Your vote is important!!

It's time for a Change!
Simply stated, sixteen years is enough.
She has missed over 20% of council meetings since 1994.
Further, she didn't file required campaign reports from 2006-2010.

Her ties with an out-of-town developer are too cozy!
She broke a tie vote at the Council giving the developer $9 million support.
She then traveled to Eagle, Co to promote the close relationship between the City and that same developer.
Quoting from the Eagle, Colorado newspaper "Messerli was flown into Eagle in early December (on the developer's Corporate Learjet) to help campaign in favor of the ERS (i.e., RED) development."
Is this why she has so many signs at Summit Crossings and Summit Fair?

If this concerns you as much as it does me, I would appreciate your vote on Tuesday, April 6.

Styles of Leadership

It is easy to assume that there is only one leadership style.

My style allows for an open dialogue where input is welcome from Citizens and Council members. This requires that the leader be an “active listener” and resist the propensity to impose her will on the issue. A decision can be made following open discussion among the participants. If one watches recent City Council meetings that I have chaired (located on the City’s website), it is evident that my style is markedly different than the current Mayor. I contend that my style leads to a transparency in governmental decision making that the voters deserve and desire.

While I have been on the Council, I have worked with Citizens and Council members to negotiate on issues. For example, the City Council was presented with a petition to ban smoking in Lee’s Summit. After submittal of the no smoking petition, it was determined that there were conditions within the proposed language that would be problematic for the City. Councilmember Freeman and I met with the proponents of the petition and negotiated compromise language which was readily accepted by the City Council and supporters of the proposed ballot language.

In addition, prior to my retirement, I was a Senior Project Manager for a large engineering firm. One of my job responsibilities was to negotiate engineering services proposals and contract terms and conditions. Upon completion of the contract negotiations, I had the responsibility to administer the contract execution.

Where is the Mayor?

When the Mayor was elected, was there an expectation by the citizens of Lee’s Summit and those who elected her into office that she would attend Council meetings? Why am I asking this? An analysis has been performed and, since 1994, the current Mayor has missed over 20% of the meetings (roughly one out of five). I recognize that the Mayor had an accident in her home last summer requiring her to be absent while she recovered. This does not explain the 20% absentee rate prior to her accident. With that amount of absence, I think that there is a loss of continuity and leadership. This leads to the question, would any of you be paid or even be employed with a 20% absence rate?

In order to be fair, I must disclose that I have missed a total of 14 meetings since I was elected in 1998 which computes to a 97% attendance rate.

I contend the Citizen’s of Lee’s Summit deserve better by their top elected officer of the City. I further contend that the Citizen’s of Lee’s Summit are being terribly under-represented not only at Council meetings, but also at other meetings as well where the Mayor’s attendance is expected or requested.

The Mayor of ?

I am running for the office of Mayor of Lee’s Summit and I have no allegiances to any developer.

It was recently reported in the Eagle, Colorado newspaper that the current Mayor testified to Eagle’s city leadership in support of RED Development headquartered outside of Lee’s Summit and the developer of Summit Woods and Summit Fair. This raises the question, does a trip like this unduly bias the current mayor’s future actions and negotiations when dealing with RED? RED paid for the trip and she strongly endorsed the past working relationship with RED. Will RED help fund her campaign? Who needs who: does the current Mayor need RED or does RED need the current Mayor? Do you, a voter in L.S., need to support the current Mayor AND this out of town developer?

The Fallacy of the “Full Time Mayor

In the recent “State of the City” speech, the current Mayor proposed implementing the position of a full time Mayor with benefits. I do not agree with this position.

The charter for the City of Lee's Summit provides that the City Council is the legislative body that has the power.   For example,  taxes are set by the Council, ordinances (city laws) are passed by the Council,  policies which guide the city are determined by the Council.   The mayor votes only in case of a tie, represents the city at meetings and ceremonial occasions and appoints city commissions and boards to name a few responsibilities.   Asking the taxpayers of Lee's Summit to pay a full time salary with benefits to a mayor that has few powers and does not require that the mayor spend full time at the office does not make sense to me.

Further, to have a full time Mayor invites people to run for office for the wrong reason; i.e., personal gain as opposed to serving the people.

Under the current Charter, I am totally opposed to the concept of a full time Myor for Lee’s Summit.