Editor's note: In its March 26 issue, this newspaper published the responses of three of the four Excelsior Springs City Council candidates to a questionnaire soliciting their views on select municipal government issues and requesting them to discuss their qualifications. Responses were edited for length. This version features the complete responses by the candidates.

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – Two incumbents and two challengers are vying for City Council seats April 6.

Brad Eales, 61; and Sonya Morgan, 62½, look to retain their seats for another three years.  Stephen Spear, 54; and Sebrina T. Williams are the challengers. Voters may pick two candidates, including write-ins.

A questionnaire was submitted to each candidate. This newspaper received responses from Eales, Morgan and Spear. Here are their answers …

WHY ARE YOU RUNNING?

Eales: “I have always had a passion for Excelsior Springs and I want to continue to work for the betterment of our community.”

Morgan: “Tourism is the second largest industry in the state of Missouri. I continue to work toward the development of a heritage tourism program for Excelsior Springs. We have seen an incredible investment, both public and private, in our downtown, with improvements at The Elms Hotel and Spa, the downtown streets, landscaping, historic streetlights and (the) museum.

“The state partnered with us for two new bridges on Isley Boulevard (10 Highway). The Downtown Excelsior Partnership has helped to bring in new business and thousands of people come to enjoy annual events. Changes in our planning ordinances have encouraged Airbnb-type businesses to close a housing gap for tourism. Most recent will be the improvements at the Hall of Waters through the $500,000 Save America’s Treasures grant – a grant that I helped to write and advocate for.

“Thousands upon thousands of people visit Watkins Mill State Park and the Jesse James Farm and Museum each year. With our proximity to those historic sites, Excelsior Springs should be seeing the same traffic here. I believe tourism is economic development. I am a committed, strong voice at the table to make our tourism industry a priority.

“I am also running for re-election to the council because I am able to represent the downtown and east side of Excelsior Springs, otherwise unrepresented, as well as represent all other areas of the city.”

Spear: “Having a fresh perspective and a new voice is a good thing and I represent that fresh perspective. I am not running AGAINST anyone. I am running FOR specific ideas that I believe to be beneficial for our community. 

“I have spent a 30-plus-year career as a businessman in the retirement/financial industry, serving clients as a fiduciary.  The definition of fiduciary is ‘someone who acts on behalf of another person putting their clients’ interest ahead of their own.’ As a member of the City Council, I would apply this same level of care and responsibility.  Each decision made … every tax dollar spent must come with a benefit for everyone in our great community.”

WHY ARE YOU QUALIFIED?

Eales: “I am a lifelong resident of Excelsior Springs. I have nine years of experience as a council member. I have worked hard on numerous projects and fought for what is best for Excelsior Springs residents.”

Morgan: “My level of community involvement keeps me aware of what issues are important to the public and provides context for decisions in future planning. My experience working with the chamber of commerce, museum, Downtown Excelsior Partnership, Business Women of Missouri, Good Samaritan Center and others has been educational and rewarding. While serving on the council, I have been liaison to the Historic Preservation Commission, housing authority, and Planning & Zoning Board, and am a member of the Excelsior Thrive Housing Committee, all boards that serve our neighborhoods and create zoning overlays for land use.

“Personally, I like having some green space between us and neighboring communities. I like that Excelsior Springs can be a destination. As a preservationist, I feel there are many opportunities for redeveloping existing property by reimaging what is possible.

“I have continued education and outreach during the past nine years on subjects such as planning and zoning, finance, public works, economic development, emergency preparedness, ethics and leadership. I love to read and subscribe to many newsletters that address governmental issues, such as American City & County, Smart Growth America, AARP Livable Communities, Rethinking Homelessness, The Daily Yonder, Missouri Humanities and the Citizens Institute on Rural Design. I have built relationships within the community and among outside agencies and organizations that support me in the performance of my council duties and provide valuable resources.”

Spear: “1) One of my greatest qualifications is, I am not a politician! I am a businessman with a financial focus; 2) I represent a fresh perspective and a new voice combined with a lifetime of love for and history in Excelsior Springs.”

ISSUES

Question: What is the city’s greatest need and how would you propose to meet it?

Eales: “Development, business and infrastructure. The city has just begun to rewrite city codes and ordinances, and I want to be a part of that process to protect the rights of the majority of citizens and not just small groups.”

Morgan: “The city’s greatest need is more revenue to maintain financial stability and work towards sustainability. The City Council, city manager and city staff practice effective two-way communication to develop annual budgets. In addition, the city maintains a six-year capital investment plan of selected priorities developed in work sessions and reviewed annually.

“These priorities are shared with residents who serve on city boards and commissions to bring them into the planning process. Building and maintaining a six-month revenue in reserve for all departments is a financial resiliency goal. Our new city finance director is finding areas where we can trim expenses. Having new projects prioritized and in ‘shovel ready’ form is desired. This means that projects have been planned and engineered sufficiently so that when funding grants or other opportunities present themselves, we are able to take advantage of those opportunities.

“Excelsior Springs has a lot of resources to attract investors such as our Enterprise Zone, Opportunity Zones and 353 Tax Abatement area. We need to hone our message that Excelsior Springs is a great place to live, work and play. Our participation in the Communities of Excellence program is smart and provides a framework for attracting new investment, which will help our community and our revenues to grow.”

Spear: “The No. 1 priority is the rising costs of water and sewer rates.  This is top of mind for every person I have spoken with.

“We need to be a community that is warm and welcoming to new businesses and new families. Businesses represent paychecks, tax revenue, funding for schools and become reasons people choose to locate here.  If we make it difficult for new businesses, we inhibit growth directly impacting your personal budget with the rising costs previously mentioned. 

“We need a solution to the number of vacant properties.  In addition to privately owned vacant properties, at last count the city owned approximately 300 properties. Some are understandable, such as schools, Hall of Waters, etc. These properties could be developed from a liability into an asset, generating property taxes and positively impacting neighborhood pride. 

“As a city government, we should not be in the business of operating golf courses –thankfully, this was recently changed – operating restaurants or developing real estate ventures.  The top priority of our city should be to serve each and every person in this community.”

Question: Do you think the city allowed the public ample notice about the intention to change golf course management? Why or why not?

Eales: “Yes. Nine years ago, when I first ran for council, I was asked the question of how did I feel about the constant loss of money to taxpayers from the golf course and the airport. At that time, my response was, in order to succeed in any business and make it profitable, you have to make a plan.

“You have to make changes. In numerous open council meetings, as well as numerous phone calls to me personally, many options have been discussed over the years of how to increase revenues and keep rates down. This seemed to be the best business decision for taxpayers.”

Morgan: “The golf course personnel are dedicated and have helped to make changes at the course that have improved its financial performance and increased membership. As the golf course provides a greater skill level and attractiveness to players, the experience that Orion Management Services brings to our course will help further the great golfing that Excelsior Springs is historically known for. Now, our staff have a management team to partner with in getting the best performance possible for our course.

“There has been much discussion with the public to let us know that the citizens want our golf course to be less of a burden on our general fund. We have cut the dependency on the general fund almost in half in the past few years. With the new management, the public should continue to see improvements at our course that move it toward sustainability. The council was excited to be presented with this opportunity and moved quickly in order for the transition to take place during the off-season months, wanting staff and Orion to have as much time as possible for planning this golf season.”

Spear: “Our community is known for two things: 1) The Elms Hotel; 2) our great golf course.  It is one of the best courses around.  An ESPN study reported the number of U.S. golf courses exponentially increased from 1960 to the early 2000s.  This trend has reversed, and in 2015, the study reported a steady market correction as to the number of courses.  This can be witnessed by the closure of two local golf courses: Cardinal Hill Golf Course and Liberty Hills Country Club. 

“It is no secret that the Excelsior Springs Golf Course has required funding from the city’s budget over the years. The decision to delegate the management of the course was the right decision. 

“The timing or notification would be debatable, depending upon who you ask.  I believe private management provides the golf course a greater probability of surviving and not becoming the next one to close.”

Question: Do you agree with refinancing the community center bonds? Why or why not?

Eales: “Yes. Like any homeowner, when the city had the option to refinance the bonds at nearly half the interest rate, it was a fantastic business opportunity. With this savings on the interest rate, it also allowed the city the option to work on Phase Il of the community center that will include an outdoor pool, which voters were extremely passionate about when Phase I was done, but there were not enough funds to do it.”

“Morgan: Yes, I voted for refinancing the community center bonds at a rate of about 2%, taking the city from the 4% rate that it received when the bonds were issued in 2014.  I also voted to approve bonds up to $6.5 million to be issued from the community center sales tax at the new rate to finance improvements to the community center. This allows the city to move forward with plans for an outdoor swimming pool area that were desirable in the first phase of the center, but were not affordable at the time.

“New visioning began in 2017 for Phase II, but, again, a financing source was not identified. I have heard continued requests for an outdoor pool, and it will build on the success of the community center in providing a healthy and fun way to spend recreational time. The community center steering committee, public and community center partners, such as the school district and hospital, will be brought together to identify what improvements will be made in this next stage of development.”

Spear: “The historic low interest rates are likely something we will not witness again in our lifetime, if the existing debt for the community center can be restructured to take advantage of lower interest rates, which is a logical decision. 

“Additional information is needed before it would make sense to increase the debt by an additional $5 million.  For example, is membership growing, declining or flat? Do membership fees create positive cash flow, break even or operate in the red? What percentage of active members live inside of the city limits and, in exchange for the additional debt, could citizens receive discounted membership fees?”

Question: Are the city’s emergency response departments funded adequately?

EALES: “I don’t know that it’s ever adequately funded when planning for worst-case scenarios, but with the number of responses that we receive monthly, I would say, yes, without becoming a burden on taxpayers, because the only way to increase funding is to increase taxes. It is definitely a no-win situation.”

Morgan: “No. Public safety should always remain our No. 1 concern; however, needs often exceed what can be spent from the public safety sales tax funds. I certainly would like to see more funding available.

“We need to provide salaries and benefits that compete equally with neighboring communities in attracting and keeping qualified personnel. Due to the loss of tax revenue on phone land lines, as more people opt for cell phones only, the E911 tax does not generate enough revenue to pay for 911 equipment.

“Our fire department is responsible for an extended service area outside of Excelsior Springs that we may not be adequately compensated for. We are in the process of upgrading the fire department radio system, as well as the tornado warning system. The fire department would like a storm shelter on its property for staff and citizens’ protection.

“We have an incredible team of emergency personnel that serve Excelsior Springs and are to be commended for all they do. They are the professionals in public safety and, most often, they are the ones who identify the solutions.”

Spear: “I believe this to be a very broad topic and one too deep for this brief response. I will say this – our greatest asset is people. We must first be sure compensation structures and benefits are competitive with surrounding communities.  We must prevent spending time, money and valuable resources on training new hires, only to have them leave our community and increase their wages and benefits.  Expenses related to health care and benefits rise each year so shopping these rates annually ensures they remain competitive.”

Question: Is the city’s infrastructure (streets, sewers, water) funded adequately?

Eales: “Streets – I feel we are behind the eight ball with streets. We have a lot of failing streets in neighborhoods. With all the new federal mandates requiring storm water and sidewalk improvements, street repair/replacement has become an extreme drain on the budget. We have hundreds of miles of streets to maintain and this is becoming a challenge with very low funding.

“Sewers/water – This is a difficult challenge because we have an aging infrastructure, but we have made a lot of major improvements with bond money, but still need a lot of work. It is a challenge to keep rates down, as many other cities, who are not as far along as we are, are finding (it difficult) to keep up with all the federal mandates and clean water acts.”

Morgan: “No. I could answer no to questions posed in this manner indefinitely. What city council representative would not like to see more funding for city departments? The capital improvement sales tax remains the saving grace for many infrastructure needs.

“I would like to have more of our sidewalks that are in disrepair replaced. I’m excited about the safe streets and sidewalks grant opportunity for west side development in the area of the new elementary school and business district. The expansion of Miller Cabinets has provided an opportunity for funding improvements to Jesse James Road, and the road was chosen as the next street overlay project. As planned now, those improvements would extend down Dunbar to the old fire station. It will not fund the needed improvements to the bridge over Henri Street, however, and there is not adequate funding yet to replace the low water bridge on North Main Street.

“The Department of Natural Resources now requires that we maintain a storm water management plan, public education and outreach activities, but there is lack of a funding source for storm water system improvements. It needs to be moved out of the sewer fund and its own funding source identified, so that citizens can better see what services their tax dollars are providing.”

Spear: “From the first day I announced my campaign for City Council, the topic of water rates have been the common theme of every conversation.  I have yet to speak with someone who believes their rates are at an acceptable level.

“I am aware that many smaller communities are having similar issues with aging infrastructure and rising costs – some are even looking to outsource these services to private organizations.  I would not favor outsourcing. Yes, our challenges are great, but our future is greater!”