Larry encourages economic development

There are essential questions to be answered: Just what kind of a County and its cities do we want to be? Are we willing to pay for a better quality of life? I am. Is it ok to raise revenues, borrow the funds, impose user fees (taxes)?

Cuts to operations, layoffs, reduced maintenace, make no capital expenditures are all window dressing. If we can build the Bond Bridge, the Sprint Center, and the Kaufman Center, we can do anything.

Important issues facing Clay County

We need a dedicated revenue source or sources that are stable for our Parks and Historic sites. We should be finding ways to expand the trail system outside the Smithville Lake area, such as a trail beginning in downtown Kansas City and connecting with those at Smithville Lake. We should help our cities expand their trail systems and connect them all. There is need for another community center, Anne Garney park is sitting there waiting development. Where is the development for senior housing to go with it?

We must not diminish the needs of our own people, the needs of the growing senior population, the needs of those who cannot pay for their own medical care, and identify and support recreational opportunities for seniors and the disabled as well.

We need to get back to work on finding ways to build a street car or other rail system, joining with other counties in the effort for routes and funding. We need to accept the challenge to leverage in a worldwide way the unique history of Clay County to increase tourism. Don't forget the need to increase our economic development efforts with more adequate funding.

Pressing challenges and accomplishments

Without ranking the challenges, after the election of 2008 we had to deal with certain office holders' construction of an unauthorized "wall"; the election of 2010 produced an auditor who had pleaded guilty to a felony and his removal; the leadership team composed of office holders and department heads is now inactive; and the loss of some extremely competent employees occurred.

I am not comfortable with waving a flag of personal accomplishments. Nothing really gets done without some agreement. I will say this, that because a prior commission set a levy (which is now being reduced) Clay County was able to withstand the unnecessary cuts that have occured in other jurisdictions. There have been no across the board layoffs and no across the board pay reductions, We have now been able to give employees a COLA and we picked up the cost of some insurance increases.

Larry’s vision for the immediate future

To maintain fiscal responsibility, to keep our commitment to the elderly and the uninsured and underinsured, to expand our parks, trails and historic sites, to continue our excellent road and bridge program, to expand our regional airport services, to think "green" in every decision we make, to continue our economic development efforts and to continue the high quality of our employees.

Why Larry is running for this office

This is the place where a real difference can be made. This is the place where government is up close and personal. Frankly, I am the best person for the job, the most qualified by reason of education, representation of people in my law practice, and experience in County government.