The upcoming election is a big one for the city.  The last decade has seen an incredible turnaround, but there are still a lot of questions about the sustainability of the redevelopment and how to spread the wealth city wide.  Since bike advocacy is a big concern of mine, my picks generally line up with those that we made in the Coalition for Walking and Bicycling.  Interest in a more bike/ped-friendly city is growing all the time, and politicians seem be starting to clue into the changing tide.

Mayor: Mark Funkhouser
Lots of folks have realized that the city’s revitalization has failed to trickle down regular folk in the neighborhoods. The debt we’ve taken on to finance this revitalization is going to make it harder to pay for improving the neighborhoods. People are pissed at the irresponsible use of tax incentives over the last eight. I think most people are smart enough to know that TIFs an such can be good if they are used responsibly, but it’s the irresponsibilty that people have recently woken up to. Mark Funkhouser is the guy that can figure out how to balance the books and still keep the city moving forward.

4th District (At-Large): Doug Gamble
I’ve met both candidates in this race and Doug seems by far to be the more approachable, which is something important once someone is in office. It’s his first time running for office, but he is very smart and incredible eager to learn everything he can about the issues. He also has some very interesting ideas for making the city run better and more efficiently. The guy has lived in Brussels, so he seems to “get it” when it comes to developing a livable city for cyclists, pedestrians, and people.

2nd District (In-District): Russ Johnson
Despite years of planning and legislating, KC has managed to build less than 3 miles of bike lanes. The little bit we have is a direct result of Russ’ hard work on PIAC, the Public Improvements Advisory Committee. He also secured money for a new city-wide trails plan. Russ has been working hard for cyclists, Downtown, and the Northland. For the bike community, Russ is by far the most important candidate on the ballot.

3rd District (At-Large): Dee Williams
Every time I’ve heard Dee speak I’ve more and more impressed with how smart she is and how well she understands the nuts and bolts issues like streets, sidewalks, etc. The other night she talked about making Kansas Citians proud to be Kansas Citians, and I think some civic pride is sorely needed around here. She’s going up against an East Side political dynasty of sorts, but hopefully the voters will see her competence and sincerity.

5th District (At-Large): Cindy Baker Circo
I’ve met Cindy several times and she has always been approachable, genuine, and passionate about public service. She’s another one who seems like she’d be a great representative and very responsive to constituents.

6th District (At-Large): Cathy Jolly
Another bright and earnest candidate. Her years in the General Assembly and as a prosecutor should ensure she’ll hit the ground running.