City’s needs discussed

With some of the prime players missing from Saturday’s Iola City Council candidate forum, Saturday’s event turned into more of a “get to know your candidate” session.
Iola voters will have two contested races to decide in the April 7 general election. In both races, one of the hopefuls could not attend the forum, sponsored by Allen County Farm Bureau.
Council member Steve French, who is being opposed by challenger Aaron Franklin in Ward 4, was out town on a medical mission, event moderator Darrel Monfort said.
Meanwhile, challenger Austin Sigg, who is vying for Eugene Myrick’s seat, was in Salina for drills with the Kansas Army National Guard.
That left Myrick, Franklin and Councilman Jon Wells as the sole participants in Saturday’s forum.
Wells, who lives in Ward 1, does not have an opponent in the upcoming election, nor do Mayor Joel Wicoff and Councilman Bob Shaughnessy in Ward 2. Wicoff and Shaughnessy also were absent.

MYRICK STRESSED the importance of teamwork between Iola and Allen County.
Myrick has lived in Iola since 1977 and recently retired after a 24 1/2-year with the military. He most recently worked as a full-time active duty recruiter for the Army Reserves.
Myrick said his push, if re-elected, would be for Iola, Allen County, all other communities in the county work in league with Allen Community College, Iola Industries and Thrive Allen County to develop a cohesive economic plan.
Myrick was unsuccessful in 2013 in his bid for the City Council, but was appointed when his predecessor, Mike McKinnis resigned because he moved out of the Third Ward.
“I came in green, not knowing how things were done,” Myrick said. “Over the last two years, I’ve grown personally and professionally. I’ve learned how the city has run. I want to continue to learn to represent the citizens of Iola.

MYRICK’S challenger, Austin Sigg, had Monfort read his letter to the audience.
Sigg, a 2005 Iola High School graduate, joined the National Guard the same year. He served for a year in Iraq in 2008. Upon his return, he attended college at Kansas State University, earning his degree in 2013.
He is now supply sergeant for Headquarters Company of the National Guard’s 891st Engineer Battalion, which is stationed in Iola.
“Although I’m not on a particular agenda, I’d like to help find ways to save money and lower the tax burden on citizens and business owners,” Sigg wrote. “Working with government money has taught me how to work on a tight budget and do more with less. This can apply to all of Iola’s departments across the board. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m willing to put in the time and research to help make Iola as efficient as possible.”

FRANKLIN spoke about growing up in Iola on North Third Street, being raised by his grandmother, Lillian Franklin.
After graduating from Iola High School, Franklin attended Allen Community College and K-State before traveling much of the United States for his role in the insurance industry.
“Over the past decade, I’ve developed outstanding decision-making skills, because people’s lives depend on me,” he said.
“I would be remiss if I did not mention I’m concerned with the current direction of the City of Iola. It is the utmost importance Iola remain affordable so our current citizens maintain the quality of life they’ve planned for.
Franklin said he is a “candid and transparent” person who will “proactively engage and foster interaction, among not only the workforce, but with the entire council and the community as a whole.”

THE PARTICIPANTS were asked just one question from the audience — a query about home revitalization.
Myrick and Wells both pointed to the city’s tax abatement program, in which nearly all of the additional property taxes are refunded, provided the improvements meet certain requirements.
Wells said he would favor seeing the program expanded to include a downtown business improvement district to preserve the square — “the heart of the city.”
Franklin, meanwhile, said that while he, too, supported the home revitalization program, he thought the city’s more pressing needs should be on repairing its aging infrastructure, particularly streets and alleys.