defeated Moran by a margin of 56-43%.
It’s my opinion had Moran, a political newcomer, made the way over-the-top jail tax a major talking point throughout her campaign she would have had a legitimate shot on knocking off Vanover. It wouldn’t have taken much money to get that message out to the public. But she didn’t read the tea leaves and didn’t get vocal about the widely-panned jail tax.
Vanover had a major money advantage in the race. Vanover’s campaign committee had $35,705 available to spend. He spent $26,803 of it, leaving him $8,385 on hand when the smoke had cleared.
Moran, meanwhile, had only $7,018 in campaign receipts for this election, and at least $4,500 was in loans that Moran personally made to her campaign committee. She spent $6,502.
If you’re like me and enjoy catching up with some outdoor live music, also known as free entertainment, there are still a couple of opportunities awaiting your ears.
At Zona Rosa, there are two Friday nights remaining in the fall concert series. The Zona schedule of shows includes Friday, Oct. 4, when Run With It will be performing; and Friday, Oct. 11 the entertainment will be Brass Rewind, which is one of the favorite local bands of Landmark distribution specialist Fred Felix and his wife Nancy, who you’ll see showing off their plentiful dancing skills at many outdoor venues this time of year. The Zona shows are from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Linden Square at Gladstone also has an outdoor concert remaining for you as the beautiful fall weather rolls in. All the remaining shows at Linden Square will happen on Saturday, Oct. 12. At 4:30 that day it’ll be Outlaw Jim and the Whiskey Benders, followed by Terry Gann at 6 p.m., then Silver Bullet KC will perform as a tribute band playing the music of Steve Miller.
(Will there be big league baseball playoff games happening in KC next week? If so, The Landmark will see you there. Find Foley via email to ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)
