Callahan: Check spending
Kendall Callahan owns a grocery store in Coffeyville that he manages from an office in Iola. In addition he owns and manages various commercial properties.
“There are things we do very well, and there are things we can do better,” Callahan said. “We need to control our spending, but not to the point that it prevents us from growing.”
With the council likely to feature mostly newcomers, Callahan noted that getting abreast of city issues rapidly will be vital.
“If elected, I know I will put in the time and energy to get the information we need to make good decisions,” he said. “We will definitely need to hit the ground running.”
Callahan counts his business experience as a plus. “I’ve been dealing with customer and employee relations nearly all my life,” he said.
“I want to get a feel for what the people are concerned about, and a feel for what the employees are concerned about,” he said. “They’re the ones who are involved with the day-to-day operations.”
Hopeful touts patriotism
Steffen Centlivre’s venture for City Council is his second in elective politics.
He ran unsuccessfully for a city council seat several years ago when he lived in Stanton, Calif.
Like then, Centlivre is a self-described underdog.
“I’m not a politician by trade, and I wouldn’t be serving in order to get what I want,” Centlivre said. Instead, “my goal would be to do what the people who elected me want.”
Centlivre is a retired firefighter. He now drives a bus for USD 257.
He moved to the Iola area about six years ago, “but I have family members who have been here for the past 100,” he said.
Centlivre describes himself as a “hard-core American who’s not afraid to stand up and provide leadership to keep the town the way it is today.”
Progressive Iola sought
Nancy Ford, director of public relations at Allen County Community College, ran for city commission once previously, losing to Bill Shirley. She has gained insight into city governance by serving on a charter ordinance committee, an advisory group appointed by commissioners to help propose a new governing body. The five-member commission ordinance rejected by Iola voters in November was endorsed by the committee.
“Serving on the committee opened my eyes,” she said. “There are a lot of opinions out there.”
Ford spoke of the city’s need for a progressive vision, to continue to reach out to new businesses in order to make the city appealing and to help bring more families into the community.
“I don’t think we need a lot of radical changes,” Ford said. “But there is a need for more voices. The ‘same old, same old’ isn’t going to get us anywhere.”
Ford also serves on Iola’s Community Involvement Task Force, which has been integral in attracting federal dollars for such things as improving Iola’s wastewater lagoon facility.
Stewart familiar with city
Scott Stewart is a former Iola city employee, working a combined 12 years as a 911 dispatcher and as an assistant purchasing agent. He also assisted occasionally in Iola’s administrative and city clerk’s offices.
“We have a great city to live in,” Stewart said. It will be the new city council’s responsibility to manage resources wisely to avoid having to cut services.
“We have a solid infrastructure, but there’s a danger in damaging that if we don’t make wise decisions,” he said. Efficiency is key, he concluded.
“It would be a privilege to serve the community.”
Stewart serves currently as the Humboldt municipal court clerk.
