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Blue Springs, MO —
It’s still a long way to the April 2010 election, but Dale Carter isn’t wasting much time preparing for it.
Carter, a DJ with KFKF 94.1 FM, confirmed Thursday that he is running for the District 1 Blue Springs City Council seat currently held by Lyle Shaver.
The way Carter talks about it, his decision to run wasn’t at all sudden. Instead, it’s been building and building since he and his wife, Lisa, moved to Kansas City in 1995 and, later, stumbled on Blue Springs – a “happy accident,” he calls it.
Until recently, most of Carter’s attention has been on his family and broadcasting career at KFKF, where he frequently interviews politicians.
“When we have local politicans on, I feel like I’m better equipped than some to talk to them,” Carter, a political science graduate of University of Southern Indiana, said. “I’ve always felt comfortable.”
Carter now wants to use that comfort and experience to forge a new direction for District 1 and Blue Springs as a whole, a direction he said is needed after recent developments.
“I don’t know how many people (saw the recent City Council discussion) concerning the development proposal about Adams Dairy Landing,” he said, “but that was reality TV at its best.
“I’m not so sure that was good government.”
Carter was referring to District 3 City Council Member Sheila Solon’s statements in mid-April about how the city should not put itself at risk and not back bonds for the Adams Dairy Landing project, a project he says is critical to the city’s overall health.
“The worst-case scenario would be if ADL didn’t open, if all the proposed businesses didn’t open or closed their doors later,” he said. “Or if everything fell apart, the school loses kids and people move out. That’s the real worst-case scenario. The city is already bleeding taxes and people.”
District 1, comprising the north half of the city and a portion of the southeast, needs leadership that Carter feels is lacking. He said developers still consider Blue Springs as one of – if not the – most difficult cities to do business in.
“I still have friends and associates who say that,” Carter said.
On his Web site, www.electdalecarter.com, Carter writes that the city needs leadership, not continued confrontation – the best example, he said, being District 3 City Council Member Ron Fowler’s decision to abstain from voting on an Adams Dairy Parkway project. The developer later filed a lawsuit against the city claiming violations of due process, as well as against Fowler, accused of making damaging public statements.
Fowler then brought the vote up for reconsideration, at which time he voted no. The lawsuit was dropped.
“I would only abstain if I felt an issue was a conflict of interest,” Carter said.
But Carter’s concerns are more than City Council disagreements, which he said are expected and healthy. His concerns are primarily with the way certain City Council members continually vote against development and tax incentives, which he said help a city grow and compete.
At the same time, Carter said he wouldn’t automatically accommodate every proposal that comes to City Council.
“There’s a common-sense approach to that,” he said, adding that if he was going to “emulate” any City Council member, it would be District 2 City Council Member Kent Edmondson.
“He continuously looks at both sides and makes a decision,” he said.
Carter said he would also put his trust in city staff and the Planning Commission.
“If the Planning Commission recommends a project and city staff is in agreement, you don’t need City Council to put someone on a cross,” he said, adding that he suspects some City Council members are simply looking for attention.
“I’m on the radio, and I don’t need to be a star,” he said.
In addition to his broadcast career, Carter is involved on the CSIP Advisory Board for the Blue Springs School District, as well as the Advisory Board for the Blue Springs Education Foundation. He’s also a member of Blue Springs FIT.
Carter plans to make his candidacy official from 5-7 p.m. on May 15 at the Lunar Bowl in Blue Springs. He’ll be in attendance with friends and family, as well as his campaign manager, Carl Scarborough, an inspector with the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District.
Contacted Thursday, Council Member Lyle Shaver said he intends to run for his seat again.
It’s still a long way to the April 2010 election, but Dale Carter isn’t wasting much time preparing for it.
Carter, a DJ with KFKF 94.1 FM, confirmed Thursday that he is running for the District 1 Blue Springs City Council seat currently held by Lyle Shaver.
The way Carter talks about it, his decision to run wasn’t at all sudden. Instead, it’s been building and building since he and his wife, Lisa, moved to Kansas City in 1995 and, later, stumbled on Blue Springs – a “happy accident,” he calls it.
Until recently, most of Carter’s attention has been on his family and broadcasting career at KFKF, where he frequently interviews politicians.
“When we have local politicans on, I feel like I’m better equipped than some to talk to them,” Carter, a political science graduate of University of Southern Indiana, said. “I’ve always felt comfortable.”
Carter now wants to use that comfort and experience to forge a new direction for District 1 and Blue Springs as a whole, a direction he said is needed after recent developments.
“I don’t know how many people (saw the recent City Council discussion) concerning the development proposal about Adams Dairy Landing,” he said, “but that was reality TV at its best.
“I’m not so sure that was good government.”
Carter was referring to District 3 City Council Member Sheila Solon’s statements in mid-April about how the city should not put itself at risk and not back bonds for the Adams Dairy Landing project, a project he says is critical to the city’s overall health.
“The worst-case scenario would be if ADL didn’t open, if all the proposed businesses didn’t open or closed their doors later,” he said. “Or if everything fell apart, the school loses kids and people move out. That’s the real worst-case scenario. The city is already bleeding taxes and people.”
District 1, comprising the north half of the city and a portion of the southeast, needs leadership that Carter feels is lacking. He said developers still consider Blue Springs as one of – if not the – most difficult cities to do business in.
“I still have friends and associates who say that,” Carter said.
On his Web site, www.electdalecarter.com, Carter writes that the city needs leadership, not continued confrontation – the best example, he said, being District 3 City Council Member Ron Fowler’s decision to abstain from voting on an Adams Dairy Parkway project. The developer later filed a lawsuit against the city claiming violations of due process, as well as against Fowler, accused of making damaging public statements.
Fowler then brought the vote up for reconsideration, at which time he voted no. The lawsuit was dropped.
“I would only abstain if I felt an issue was a conflict of interest,” Carter said.
But Carter’s concerns are more than City Council disagreements, which he said are expected and healthy. His concerns are primarily with the way certain City Council members continually vote against development and tax incentives, which he said help a city grow and compete.
At the same time, Carter said he wouldn’t automatically accommodate every proposal that comes to City Council.
“There’s a common-sense approach to that,” he said, adding that if he was going to “emulate” any City Council member, it would be District 2 City Council Member Kent Edmondson.
“He continuously looks at both sides and makes a decision,” he said.
Carter said he would also put his trust in city staff and the Planning Commission.
“If the Planning Commission recommends a project and city staff is in agreement, you don’t need City Council to put someone on a cross,” he said, adding that he suspects some City Council members are simply looking for attention.
“I’m on the radio, and I don’t need to be a star,” he said.
In addition to his broadcast career, Carter is involved on the CSIP Advisory Board for the Blue Springs School District, as well as the Advisory Board for the Blue Springs Education Foundation. He’s also a member of Blue Springs FIT.
Carter plans to make his candidacy official from 5-7 p.m. on May 15 at the Lunar Bowl in Blue Springs. He’ll be in attendance with friends and family, as well as his campaign manager, Carl Scarborough, an inspector with the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District.
Contacted Thursday, Council Member Lyle Shaver said he intends to run for his seat again.
