Funeral Services Friday for IPD Chief Fred Mills

On Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, Retired Independence Police Chief Fred Mills (Van Horn Class of 1962) passed away after a hard fought battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).  Chief Mills retired from the Missouri State Highway Patrol as the Colonel of the Patrol prior to coming to IPD.  Chief Mills served from 2001-2008 at IPD and continued to serve the citizens of Independence in private roles even after retirement.

Services information is as follows:

Friday, Feb. 11, 2022
First Baptist Church of Blue Springs
4500 S. Little Blue Parkway

Visitation 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
Service 1:00 p.m.

Graveside Services at Floral Hills East, 25203 E. 50 Hwy, Lee's Summit, MO immediately after the service.

https://www.speakschapel.com/memorials/frederick-mills/4850525/index.php

Meet the Candidates: Marcie Gragg

INDEPENDENCE CITY COUNCIL RACE: 

MARCIE GRAGG

For those who don't know me, I was privileged to serve previously on the City Council as the First District Council member between 2006 and 2016. I stepped down at the end of that term, which was about a year after my husband passed from cancer. I really enjoyed serving before we accomplished a lot of wonderful things, but at that time three of our four sons were still living at home and needed my full-time attention, so I chose not to run again for Council.

When I served before, we got a LOT of great things done together in the First District (which I represented) and throughout the city. When I served before, we:

• addressed neighborhood blight and created revitalization plans throughout the district.

• addressed serious infrastructure needs and revitalized our historic Truman district.

• championed the development of the city's first inclusive playground and special needs ballfield at McCoy Park (it was named the “Gragg Outpost” in honor of my family’s work on this project.

• corrected obsolete zoning that helped restore single family housing in Englewood, Fairmount, Mt. Washington, and near the Historic Square.

• prioritized undergrounding of electric utilities to improve IPL service and reduce storm outages in our older neighborhoods, especially in the First District.

•  built the arena and expanded economic development around 39th St. 

• partnered with “12 Blocks West,” a redevelopment non-profit corporation, to demo a dangerous apartment building, build new homes, create food distribution networks, provide free job training, and build partnerships with residents, churches, and businesses in western Independence.

Some of these successes can still be seen, and others have been neglected and need our attention again.

Our city is facing a lot of challenges right now, and we have a lot of work to do together to address some problem areas that are detracting from our quality of life. We need solid and well-resourced police, fire, and health services. We need clean, safe neighborhoods with quality housing opportunities for residents of all income levels. We also need to attract job opportunities that raise our median income.  These are my priorities today.

Foremost, public safety must be our first priority.  When I served the council previously, I had a strong record of supporting all aspects of our public safety. Whether it was our police services, our fire services, or our health services, I have always promoted adopting a budget that prioritized these areas. I co-chaired one of the police sales tax campaigns in 2015. If a city is not safe, its citizens can't enjoy quality of life. Ensuring that these public safety departments are well resourced is critical. 

In addition to public safety, we need to give much more serious attention to the increase in the homeless population in our community and to the decline in the quality of housing in many of our aging neighborhoods.  I think we need to take a good hard look and what is driving these two issues, find ways that they are connected, and set priorities for tackling them head on. Regarding quality of housing, I would like to see us focus on ways we can support and resource neighborhoods that are trying to revitalize themselves.

Third, we need to tackle some big issues that are affecting our ability to attract large companies to our city that bring with them high paying jobs.  Wrapped up in this conversation is the issue of our electric utility and the cost of power and how that may be affecting economic development. It’s time that we have some hard conversations in our community about what's been holding us back and what we need to do to break free and move forward.

I hope voters will select candidates who have demonstrated they can hit the ground running and lead effectively with their experience, passion, and integrity.  I believe our Council can do much better than it has in the past several years and I hope to be a part of restoring our citizens’ faith in local government.

For more information visit https://www.graggforindependence.com/

PLEASE VOTE IN THE CITY ELECTION ON FEBRUARY 8!

MEET THE CANDIDATES
MAYOR: BRICE STEWART -- HOLMES OSBORNE -- KENNETH LOVE -- EILEEN WEIR
CITY COUNCIL: MIKE HUFF -- BILL PRESTON

Meet the Candidates: Billie Ray Preston

INDEPENDENCE CITY COUNCIL RACE: 

BILLIE RAY PRESTON

At the top of any thoughtful list of important concerns for the citizens of Independence, MO, or any town in America, you would expect to find health and welfare, housing, a sufficiently thriving economic and industrial base to ensure every person capable of working earns a livable wage, and a wholesome environment that promotes ethics in government. Health and welfare also includes public safety. Housing and the lack thereof define the civility and compassion of a society. Economics and industry are the foundation and corner stones of every sustainable society. However, it is ethics in government that offer citizens the assurance that public resources are used to promote a fair and just community.

At the core of health and welfare is public safety. On the frontline of public safety is the police officer who responds to the widest range of summons. However, it is this very officer that is most neglected. This officer is paid such a low wage that one of our most sacred and treasured public servants is compelled to routinely work eighty (80) to one hundred (100) or more hours per week to adequately provide for family. We would never permit an airline pilot to fly a plane eighty (80) hours a week. We would never permit an over-the-road truck driver to drive an eighteen wheeler eighty (80) hours a week. There are profound negative unintended consequences. And yet, the police officer is economically compelled to work long hours because we withhold what is rightly due: a fair and just wage. No one works ninety hours a week, month after month and year after year, because "they just love their job". This is a dictate of finance or the lack thereof. It is grossly inadequate to merely say, "I support our police." We must hold adult discussions on fair and equitable compensation for our police. Anything else is mindless babble. A just wage is essential; however, continuing education is fundamental and an eighty (80) hour workweek is a major obstacle.

Affordable and fair housing is essential and indicative of a fair and just society. Adequate housing is the product of thoughtful city planning. We must do better. The Independence School District has approximately one thousand (1,000) homeless children daily, and that does not include data from the other three school districts in Independence. This is a pre-covid-19 statistic. The existing federal, state and local partnerships are the short term approach and only a partial solution. When these financial resources are delivered, we must ensure they are delivered to the intended point of need and not diverted to some pork barrel project. This requires accountability and thoughtful oversight. There also must be a region-wide approach to systemic homelessness as presently we are primarily making our homelessness problem our municipal neighbors' problem. The long term solution is as it has always been: education.

There has been municipal effort to attract a more diversified industrial base. There must be a renewed and concerted effort in that regard. However, we may be overlooking the obvious. Our wages are low because we have an under-trained and under educated population. Kirksville MO, with a population under twenty thousand (20,000), has a medical school, a dental school, a university and an incredibly engaged and cohesive local leadership team. Of course, Kirksville holds rigorous debate, but it is always thoughtful and respectful. If we address our most fundamental need, a well-trained and well-educated labor force, we will produce the clean environmental industry of education.

Ethics in government must be more than some trite campaign slogan dragged out seasonally to excuse the lack thereof. Our beloved Independence has been plagued by a dark shadow for more than forty (40) years. This dark hand has been persistent and consistent. Even before the days of Mayor Barbara Potts and to the present, mayors have pushed back. There must be a full-throated ethical movement that includes the City Council rather than having this matter exacerbated by Council members. I will not besmirch our municipal image in this format to advance. However, I intend to shine the light of justice on any proposal that betrays the oath of our fiduciary responsibility. On this matter I renew the sacred pledge to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic. I intend to use every arrow in the quiver to pierce the heart of any scheme to misdirect public resources. There must be continuing education on ethics in government for our elected officials, city staff and vendors and contractors.

We must address the issues of health and welfare, housing, economics and ethics in government as a thoughtful people. We are fortunate to be the home of some of the most gifted people in America. We are bigger than our challenge, with solutions resting within our concerted and civil debate. No one person is the solution; however, collectively we embody both the answers and the problems. I choose to be part of the answer.

I am a sixty-nine (69) year old black man who came to Independence in 2008. This community embraced me and I have sought to give back. I am retired from federal service after more than twenty (20) years of enforcing federal labor laws and assisting businesses, industry and labor and professional organizations better understand the many applicable federal labor regulations.

Most of my life has been spent interfacing with the public and in public service. I have enjoyed almost every moment of it. My academic preparation with degrees in economics and real estate, along with the coaching of some incredibly talented and generous people, have prepared me well. I remain coachable, as my years in law enforcement taught me to listen carefully. Federal investigating also taught me to begin each investigation with a clean slate and not some previously held position in search of corroborating data.

Public service does not require one to agree with every position put forward. However, one is required to listen and respect input. I have never longed for public office nor have I ever previously sought public office. I embrace this opportunity because of the encouragement of many friends. They trust me and I trust them. I hope you will too.

For more information visit https://www.electbillpreston.com/

PLEASE VOTE IN THE CITY ELECTION ON FEBRUARY 8!

MEET THE CANDIDATES
MAYOR: BRICE STEWART -- HOLMES OSBORNE -- KENNETH LOVE -- EILEEN WEIR
CITY COUNCIL: MIKE HUFF -- BILL PRESTON-- MARCIE GRAGG

Meet the Candidates: Eileen Weir

INDEPENDENCE MAYORAL RACE: 

EILEEN WEIR

My husband, Tom, and I moved to Independence in 2000 and purchased his grandparent's home on Blue Ridge Blvd.  Tom's parents, Bob and Carolyn Weir, live next door to us, in the home where Tom grew up.  His grandfather, Bill Reich, worked in the family business A. Reich & Sons in Leeds and the West Bottoms of Kansas City before developing the Blue Ridge Mall and Blue Ridge Bank & Trust Co in the 1950's.  He and Tom's grandmother, Marcie Reich, were very involved in the business and civic communities throughout their lives.

Over the past 21 years that I have lived in Independence, I have focused on public safety and economic development, particularly in Western Independence.  I was appointed to the Citizens Committee on Public Safety in 2003 and worked with Chief of Police Fred Mills and Fire Chief Larry Hodge to understand the needs of our police and fire departments. The committee recommended two sales taxes for police and fire which were placed on the ballot in August of 2004. I learned a lot from working on those campaigns, and I have put my time, energy, and financial resources into many campaigns since then including the school district boundary change campaign to bring the Western Independence schools into the Independence School District.  I led the 2019 Prop P campaign to implement a local use tax to hire more police officers and support our regional animal shelter.

I currently serve on the "On A Roll Committee" to implement the city's downtown redevelopment plan.  This plan includes the Square, Englewood, Maywood, and Fairmount as well as Noland Road, 23rd Street, and 24 Hwy.  Over the past several months, I have been working with Congressman Emanuel Cleaver to secure federal funding for an emissions-free, fare-free bus rapid transit project on 24 Hwy.  This plan will connect Kansas City, KS, Kansas City, MO and Independence with a state-of-the art bus line and revitalize the 24 Hwy corridor with new infrastructure, businesses and housing. This will add to the investment the city has already made for the complete streets project on 24 Hwy that will begin construction this year.

During my time as mayor, I have enjoyed leading trips to other cities in our area and around the country to learn about downtown redevelopment and get great ideas for our city.  My dad's career was in downtown redevelopment, so it is something I grew up with and have always been inspired by.  Independence has so much to offer, and I have dedicated myself to building relationships across the metro and across the country to bring quality development to our city.  Over the past 8 years, our median income has grown from $41,000 to $53,000 and over 5,000 new jobs have been created.

I appreciate your vote on Tuesday, February 8th to keep Independence growing strong.

PLEASE VOTE IN THE CITY ELECTION ON FEBRUARY 8!

MEET THE CANDIDATES
MAYOR: BRICE STEWART -- HOLMES OSBORNE -- KENNETH LOVE -- EILEEN WEIR
CITY COUNCIL: MIKE HUFF -- BILL PRESTON-- MARCIE GRAGG

Meet the Candidates: Mike Huff

INDEPENDENCE CITY COUNCIL RACE: 

MIKE HUFF

Greetings. I am Mike Huff and the City of Independence's incumbent Councilmember At-Large elected in April, 2018. I am a life-long resident of Independence, MO. My education has all been within the Independence School District. I graduated from William Chrisman High School and attended a two-year program at Park College. I obtained several work related, industrial, state, federal, and managerial certifications thru my professional career.

I was employed by Armco Steel for several years and then a janitor with Independence Power and Light. I was with the IPL for 34 years as a lineman, superintendent, and electrical distribution manager before my 2017 retirement from the CITY. I managed 50+ employees over those years, assisted in many Missouri and national disaster crews to help other electrical companies during storms and terrible hurricanes like Katrina. I am VERY proud to be a past member of the Steel Workers Union Local 13 (Armco) and IBEW Local 53 (IPL), which both unions continue to strive for worker equalities.

Independence is a wonderful city to raise a family. My wife, Tammy, and I have two successful children who are married with two wonderful grandchildren and one on the way. My parents, who are also life-long Independence citizens, donated time to maintain Independence historical sites and I continue to support these preservation efforts today. This great city is so rich with a diverse history and other unique economical sources that we must promote and capitalize upon to attract new families and businesses to our great city.

I pledge continued efforts for city change to benefit all Independence citizens and to do so with the utmost transparency. I have introduced over 28 ordinances for the betterment of citizens. Many of these have been to save the citizens money through energy rate reductions and refunds, addressing blight in our neighborhoods and business areas, and addressing the need for more police and fire fighters. I also see a great need to address our economic development policies and ideas, create employment opportunities, and increase community services.

PLEASE VOTE IN THE CITY ELECTION ON FEBRUARY 8!

MEET THE CANDIDATES
MAYOR: BRICE STEWART -- HOLMES OSBORNE -- KENNETH LOVE -- EILEEN WEIR
CITY COUNCIL: MIKE HUFF -- BILL PRESTON-- MARCIE GRAGG