Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
Feb. 3, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Northeast residents got an earful about the future of their community and their city last night.

On Monday, Feb. 2, the Kansas City Museum played host to 21 candidates running for office at City Hall. The city council candidate forum occupied the time slot usually reserved for the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association’s monthly meetings. However, the association partnered with the Independence Plaza Neighborhood Council, Indian Mound Neighborhood Association, and Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association, to provide the residents of the Northeast a chance to learn more about those running in their districts and for at-large seats.

The candidates who attended the forum included: Scott Wagner: First District At-large; Jason Hodges: Second District At-large; Teresa Loar: Second District At-large; Shaheer Akhtab: Third District In-district; Bryan Dial: Third District In-district; Jamekia Kendrix: Third District In-district; Forestine Beasley: Third District At-large; Karmello Coleman: Third District At-large; Virginia Dee Evans: Third District At-large; Carol Gatlin Third District At-large; Stephan Gordon: Third District At-large; Quinton Lucas: Third District At-large; John Fierro: Fourth District In-district; Jolie Justus Fourth District In-district; Jared Campbell: Fourth District At-large; Jim Glover: Fourth District At-large; Katheryn Shields: Fourth District At-large; Bryan Stalder: Fourth District At-large; Dennis Anthony: Fifth District At-large; Lee Barnes Jr.: Fifth District At-large; Theresa Garza Ruiz: Fifth Distrist At-large.

Of the 17 candidates running for office in either the Third or Fourth District, only two were absent from the forum. One of the two not present was incumbent Jermaine Reed, who’s running for a second term as a Third District In-district candidate. The other missing candidate was Rachel Riley, also running for Third District In-district. The city’s primary is April 7, with the runoff election scheduled for June 23, 2015.

Scarritt resident Clifford McMurray acted as host for the nearly 60 people in attendance of the forum. Because of the amount of candidates in attendance, all were only given one minute to respond to questions, which ranged in topic from economic development, crime prevention and neighborhood safety improvement, and ways the city can help improve the quality of education.

With 21 candidates in attendance, answers soon began to parallel one another. However, several responses throughout the two-hour forum elicited applause or agreement from the audience. Those moments included:

  • Akhtab introduced himself as a man for the people and reminded the audience that the government works best when the
    people are the power.
  • Wagner reminded the audience that he started his time on the council in the Northeast, but has since moved to the Northland because of rezoning. He said when he left, many thought he would forget about the Northeast. “I challenge any of you to make that case,” Wagner said.
  • During the discussion on crime, a majority of candidates mentioned two key elements: they would help create better jobs and remove abandoned homes as a way to help improve crime.
  • While discussing how the city can help produce quality education, multiple candidates noted how the city has limited influence on school districts, but can help produce more programs for pre-school children and after school youth at community centers.