ShawneeDispatch.com

Kathleen Schamet

Shawnee should not have raised its taxes in 2007, Ward I City Council candidate Kathleen Chipman Shamet said.

"I believe not enough research was done to propose the tax raise," she said. "I think there's a lot of wasteful spending going on."

With the city's current mill levy one of the hot topics in this year's Council race, Shamet said she did not agree with the decision to raise property taxes for the first time in 13 years. It's an issue candidates are likely to continue to debate until the April 1 Council elections.

Shamet said the city could save money by conducting elections, which the city has to fund, during major elections. She said she has found no evidence that city elections must be done in April.

She said she also thinks the city needs to re-evaluate all city contracts for services that are more than $15,000, and the city should make more of an effort to contract with Shawnee businesses, even if they aren't necessarily the lowest bidder.

"I think we always need to make sure that the services are what we're asking for in the RFP," she said. "But I think there should be some type of, almost like credit given for local businesses - keeping our money here, paying local, Shawnee businesses."

Shamet has previously said she thinks the city should not create blight by allowing long-term vacancies. She said the Council needed to work closer with the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce to market the city, being proactive in the business community and more actively look for businesses for vacant spaces.

As for vacant spaces that still have contracts, she thinks the city could do more to work with the landlords and either have some type of tax incentive to go into a vacant building or introduce some type of program to the landlord to get it leased faster.

She said she knows that there are still leases on some buildings, but when they are on major thoroughfares with high traffic, they shouldn't be such a hard sell. She acknowledged there may be problems with the buildings she is not aware of.

"But the thing is that is a prime piece of real estate; that should never have been on the market this long," she said.

Shamet said she doesn't believe it would be impossible to get different grocery stores in the vacant spaces because she thinks there isn't enough choice in grocery stores in the city. But she said she also thinks the city should consider attracting something outside of retail, like an engineering firm or a marketing company.

"I think Shawnee needs some fresh faces; people with new ideas, people that can blend the history of the city with new development," Shamet said.

The city should actively understand leasing contracts for businesses coming into the city, and what happens if they leave the city, rather than just being excited that they are coming, Shamet said.

"Maybe in future contracts we put in some type of clause that says notices, cost: and especially for big box," she said. "The people of Shawnee should want it, and companies that want to do business here realize there's a lot of money to be spent and they need to commit to Shawnee."

One way to fill an empty big box space would have been to put the Justice Center in the former Hy-Vee at 65th Street and Quivira Road, Shamet said.

"I believe if it's the city and city government, if we can help some of the vacancies in our city, that should be a priority," she said.

Shamet said she thinks the city's current branding project is a good idea, but she doesn't want the city to "put all of our eggs into that basket."

"Shawnee has a lot just the access into Shawnee: we have I-35, 435, Shawnee Mission Parkway, Johnson Drive," she said. "The city is easily accessed, both in and out. We should be a prime area for both residents to move into and want to raise families, and development comes here."

Areas along Interstate 435 are some in which city officials hope to see new development, and two Tax Increment Financing applications have been made for land in the area. Shamet said she's not certain if TIFs are necessary in the area and she would have to do more research. She also said she didn't understand why a TIF has been discussed for the senior residential development proposed in the 6100 block of Pflumm, though she is in favor of the development.

"I think it's wonderful that we're putting in a development for seniors, because I think we need a to take care of our seniors," she said.

Shamet said because she considered running for Council two years ago when she first moved back to Shawnee, she goes to Council meetings when she can and has made an effort to keep up on Council issues. She said she has particularly been looking for ways to lower city taxes.

She said she has been campaigning by calling residents in her ward, talking to neighborhood association groups and even introducing herself whenever she's out shopping or running errands in the city.

Of the first projects the Council may discuss after the elections and 2009 budget process, Shamet said the city should explore more options for the Shawnee Safety Center once the Police Department moves to the Justice Center.

Shamet said leaving it empty for too long would only create more blight in Shawnee, so creating a plan for the empty space should be a top priority. She said in addition to training space for the Fire Department or more space for offices currently at City Hall, the city could look at using the building for programs for recycling or children and seniors.

She added the city also should investigate selling the building or leveling it to create more park space.