Presiding commissioner candidate Mary McKenna has issued a statement to thank all of the Platte County voters for turning out to vote in Tuesday’s primary and nominating her for presiding commissioner.
“It is clear to me that Platte County is ready to do something different,” McKenna said in a press release issued after the Tuesday, Aug. 4 primary. She was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
In the release, McKenna said Tuesday’s primary should be a wake-up call to everyone running for office in Platte County. It is no longer business as usual. Platte County residents spoke clearly at the ballot box when they voted overwhelmingly to defeat Amendment 5, the “tax everything” amendment.
Platte County is now the fastest growing county in the state of Missouri. It is important that the county manages its fiscal responsibilities as well as the demand on the county’s resources and infrastructure. The county cannot afford to pursue growth for the sake of growth while shifting the burden to pay for that expansion onto everyday working citizens and homeowners.
McKenna says good development requires more than roads and law enforcement to make a county safe and prosperous. It needs good schools that build great citizens and public health that ensure Platte County is safe from devastating outbreaks of diseases like measles.
“Families choose to settle where they trust the schools, feel safe and believe the future is bright” she said. “That is the future I want for every family in Platte County.’”
The county needs to be able to attract and keep good public servants like teachers and sheriff’s deputies while managing its budget. Fiscal responsibility is not gutting public services while undercutting the county’s revenue base then forcing homeowners to pick up the tab.
McKenna said fiscal responsibility means treating every taxpayer dollar like it’s her own. “You don’t balance a budget by handing out tax breaks to companies that don’t need them and then asking homeowners to make up the difference,” she said. “Real fiscal responsibility is disciplined, honest budgeting that keeps Platte County affordable for the people who already live here, not the people trying to buy influence. It’s expensive to borrow money for needed projects. Before we commit big dollars to any project, we need the citizens’ input.
Despite the appearance of warehouses and data centers along I-29, Platte County is at heart a place where people want to make their homes and raise their children. The county commission needs to remember that when making decisions. McKenna says she intends to keep that number one in her heart and mind when she is presiding commissioner, “Platte County is a great place to live because it is full of great people,” she said. “My focus will be on those people, not on outside companies that demand tax breaks, drain our resources and leave Platte County residents to pick up the tab.”
Many candidates are talking about being transparent. McKenna said the Platte County Commission has developed a reputation, in her view, for making decisions behind closed doors and then rubber stamping them before the public has a chance to speak.
“For too long, a small circle of insiders has made the real decisions behind closed doors, while everyday families are left to live with the results,” McKenna said. “I am not running to protect the status quo. At the end of the day, I answer to the voters of Platte County. Their vote to put me in office will dictate my voice on the commission.”
“When I am presiding commissioner, I will make sure the process is transparent and accessible,” she said. “I will be advocating to change public hearings to times when the public is most able to attend. At the end of the day, the Platte County commissioners are public servants that work for the residents of this county and are not a private organization. The commission needs to be available to the public.”
McKenna says she looks forward to November and asks Platte County residents to vote for her to keep Platte County a great place to live.