The Gadfly is a series of letters offering commentary on local issues and published in the Warrensburg Gazette.

The primary election for City Council is only a month away and absentee voting has already started, yet we have no idea where the candidates stand on any local issues. Here are a few questions I’d like answered before deciding which candidates I’d support.

1. How did the City get into its current financial situation?
2. Under what circumstances would you support a tax increase?
3. What kind of tax would you support, and why?
4. What do you think the city’s top 5 spending priorities should be.
5. What approach would you take toward solving the Community Center’s problems?
6. The fire department recently had a ‘scandal’ because complaints weren’t addressed promptly. How would you prevent such a ‘scandal’ from recurring?
7. There is a perception that the fire department unionized because of the city’s unwillingness to address working condition issues. How would you address this problem?
8. What should be the city’s role in encouraging retail and industrial development?
9. Do you support Tax Increment Financing for local development? Explain?
10. What is the City Council’s responsibility in overseeing use of tax money by non-government entities, such as the Chamber of Commerce, Big Brothers, etc.?
11. What should be the city’s relationship with Warrensburg Main Street?
12. How do you view the city’s relationship with CMSU?
13. What relationship should exist between the City Council and the Warrensburg R-VI School Board? vWhat should be the relationship between the city and Johnson County?
14. In your view, how is the city affected by the fact that Johnson County is unzoned?
15. Should Warrensburg support resurrecting the “Regional Planning Commission?” Why or why not?
16. Warrensburg has a reputation for being a “party town.” Is this a problem? What problems do you see with the bar situation and how would you address them?