Merriam deserves open and honest government that listens to the people!
And that's my number one goal. To listen to, and encourage, my neighbors to speak. Far too few of our neighbors watch city hall or vote in local elections!
A vote for Croan is more than a vote to put one man in one chair.
Its a message from the people of Merriam, demanding a transparent government that listens.
Croan Principles:
Reduce city property taxes. No games with "refrain from raising the mill-rate" or "increasing them less". Our neighbors have suffered enough already. People are losing their homes and we all need relief.
Responsible spending must align with reducing city property taxes!Reduce crime. We must empower our police to protect us from crime, and use smart design, technology, and data analysis to identify and correct the root causes of crime in Merriam while safeguarding the rights of the innocent.
Criminals should be afraid to commit crimes here, and those in crisis should receive compassion from our mental health co-responders.End handouts to developers. Not increasing the tax burden on individual residents and small businesses to benefit a few wealthy developers.
City government should work with developers, not subsidize them!
Croan Ideals:
Protect Historic Downtown Merriam, not just from flooding, but from eminent domain and underhanded development. Demolishing the French Center while government restrictions kept residents from speaking out in person was just wrong.
Protect Scenic Turkey Creek. Keep it clean and flowing. Say no to walls and berms that would destroy Turkey Creek Trail and forever hide our beautiful stream-way from view.
Address downstream flooding where it does happen: Waterfall Park and the adjacent warehouse were where damage actually occurred this July, not where the current administration falsely focuses. Why is that?
Open transparent government, by default. Good government must have nowhere to hide. And good government shouldn't want to anyway. Transparency is foundational to a healty strong city. We aren't managing nuclear secrets in Merriam, KS. It's time the people have real access to the daily goings on at city hall. And all committees and subcommittee meetings should be streamed and saved for posterity utilizing the technology we already have for council meetings.
Ending municipal debt: We will reduce the risk that debt poses, should projects go sideways or the next economic downturn rears its head. I'm willing to press pause on luxury spending like yearly $115,000 art projects, and lightbulb and window film giveaways, until our city is debt-free.
Promote the Merriam identity. We should encourage businesses to use Merriam over KC or Shawnee Mission. Everyone in the KC Metro should know Merriam, and what makes us great!
Maintain the high quality city infrastructure we've all come to love and enjoy. (Street lights, curbs & gutters, sidewalks, traffic signals) and apply new technology as it becomes proven to increase efficiency.
Focus local, for staffing and spending. Did you know only 15% of city employees actually live here? We will increase that percentage through careful hiring. And when our tax dollars are spent, we should prioritize spending them on locally sourced goods whether it's concrete for a community center, or our 75th anniversary t-shirts. When we commission public art, we should use local artists, whenever possible. Strengthen our economy by keeping our dollars local!
Greater Respect for Residents & Businesses. Would you believe our city of 4 square miles has sent out over 700 code violation letters in the last year? Reduce unnecessary red tape, permits, and roadblocks that frustrate homeowners and hinder small businesses.
Traffic Relief. The recent fixation on "growth" has gotten our streets into a pickle. I'm not going to bulldoze what's built, but responsible leadership must mitigate the effect on traffic of any new development. Require adequate on-site parking for any new apartments instead of giving them a pass to cheap out. No more exceptions for rich developers (Grand Station….)
Cone Limits. Far too often the construction in residential neighborhoods here drags on for months. We must give contractors strict deadlines with penalties for failing to re-open full use of the street on time.
Celebrate Diversity. It is quite an honor that people come to America legally from all over the world and choose to make Merriam, KS their new home. Immigration is hard, and slow, and I will represent and listen to ALL people of Merriam, not just those who can vote. Nuestra, es un ciudad para todos.
Work for the people of Merriam, not outside developers. Developers and large outside land owners have taken our city for a ride. The former KMart owner shirked his property taxes and let his property become an eyesore to pressure us out of tax money — and it worked. The current administration paid out tens of millions of our taxes instead of punishing the negligent care of that vacant property which persisted for years.
I will listen to NEIGHBORS, not developers. No developer or staff member is going to pull my strings.
I have no allegiance to; nor own any property in; any city other than Merriam, KS, and I'm proud of that.
I am 100% invested in our city and its future — like most of my neighbors!
Many voters want to know their candidates' party affiliation as well: Neither mayoral candidate for Merriam are today affiliated with either major party and mayor is a non-partisan race.
Like most of our neighbors, my beliefs fall somewhere between the two. I find too much negativity back and forth between the two national parties to wear their label.
I affiliate Libertarian, and I'm proud that liberals and conservatives and independents from across the spectrum have united under that label, and its core principle of non-aggression. My political party is Merriam.
But I much prefer you call me a Merriammer, a Kansan, a neighbor, or just …..
