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There are four candidates running to become the new Independence mayor after incumbent Rory Rowland decided against seeking a second term.
Former Independence councilman Mike Huff, Roofers Union Local 20 Business Manager Kevin King and two current Independence City Council members, Bridget McCandless and Brice Stewart, are running to replace Rowland.
The field will be whittled on Tuesday, Feb. 3, from four candidates to two during the primary election. The two candidates receiving the most votes advance to the April 7 election.
The League of Women’s Voters of Kansas City/Jackson-Clay-Platte Counties is hosting a virtual Independence Mayoral Candidate Forum at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 29. Registration is required.
We asked each candidate a series of questions about issues in Independence and assembled their responses here. Edits were only made if needed to correct a grammar/spelling error or to keep with AP style:
What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Independence?
HUFF: I believe the most important issues facing Independence are city financial stability, reducing the cost of utilities and investing in public safety.
I believe we need to increase economic development by making it easier to do business without all the red tape.
KING: The biggest issue is trust. Too many residents feel disconnected from City Hall and decisions are being made without clear plans or public input.
Alongside that, we are facing aging infrastructure, public-safety staffing challenges, and a lack of a clear, citizen-informed vision for growth.
Independence needs transparency, fiscal responsibility, and leadership that listens before it acts.
MCCANDLESS: Selection of the City Manager. This individual is responsible for managing a large city with an $85-million General Fund budget, three utilities (electric, water and sewer) and over 1,000 employees.
We have some very important projects underway that we must see to the finish line. Getting a City Manager selected and in place should be our top priority.
STEWART: The lack of revenue for the general fund and lots of TIF debt.
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What are you looking for in a new Independence chief of police (e.g. experience, inside/outside department, enforcement-focused, community-engagement focused)?
HUFF: All the above with an emphasis on community-engagement.
A police chief should align with the needs of the citizens. I would like to know his/her opinion with regards to high-speed chase as I am pro-chase with common sense.
KING: I want a chief with strong leadership experience, a commitment to accountability, and a clear understanding that public safety and community trust go hand in hand.
Enforcement matters, but so does engagement. The next chief must support officers, demand professionalism, and work closely with neighborhoods to rebuild confidence and cooperation.
MCCANDLESS: We need an experienced chief of police, ideally from outside the department, which should be one of the first tasks of the new City Manager.
One of the key tasks of the new police chief will be to attract new talent to the force and prepare for retirements as they come.
The Chief has important roles in policy development for how the department runs and for making sure the community understands how those policies are put into practice for the community’s benefit.
Strong, stable proven leadership will be essential.
STEWART: Someone who is not afraid to shake things up a little bit. They need to be a good communicator and honest.
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Voters rejected a bond issue for a new IPD Headquarters, but the building’s issues remain and the space crunch will only get worse with Municipal Court operations moving in. What is your solution?
HUFF: While it is clear from the current state of the headquarters — leaks and a lack of space — that our department has outgrown the facility, the recent bond rejection shows a clear disconnect between the city’s proposal and the voters’ comfort level.
We need a solution that addresses these critical infrastructure failures without placing an undue/unvetted burden on the community.
KING: Voters were clear that they did not support that proposal. The answer is not to force the same idea through a different door.
We need a transparent evaluation of options — including renovation, phased improvements, shared services, or alternative sites — with full public input and clear costs.
Any solution must be fiscally responsible and publicly supported.
MCCANDLESS: We have partially addressed this issue by relocating many of the police department functions to what is currently the Independence Utilities Center, located close to 23rd Street and Missouri 291.
This will improve the space and functionality for those employees.
Patrol Division remains at the current Police Department building. Detention will remain at the current location in proximity to the courts because they work closely together.
There are remaining issues with that building that we will patch for now, but relieving some of the sheer number of staff in the building helps.
STEWART: I am against the municipal court moving in there. If the building is so bad right now, why is this being done?
I am not sure I have a good solution for this; however, some type of decision will have to be made soon.
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What does Independence need from a new city manager?
HUFF: A city manager must possess integrity, be transparent, have common sense, be accountable, and show the ability to work to unify the staff, departments, and city council.
Morale is low and we need a city manager who understands how to be a uniter and not a “behind-the-scenes politician.”
KING: Independence needs a city manager who values transparency, communicates clearly with residents, and understands their role is to carry out the will of the community as set by the City Council, not override it.
Strong financial management, respect for staff, and a disciplined, collaborative working relationship with both the council and the public are essential.
MCCANDLESS: We have some high-quality candidates from which to select.
The person needs to have a strong background in budgeting, management and proven experience in a complex organization.
They need to be an effective and consistent communicator.
They must have the capacity to hire, retain, and direct high-quality staff who manage departments with more than 1,000 employees.
Effective partnerships with businesses, nonprofits and neighboring communities are important, because some of our challenges must be solved regionally.
STEWART: An outside-of-the-box thinker; someone who is a good communicator and honest.
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Where do you stand on the proposed Nebius data center and new power plant?
HUFF: I would like to see a different vision for the city’s resources.
While I support expanding our tax base, I believe any new industrial development must align with our city’s long-term sustainability and the quality of life for our residents.
KING: I believe projects of this scale demand full transparency and honest public discussion.
Residents deserve clear answers about environmental impact, infrastructure strain, long-term costs, and who truly benefits.
Economic development should create good local jobs and strengthen our tax base without putting undue risk on residents.
MCCANDLESS: I support the project.
This is the largest private investment in Independence’s history. No city debt is involved. The contracts we have negotiated protect the city against financial risk.
The city has worked hard to address issues that other communities have experienced, specifically overuse of water and electric resources.
The city has put in place protections in case the company fails or chooses to leave early.
Issues raised by the community — noise, light and water — are being addressed by Nebius and the city. Discussions are ongoing.
This will make a major difference in city finances. Another voter-approved sales tax will not solve our financial challenges.
STEWART: All my options are still open with the Chapter 100 bond vote coming soon.
My biggest concern is that the AI bubble bursting and then being left with empty buildings out there.
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What role should incentives play in development, given the city’s history with troubling deals like the Crackerneck Creek TIF?
HUFF: I believe there are other ways to attract business by shifting the risk: Pay-as-you-go TIF, performance-based grants, streamlined permitting, infrastructure as incentive.
We have a clawback clause but have not had a council that will vote to enforce this clause. It is a disaster.
KING: Crackerneck Creek is a perfect example of why Independence residents have lost trust in how major incentive deals are handled.
The project was sold with big promises, but years later taxpayers are still carrying the burden while transparency and accountability were lacking from the start.
When elected officials or candidates have ties to developments that rely on long-term public subsidies, the public deserves full disclosure, clear recusal standards, and honest answers.
Going forward, incentive agreements must be defined, independently reviewed, and clearly beneficial to residents, not insiders.
Independence cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes.
MCCANDLESS: The city should not guarantee the debt of any developer, and we have not done so over the past several years.
Independence Power and Light can play a larger role in economic development as more power becomes available.
If revenues improve, we must pay down and pay off existing debt for which the city is responsible. Addressing these outstanding debts will put the city on a much more stable path to a fiscally sound future.
STEWART: If the city is not on the hook for incentives, we look at them on an individual basis.
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What assets in Independence are underutilized and how will you make better use of them?
HUFF: The Independence Events Center (Cable Dahmer Arena) is underutilized, especially since we do not have an event coordinator and the Mavericks are moving to Kansas*.
Our historic sites may be under marketed to bring regional and state interest.
[*Is this true?: KSHB 41 spoke with city officials and a team executive who said negotiations to extend the Mavericks’ lease at Cable Dahmer Arena are ongoing and suggested an agreement would some soon.]
KING: We have underused commercial corridors, vacant buildings, and industrial land that could support small businesses and good-paying jobs.
We also underuse our citizens by failing to involve them early in planning. Better coordination, infrastructure investment, and public engagement can unlock these assets.
MCCANDLESS: It is our residents. We need to increase opportunities for community engagement and involvement by those who live and work in Independence.
You can’t buy your way to a better community. You do so by increasing community pride and involvement.
The opportunities are ample.
STEWART: Probably our rich history to bring in tourism. We will continue to find better ways to promote this.
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What are the most important areas for development, redevelopment or continued investment in Independence (Historic Square, Noland Road, 291, EastGate Industrial Park, Independence Center area, etc.)?
HUFF: All are important but shopping generates tax revenue.
Noland Fashion Square needs to be desperately addressed for reinvestment.
The Independence Center is on the verge of closing.
We need to use a “prioritization framework” to strategically invest in shopping centers to generate the tax revenue needed for city maintenance, growth, and stability.
KING: Historic Independence Square, Noland Road, the Independence Center area, and key industrial zones all deserve focused attention.
Each area needs a tailored plan, not one-size-fits-all development.
Revitalization should support local businesses, improve walkability and safety, and respect existing neighborhoods.
MCCANDLESS: We need to work on revitalization of our older neighborhoods, particularly the housing stock.
I see more energy around this effort with local rehabbers and nonprofits taking on some of the neglected and abandoned houses.
Improving a few of these homes changes the look and feel of an entire block and, thus, how a community feels about itself.
We will need community partners, local rehabbers and a thoughtful approach.
Incentives are often mentioned, but the largest incentive is property-tax abatement, which funds primarily schools and libraries.
We need to make Independence attractive to young families because we have quality schools and good neighborhoods.
From a storefront perspective, I am committed to finding a solution to Noland Fashion Square.
There are some proposals we are considering that may help to address that long-standing blight.
I am very hopeful that an adaptive reuse of the old City Hall site will bring additional vibrancy to the Square.
Eastgate has great promise over the next 10 years to be a substantive addition to the community, especially in terms of jobs.
STEWART: The Independence Center area.
At one time, that area was thriving. If we could get it back to that, it would help our revenue shortfall tremendously.
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Anything else you’d like to add?
KING: The most important question is whether residents feel heard. Leadership is not about how many projects get announced; it is about whether people trust the process.
As mayor, my priority will be restoring that trust and making sure decisions are made in the open with the people of Independence fully informed and involved.
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