French: Engaged council better

Much of Steven French’s philosophy the past four years as an Iola City Council member stems from his career in law enforcement.
How so?
“When you’re working in law enforcement, you have to be prepared,” he said. “I realized in my early days of being called to the stand to testify, you can look really bad if you’re not prepared and you’re not knowledgeable. That’s why I research statutes, I research rules and regulations. Part of my ability to be engaged comes from knowing the consequences if I’m not. ”
French, 54, is running for re-election in Ward 4 against challenger Aaron Franklin. (See related article on Franklin elsewhere in today’s Register.) Voters will head to the polls April 7.
“I read the packet before I go” to the council’s bi-monthly meetings, French said. “I read the contracts. I want to sit there and be engaged, and I’m hoping my comments will help get others engaged, so we can have those debates. I’m not tooting my own horn, because it’s not about me, it’s about what’s best for the community.”
French typically is among the most active participants at each council meeting, peppering visitors and other council members with questions.
That’s by design.
“Some of my questions are geared to have others pull me in if I need to be pulled in a different direction,” he said. “The team we have is cohesive, and our debate is respectful toward one another. Jon Wells and I, for example, have gotten into big debates on issues, where I’ve caught him saying, ‘Hey, I totally agree with you. I’m with you on this one.’ Or I’d say, ‘Jon, I didn’t think of it that way.’”

FRENCH GREW up in Allen County in Iola and Moran.
Originally a deputy with the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, French moved to Topeka to work for the Kansas Board of Healing Arts as a medical investigator. He’s now in his 29th year with the agency. He jumped at the chance to return to his native southeast Kansas 10 years ago.
“I came back because my roots are here,” he said. “With my grandkids, that makes the sixth generation here. I want Iola to be here, and I want to have my part in doing what we can to ensure we’re here for future generations.”
French was among the new crop of city leaders voted in to office in April 2011, after Iolans voted to disband the old three-member city commission in favor of an eight-member council.
He’s the first to admit the early months were anything were easy.
“There are things I wish we could go back and do differently,” he said. “But I am proud of where we’ve come. It’s working. As long as we can have that engagement, as long as we can have the different personalities willing to speak up and willing to be engaged, it’s going to work for our benefit.
“A couple of meetings ago, we talked about the city’s strategic plan,” he continued. “I want those strategic planning meetings. We need to do more than simply say ‘It looks good.’ We need to start getting the momentum going. I want to play a part in getting that done, and I don’t want to break the bank. I don’t want to raise taxes.”

THE COUNCIL, for all its criticisms, has built a good track record, French contends.
“Since we’ve been on the council, we’ve not had to raise taxes,” he said. “We’ve looked at utilities and done a slight increase there, but they’re still manageable, and we’re competitive with what’s around us.”
And the council must continue to control spending, while still looking for growth.
“When I sit on the council, I have to remember I’m also spending my money, my tax dollars, my hard-earned income,” he said. “I’m going to watch it the way I watch my funds.
“It’s easy to say, ‘Gee, if we raise rates by this much by this much, we could have $2 million by the end of the year, “he continued. “But we’ve got to remember those on fixed incomes, those who aren’t working, those who can’t get a job. That’s tough to do sometimes.”
Iola’s largest hurdle continues to be stemming population loss. As more graduates leave Allen County’s schools, the chances of them coming back is slim, he notes.
“We have to look at what can we do to get more residents back here to maintain what we have,” he said. “I don’t want to be Johnson County. I don’t want a growth spurt. Let’s maintain Iola as the hub of the county. We have to look at both preservation and expansion. You can preserve all you want, but you have to always look at growth. If you don’t, then you’ll lose.”