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City council candidates share visions, goals

Five candidates have filed for two positions on the Marion City Council.

The candidates are Katherine DeFilippis, Gerald Henderson, incumbent Bill Holdeman, incumbent Jerry Kline, and Steve Smith.

City voters will go to the polls Feb. 26 to narrow the field to four candidates. The two members of the council will be decided in the April 1 general election.

The Marion County Record asked the five candidates to respond to a questionnaire regarding their candidacies and plans if elected or re-elected.

Following are their responses.

Katherine DeFilippis

(Editor's Note: Instead of answering each individual question, the candidate provided a written statement.)

"In September of last year, I drove from Virginia to Marion for the first time to visit my brother and his family. Before the weekend was over, I had fallen in love with this city. By Sunday afternoon I had purchased a home in Marion.

"A short visit was my intention. However, Marion contains a concealed excitement that needs to be unleashed.

"Marion has in its grip the potential to be a wonderful place to live, raise children, and most importantly, raise their children. The recruitment and retention of growth in residential, commercial, and industry are just around the corner. With the proper management and community support Marion can and will be a premier area of which to be proud. There is no reason why any of us should have to go outside this community to work, play, shop, or raise our families for many generations.

"The downtown district has the base for a flourishing, upscale area for those who can see past the imperfections. I have traveled all over the U.S. and my fondest memories are of small cities that are overrun with charm, history, and unique architecture.

"Marion contains all of these features. The community is starving for a chance to achieve this goal. I plan to utilize my energy to assure that Marion gets this chance to secure a place on the map.

"My past history in politics includes winning an election in the west side of Kansas City prior to the growth on the west end. I was fortunate enough to be the council president during negotiations, budgeting, groundbreaking, and completion of the Kansas Speedway, and all of the retail structures surrounding it.

"The scale, of course, is different based on population, etc. However, the building of a well-executed five-year plan will lead Marion residents into a city of which even the veterans can be proud.

"I have only attended two city council meetings and I have no complaints or concerns about the elected officials. I have concluded, however, that there have been some possibly missed opportunities on some of the issues. This is not a negative statement, only a personal observation where I feel that with my past experience I could have brought some insight into the mix and offered a 'new blood' aspect which may have been more prosperous for Marion.

"Sometimes being, as I have heard, an 'outsider,' lends a new set of eyes to old thought processes. I am very conservative when it comes to issues dealing with budgets and community-built tax funds. However gaining a seat on the council, you should reflect the needs and desires of the community first and foremost. I also firmly believe in spending money at home. We need to support our own businesses and firms.

"I am an honorary member of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 42 in Kansas City, and hold the safety and respect of all police, firemen, and volunteers very close to my heart. Being the daughter, granddaughter, and niece in a very proud family full of civil and military servicemen has instilled my values and community concerns — the attributes needed to understand and act on the needs of these service personnel.

"My resume holds years of experience in management, ownership, proprietorship, corporation, and government contract fields. Customer service is key to winning repeat customers and imperative to retaining business relationships.

"It is a personal goal to build our city to contain all services needed to live and experience a pleasant experience when shopping or needing any and all services in Marion. The valued and respected elders of our city should not have to be concerned about how they are going to obtain supplies and entertainment. It should be readily available. This also includes teens and young adults searching for the same venues and driving dangerous miles to achieve the same things. I am pro-Marion and my door, e-mail, and phone are always open for any questions, concerns, complaints, and compliments.

"Our own chamber of commerce and recreation teams hold great energy and heart-held concerns for the growth and happiness of our community, and need to be commended for their efforts. I have witnessed tremendous enthusiasm that we all need to support and help to keep those fires burning.

"I was born in 1957 and raised in Johnson County. After graduating from Shawnee Mission North High School in 1975, I moved to Wyandotte County to pursue my education at Kansas City Community College, studying business management. I also attended the American Institute of Banking and was employed as an assistant loan officer at Commercial National Bank. I was born into a family of bankers and police officers which led to my interest in community support, budgets, and profit and loss.

"My multi-tasking, energetic personality led me to the path of owning my own businesses through the years to include an FTD florist, residential and commercial painting company, and a tour company.

"In 2005, I accepted a position on a government contract with the 1-800-MEDICARE program. This two-year contract led me to Virginia where I opened a 1,200-employee, fully operational call center from the ground up.

"With these endeavors I learned along the way to get involved in the community through the chambers of commerce which led to running for office.

"I won the election on the west side of Kansas City at the marketing stage of gaining the contract for the Kansas Speedway. I worked very closely with the mayor of Kansas City and surrounding municipalities to complete that project. This process was, I believe, the most exciting and educational project of which I have ever been involved.

"I am a mother of a wonderful daughter, Angela, who is a registered nurse in Topeka. I have three grandchildren, all active in sports. Angela is actively involved with the SNOW program and volunteers for the American Red Cross.

"I have one brother who is a contractor here in Marion, as well as a nephew. My husband works for Marion County and has for the past 18 years. My sister-in-law works at Duckwall's.

"Currently I am the office manager at Bakers Furniture, Inc., Bakers Funeral Homes, Inc. and Bakers Farms, Inc. My hobbies include the goals of creating, marketing, and completing several projects I am working on at this time along with oil painting which I hope to teach one day."

Gerald Henderson

1) Why do you want to be elected to the Marion City Council?

Henderson: "I was encouraged by my wife, Cathy, and by people I thought were my friends to file for a position on the council. They believe I possess at least some of the attributes needed to heal what they perceive to be a fractured community and a fractured council. Whether or not that belief is true, I do think that people of good will can learn to disagree agreeably."

2) Please rank the following in order of importance and explain your ranking. The list included the pertinent topics of infrastructure, economic development, development of downtown district, housing, St. Luke Hospital, new police department building, other issues/concerns not listed.

Henderson: "Before ranking the listed items, I mention the one activity I believe is most important and were it listed, I would rank it number one.

"Before a city or any entity (public or private) can make progress, it must first clearly answer the question, 'What do you want?' The City of Marion is in need of a professionally-facilitated strategic plan.

"During the first year of my service with the school district, 12 school employees and 13 other citizens of the district spent two and one-half days at Rock Springs 4-H Ranch, reaching consensus on our beliefs, vision, immediate and long-range goals, and implementation strategies relative to the education of our children.

"That plan was adopted by the board of education and provided guidance for everything we did during my six-year tenure as superintendent of schools. While the plan has been revised and updated, essential elements of the original plan exist to this day.

"Before the City of Marion can go anywhere, it must clearly state where it wants to go. The priority of these and other important items must be set through an organized, purposeful consensus.

#1 and #2: Infrastructure (streets, utilities, alleys, etc.) and economic development: "I have difficulty ranking infrastructure and economic development in that both are essential to a growing community. New and/or expanding business is often attracted by sound, up-to-date, reliable infrastructure. At the same time, the cost of keeping up with infrastructure is dependent on the tax base created by a healthy business economy.

"I rank these two at the top because the remainder of the list is so dependent on a thriving economy and a serviceable infrastructure.

#3: St. Luke Hospital: "Having a hospital in the community is important and having certain medical services available locally is essential. People and businesses shopping for a community look for certain services including hospitals, schools, recreational opportunities, etc.

"In today's market, small hospitals must be creative in what services are provided locally and which services might be regionalized. Recent misunderstandings between the hospital and community could be alleviated through better communication."

#4: Development of downtown district: "Items four through six are interchangeable in that while all are important, all should be accomplished as a result of thoughtful planning. I ranked downtown improvement #4 because of its immediate effect on those who enter our community."

#5: Housing: Recent incentives provided by the city have helped some of the housing crunch. The need for decent rental housing still is a problem."

#6: New police department building: "Public entities always have a need for updated facilities — police departments, schools, auditoriums, swimming pools, jails, etc. I do not know the specific limitations, if any, of our current police department building, but as expressed above the establishment of priorities for public expenditures ought to be as a result of thoughtful planning."

3) Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the current council and administration?

Henderson: "My purpose for filing for election to the council is to attempt to make our community better, not to add to the real or perceived fracture."

4) What is your background and/or qualifications for the position of councilman?

Henderson: "I spent most of my professional career working for a board of one sort of the other. I believe I understand how boards work or should work.

"As a high school principal and as a superintendent of schools, my jobs were to facilitate organizational vision and develop consensus for the implementation of that vision. I would appreciate an opportunity to bring those skills to the body elected to govern my chosen community."

5) Personal information (spouse, profession, residency, etc.).

Henderson: "Cathy and I moved to Marion in June 1998. Upon my retirement in 2004, we chose to remain in Marion for a number of reasons. We still reside at 114 S. Lincoln, Marion. We have four grown children and two granddaughters."

Bill Holdeman

1) Why do you want to be re-elected to the Marion City Council?

Holdeman: "The past two years have gone by fast. Several good things have been accomplished, including getting the town streets resurfaced including Country Club Drive, getting Marion's water plant safe and updated, two businesses located in the industrial park, hiring of the new police chief, and watching several new homes go up in our community.

"There are some unfinished projects I would like to be a part of the completion like a new look on Main Street, new handicapped accessible bathrooms at the baseball complex, and continued growth in the industrial park.

"The new swimming pool will be a tremendous benefit to both Marion's school system and community. I would like to see the completion of getting the solar heat to heat the pool, the kiddie pool with spray system, and Ion guard purification system for the pool. This will benefit both the young and old as well as the economic development of our community.

"I would like to see some type of housing, like condos, that would not be income-related. I have had several parties tell me we need this in our town."

Holdeman: #1: Infrastructure: "Marion has several rock streets and parking lots that need attention. This would cut down on dust in the neighborhoods. Several alleys also are in need of work."

#2 Utilities: "To get the 12.5 electric line completed."

#3 Economic development — development of downtown district: "The city doesn't need an economic development person. The county development person should be able to do this job.

"Fill empty buildings on Main Street, develop pride in our downtown area, and all entry ways into our town."

#4 Housing: "Add apartment development to help with the housing problem."

#5 St. Luke Hospital: "Work with St. Luke Hospital. Their importance to our community is immeasurable. It is a great place to be when needed and I have experienced it firsthand a few weeks ago."

#6 New police department building: "The city could use a new police building. They are very short on space and parking."

3) Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the current council and administration?

Holdeman: "No comment on the city council. We're all working to do our best for the community. The city office has two well-qualified women, capable of many tasks. Do we need a city administrator?"

4) What is your background and/or qualifications for the position of councilman?

Holdeman: "I have been in business for 54 years. I graduated from the Kansas School of Barbering College in Wichita, elected to four years on the Newton City Commission and was mayor for one year, and served two years on Marion City Council. I am very interested in the betterment of our community and county."

5) Personal information (spouse, profession, residency, etc.).

Holdeman: "My wife, Feebie, has been an agent for Shelter Insurance for 25 years. We live and work in Marion. We belong to Eastmoor United Methodist Church where I serve on the church council committee and Feebie serves on the pastor parish committee. We attend the Come Join Us Sunday school class. Feebie belongs to the UMW.

"I served with the U.S. Marine Corps, two trips overseas, combat wounded, and received the Purple Heart and two other medals. I hold a life membership with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, DAV, Elks Lodge, National Rifle Association, and 2nd Marine Division.

"Feebie and I belong to Marion Chamber of Commerce. Feebie belongs to Marion Kiwanis Club and served two terms as lieutenant governor. She also is a member of the 20th Century Club. We both belong to the Marion Pinochle Club.

"We have five children and 11 grandchildren. We enjoy spending time with our family, camping with family and friends, and playing cards.

"If you elect me as your city councilman, I will serve our community to the best of my ability in an honest and truthful way."

Jerry Kline

1) Why do you want to be re-elected to the Marion City Council?

Kline: "Two years ago when I ran for this position, my goals were to see an improvement in economic development and a better grasp of the city budget. My two years of experience has witnessed economic development success and has given me an understanding of city politics and budgeting.

"The City of Marion has had to deal with a completely new and inexperienced council for the past two years and I think my experience on the council will help the city to continue to move forward."

Kline: #1: Infrastructure: "Infrastructure is the most important aspect of any city government because it is the reason that the governing body exists. Water, sewer, electricity, streets, etc., are all necessary components of a community's success.

"In 2007, seeing the importance of infrastructure improvement, the City of Marion applied for and received a $400,000 grant for improvements to North Cedar Street and curb and guttering on Eisenhower Drive. These will be great improvements to the entrances of our community."

#2: Economic development: "Economic development is another essential component of a community's success. Economic development is the spark plug that keeps businesses growing and prosperous. It is important for a community to show their support of economic development or a town can become stagnant and see no growth. It is important for the community to recognize the big picture and see the importance of the position for businesses to be successful."

#3: Development of downtown district: "Downtown development is part of economic development and it is important to fill empty buildings. I would like to see us try to get a grant to help make necessary improvements to our downtown. We are limited on some modifications because of availability of funds and limitations from KDOT (Kansas Department of Transportation) because Main Street is a state highway."

#4: Housing: "I would like to see some land annexed into the city limits and a new housing development created. With the continued success of economic development, housing will have to be come a priority. As new businesses start up and new companies are recruited to the community, there will be a larger need for housing."

#5: St. Luke Hospital: "We are very fortunate to have a hospital of St. Luke's caliber in our community and their continued success should be important to all residents in Marion County Hospital District #1."

#6: New police department building: "I listed a new police building as the least priority because, although we are quickly running out of adequate space for evidence storage, we are still getting by. The city is actively reviewing the possibility of additional space in the new county law enforcement facility."

Other: "It is important for the city to continue to work with USD 408, the county, and other entities for the continued success of Marion County.

3) Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the current council and administration?

Kline: "I am satisfied with the current council and administration because things are getting done. We have upgraded our water plant, seal-coated streets, applied for and received a $200,000 grant for new sidewalks to offer Safe Routes to Schools for our youth, entered into an interlocal agreement with USD 408 for a project that will benefit the city and the entire school district, applied for and received a $400,000 grant for street improvements on North Cedar Street and Eisenhower Drive, showed noticeable progress in economic development with new businesses, new houses, buildings in our industrial park, and increased sales tax revenue."

4) What is your background and/or qualifications for the position of councilman?

Kline: "I have been on the Marion City Council for two years and I hate to see that experience go to waste. This has been a two-year learning curve and I think it is important to have some continuity on the city council.

"I am open-minded and willing to make decisions that are in the best interest of the City of Marion."

5) Personal information (spouse, profession, residency, etc.).

Kline: "I have been married to my wife, Norma, for 45 years and have two children. I recently retired from Martin Marietta. I have lived in Marion for 60+ years and that is why I agreed to step forward to run for city council because Marion is important to me. Marion is my home."

Steve Smith

1) Why do you want to be re-elected to the Marion City Council?

Smith: "My intention in winning a seat on the city council of Marion is to bring a fresh, positive, people-oriented approach to the table. Having moved to Marion as a grade-school student and raising my own children here, I consider this to be a great place to raise a family and believe that it has made a very positive impact on their lives. I feel it is time for me to do my part in providing the support that this community will need to balance growth and maintain its small-town values."

Smith: "I have always felt that the appearance of a small community must be priority. The appearance of Main Street and our neighborhoods is key in being viewed by outsiders as warm and charming. If Main Street is full of empty buildings, it tends to make an outsider believe the community is struggling to survive.

"In order to draw new industry, small business, and families, we must appear, even at first glance, to be an attractive place for them to settle. With the economy as it is currently, we are at a crossroads where Marion will either survive for another generation or begin becoming another small Kansas town that dwindles to nothing.

"Our second priority must be the economic development of our community. We must aggressively promote our community to the outside world in order get "a leg up" on other small towns that are in the same shoes. Bringing in outside industry will help fill our storefronts, our schools, and add to our tax base.

"We are quickly becoming a 'suitcase' community. Many of the people who live here are not employed here. They bring their families for the small-town living and excellent educational opportunities, but travel elsewhere to make their living, obtain necessary services, and do their shopping. Once children have graduated and go to find jobs or go on to higher education, there is little or no reason to return to us. The 'suitcase' parents can move closer to their larger, more convenient cities and with no jobs for youth to hold, either directly out of school or after college, they don't usually return to raise their own families here.

"This obviously does not lend itself to Marion's longevity. We need to continue looking for sound, sensible ways to bring in industry and developers to draw and keep these people in our community. The more attractive and stable our city, the more likely we are to accomplish this.

"St. Luke Hospital must be another of our priorities. It is well-known that a community must have strong government, schools, and medical facilities to survive. St. Luke has been making headway toward becoming financially sound.

"Being in the medical field myself, I have observed many of our area residents leaving the county to support other hospitals outside the area. Although the need is sometimes necessary for appropriate care, this is not always the case. In leaving town for once service, it becomes simpler to seek all medical care elsewhere and not support our local facility.

"I firmly believe that St. Luke is making every attempt to make themselves more attractive to patients across the county. Again, changes in this area are never quickly or easily resolved. In the interim, we as a community must make every effort to support our local hospital in every way possible.

"If the hospital fails, the community will soon follow.

"Having seen some of the problems that the police department is facing with its current location, it is apparent that they have outgrown their building. Not only is there not enough room for personnel and the proper areas in which to conduct their business, there is not sufficient room for the proper storage of evidence.

"The city needs to look at relocating the police department into a larger existing building that also can house evidence properly. The new location needs to be in town where it is easily accessible and easy to find by those who may need to visit but don't necessarily frequent it."

3) Are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the current council and administration?

Smith: "Our current city council is working to make the proper decisions toward the survival of our community. I do have concerns as to whether all possible is being done to promote Marion in order to bring in the needed industry.

"Those who employ the greatest numbers of people are the hospital, schools, and government entities. We have a few small industries who employ a number of people, but no large industry that employs a larger number of individuals. If we are to grow we will either need to invite a larger number of smaller industries or begin looking for a larger industry that will employ greater numbers.

"I realize these things also take time to accomplish, but I don't feel assured that everything possible is being done to expedite this. I would very much like to see more opportunities for our youth to join the work force directly out of school in order to keep them in our community to raise their own families.

"We have entered into a new era for Marion City Council. With the addition of two council members in the previous election, we have allowed for a wider variety of candidates. I feel that quite possibly we did not find the proper chemistry in the last election to accomplish what needs to be done to move our community forward. The council needs to avoid back-sliding into issues that have already been addressed unless the previous decision has turned out to need revisiting after a test of time. Allowing a council member to waste precious time by doing this should not be tolerated."

4) What is your background and/or qualifications for the position of councilman?

Smith: "I began employment in Marion at Marion Auto Supply, working for Jack Regnier. I moved to the Marion school system in 1998. When the position for transportation director at Centre school district became available, I saw it as a great opportunity to use the knowledge I had gained and my common sense to further my career and moved into my first opportunity to manage people and grow in an administrative role.

"Having been involved as a volunteer with Marion EMS since 1994, being the director of EMS was a dream. The last time that position opened up, I felt I had the administrative skills coupled with employee management experience to do the job well.

"Being the director of EMS allows me to do the job I love while helping those volunteers I have worked with for years do their jobs to the best of their ability to fill a need that supports their communities.

"While this does not necessarily give me experience in city government or qualify me more than some to do the job of a council member, I think it says a lot about my character and my ability to do what needs to be done to support a community and its people.

"If elected, the opportunity to serve the community that has given so much to me would be an honor and a privilege. I hope my common sense, non-impulsive approach will serve our community well."

5) Personal information (spouse, profession, residency, etc.).

Smith: "My family moved to Marion from Emporia when I was in grade school. My father, Wint, purchased the Phillips service station here from Ed Navrat. He owned and operated the station until the 1980s.

"I graduated from Marion High School in 1976. That summer I started working for Jack Regnier at Marion Auto Supply. I worked for Jack for 18 years and owe a lot to him as that was one of the best experiences of my life. He was one of our city's finest and did so much for this community.

"I have two sons who both still live in Marion. Trevor is employed at Hillsboro and recently he and his girlfriend, Jenny made me a very happy and proud grandfather. Tyler is employed here in Marion and has plans to marry another local girl, Molly Rhodes, in December.

"I also have three stepchildren. Megan will graduate from K-State in May with a degree in fine arts. Cory lives and works at Hutchinson. Zach is a senior at Marion High School and will attend KU this fall.

"My wife Stacie is a surgical scrub technician who worked at St. Luke Hospital full-time until 2006. She now helps in surgery at St. Luke when needed but is primarily employed at Newton Medical Center. She also has served on the Marion ambulance crew since 1998. We currently live in Marion and will always consider it home."