By Kansan Staff
Voting in the upcoming local primary will begin July 23 with early voting at the Harvey County Courthouse. The full primary will be Aug. 6.
This election season there are three contested primaries for county elections, all on in the Republican party.
Two republican candidates have filed for Harvey County Commission District 2, Harvey County Commission District 3 and Harvey County Treasurer.
Each primary winner will face a Democratic challenger in the general election Nov. 5.
Also on the primary ballot for each party will be precinct men and women.
Below are candidate profiles for the Harvey County Commission District 2 Republican primary. The winner of the primary will face Democrat Mark Jenkins, North Newton, in the general election.
Name: Lance Gormley
City of Residence: Newton
Party Affiliation: Republican
What motivated me to run for county commission?
Everyone should be fully aware by now how much I believe in our community and the importance of electing good leadership to the various positions across Harvey County. Since being heavily involved over the last seven years in so many different ways, primarily the City of Newton, USD 373, and the County, it has only strengthened my understanding of how vital these roles are in helping to create a brighter future for all residents. After learning that Randy Hauge, District 2 Harvey County Commissioner, would be retiring, I was asked by numerous individuals if this would be somewhere I would please consider serving in this way.Because my education focuses on these areas, (Bachelor of Political Science and Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Economic Development) I knew I would be able to serve our community and contribute to serving Harvey County residents. Everyone knows how much I’ve worked already to make our community better, and after careful consideration and prayer, I made the decision to serve my community in this way. I knew that no one would work harder than myself for the residents of Harvey County, and when elected, I’ll do just that.
2. In your eyes, what is the biggest single issue facing Harvey County in the Next few years?
The single biggest issue facing Harvey County in the next few years will be growing our community through economic development in order to combat growing inflation in an effort to maintain services without raising taxes. Everyone knows that no matter what direction we look, how we choose to look at it, or why it might be happening, everything’s more expensive. Many are struggling just to keep our daily lives the same. We have little control over this, which leaves many frustrated, but what we do as a commission is up to us. Our county has many projects on the horizon, including our courthouse/detention center remodel, maintaining our roads/bridges and department buildings. We can’t change what’s happening at the federal/state level, but we can work at the county level to be fiscally responsible. We as a community must come together, as we are all in this together. I believe over the next few years we should focus on economic development by developing a long range plan that sees an increase in revenue from supporting the expansion of our various communities, and thereby working on building a brighter future for all of Harvey County.
3. What goals do you have for Harvey County?
There are many goals that could be set and met for Harvey County, but I’ll only mention a few herein. Economic Development, better long range planning, meeting more desires communicated by residents, and continuing/maintaining services, while keeping the mill levy (taxes) low. In order to provide residents/businesses, future residents/businesses with an attractive place to live, educate, work, and play, we must focus heavily on economic development. Many have already heard me say that if we are not careful, electing individuals who don’t understand how to balance the areas mentioned, we will fall victim to the “death spiral” already happening to countless communities. The “death spiral” happens when inflation continues, economic development stagnates, and we are forced to cut services or raise taxes to provide the same services. Since I also understand how communities grow/prosper, to balance budgets, and work well with others to develop long range plans. A personal goal is to bring a balanced and moderate approach when making decisions while on the Commission, and create an environment for better communication. Harvey County needs to market ourselves effectively as a viable and wonderful place to live, work, educate our families, and play.
4. What makes you the best candidates for the position?
As mentioned previously, earning a Bachelor of Political Science and Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Economic Development has provided me with a solid understanding of the many requirements of this position. Understanding how to communicate, build relationships, be a contributing member of this team, and know how all of the different entities can work effectively and efficiently together as a unified body is very important, especially when it comes to Economic Development. Because of the many ways I’ve already served our community, everyone knows that I will continue to do this. It’s very important for an individual to understand government budgeting, economic development, and long range planning, all of which you can trust me to do when elected. Furthermore, this is not the first time I’ve attempted to serve my community in a similar capacity, and I’ve never given up on finding any way that I can continue to be of service to our community by building relationships, learning, and growing to become the best version of myself in order to provide my family, friends, neighbors, and the entire community with an individual who can be trusted with one of the most important tasks we ask of others, to lead and serve our community.
Name: Terry Scott
City of Residence: Newton
Party Affiliation: Republican
1.What motivated you to run for the position of county commissioner?
In the years prior to my retirement, I became increasingly concerned with the direction our government was headed – nationally and locally. Decisions made at the county level need to act as a buffer from the impact of state and federal policies that might negatively affect our citizens. I wanted to become more involved and my extensive experience with writing policy at the VA and making data-driven decisions with large budgets is a plus in the county commission role. Having regularly attended commission meetings for well over a year and a half, I have observed how the various departments interact with the Commission and have noted that we have some tough decisions ahead of us in order to support our citizens to the best of our ability. I’d like to be a part of establishing a brighter future for Harvey County by working with the knowledgeable and skilled employees we currently employ.
2. In your eyes, what is the single biggest issue facing Harvey County in the next few years?
We have to do a better job of marketing our county. In order to make that case, there are existing conditions that work against us. Talented people and long-time residents who are productive citizens are being taxed out of their homes and businesses and exiting the area. There’s quite a bit of frustration from the public that the County is deaf to their concerns and not taking action to mitigate their economic pain. We have a heavy tax burden compared to neighboring counties, and at the same time we are not seeing the quality of life here at that same level. It’s difficult to make our case in that sense. Without a plan for turning this around, we will continue to see a decline in the county. Fortunately, our state legislators recently passed a tax relief bill, that includes some property tax relief, that should have an impact for all Kansans. It’s something we can work with at the county level so we can work toward a brighter future locally. We have a great location, not only in the center of the state but also nationally.
3. What goals do you have for Harvey County?
Analyzing our tax base and formulating a plan for increasing that base. This would involve an open and public discussion of where we stand and why.
Reducing the tax burden on single families and businesses in the county.
Implementing tools for better data-driven decision making on county projects.
Recognizing excellence in county employees’ performance.
Improving communication and access for all towns and rural residents in the county
4. What makes you the best candidate for this position?
I have spent 30 years in nursing management, from front line manager to Nurse Executive, the last 20 years at the VA. I was a registered nurse for 46 years and nursing remains top-ranked in trust. I was promoted consistently due to my critical thinking skills and ability to improve productivity while maintaining a satisfied work force. I have extensive experience in creating policies for a large entity like the VA, diving into budget issues, working with government contracts, and supporting the performance of my teams. As a long-time resident of Newton, I raised my family here and have chosen to stay. My family is involved in the business community in Newton and yet we have an interest in all the communities that make up our beautiful county.
