Audio from Oct 14 Candidate Forum: City Commission

You can listen to archived audio from the October 14 Liberal City Commission candidate forum with candidates for this election’s three available positions on the Liberal City Commission.  The presenting sponsor for the forum is Southwest Kansas Board of Realtors; additional sponsorship by KSCB radio and other area media outlets.

Candidates in attendance at the forum, in their speaking order as drawn by number:  write-in candidate Jeff Parsons; ballot candidates Tony Martinez; Tony R. Whisenant; Jose Lara; Connie L. Seigrist; Janeth Vazquez.

Candidate not in attendance at the forum:  Jimmy Holman.

Audio of opening statements, in the speaking order of the candidates:

Question 1: “Name the biggest challenge or concern you currently see within the city and tell us how you would address it.”
Jeff Parsons; Tony Martinez; Tony R. Whisenant; Jose Lara; Connie L. Seigrist; Janeth Vazquez.

Q2: “The city is proposing a one cent sales tax increase for twenty years to support the general fund. Do you support this; why or why not?”
Martinez; Whisenant; Lara; Seigrist; Vazquez; Parsons. Follow-up by Whisenant; Vazquez.

Q3: “Shopping locations in Liberal have drastically reduced. What do you plan to do in order to bring shopping back to Liberal?”
Whisenant; Lara; Seigrist; Vazquez; Parsons; Martinez. Follow-up by Whisenant; Lara; Vazquez.

Q4: “Would you be in favor of joining the Seward County Development Corp with the county, school, and the SCCC, which was the original intention?”
Lara; Seigrist; Vazquez; Parsons; Martinez; Whisenant. Follow-up by Lara; Vazquez; Parsons; Whisenant; Seigrist.

Q5: “How do you plan to provide inclusivity between our large Hispanic community?”
Seigrist; Vazquez; Parsons; Martinez; Whisenant; Lara. Follow-up by Vazquez.

Q6: “What commitment from you would there be to encourage and enforce homeowners and renters to be held accountable for immobile vehicles in yards, trash, and lack of lawn care? It is evident throughout the city.”
Vazquez; Parsons; Martinez; Whisenant; Lara; Seigrist. Follow-up by Vazquez; Lara; Martinez.

Q7: “What are you planning to do about fiber optic internet on the south side of Liberal?”
Parsons; Martinez; Whisenant; Lara; Seigrist; Vazquez.

Q8: “Would you be in favor of Covid vaccine mandates for city staff?”
Martinez; Whisenant; Lara; Seigrist; Vazquez; Parsons. Follow-up by Whisenant; Parsons.

Q9: “City staff explored the possibility of selling the Grier House next to the Rock Island depot. Do you support this; why or why not?”
Whisenant; Lara; Seigrist; Vazquez; Parsons; Martinez. Follow-up by Seigrist; Lara.

Q10: “Under the leadership of our last two police chiefs, there has been extremely high number of resignations at the Liberal police department; indicates an unhealthy culture within the department and perhaps lack of leadership. As a commissioner how will you address this issue?”
Lara; Seigrist; Vazquez; Parsons; Martinez; Whisenant. Follow-up by Lara; Vazquez.

Q11: “What is your plan for residential development; do you support incentives to attract builders; if so, what incentives do you recommend?”
Seigrist; Vazquez; Parsons; Martinez; Whisenant; Lara.

Q12: “The city of Liberal has supported several TIFs (Tax Increment Financing) and CIDs (Community Improvement Districts) in the past few years. How would you balance the ability to attract new businesses and still be fair to our existing businesses?”
Vazquez; Parsons; Martinez; Whisenant; Lara; Seigrist. Follow-up by Parsons.

Closing statements, in their speaking order: Parsons; Martinez; Whisenant; Lara; Seigrist; Vazquez.