ShawneeDispatch.com

After 33 years on the Shawnee City Council, Frank Goode says he’s seen it all.

That experience will come in handy as the city wades through its current difficulties related to the recession, he said.

“With all the economic problems and the problems the city is having now, I thought I’d better exercise my expertise to get us back on the path to more prosperity,” Goode said of his decision to run again. “I want people to move to our city with the knowledge that they’re going to be well represented and the city of Shawnee is going to provide everything they can for their citizenry.”

Goode, 80, will face challenger David Morris in the April 6 general election for Council. He said he has faith the city will pull through the current down period because in his 33 years as a Council member, he has seen economic ups and downs of all kinds.

“During that time, the city of Shawnee has prospered,” he said. “It has times when the revenues and the growth of the city has slowed down, but we recovered, and we came back to a very prosperous and growing city.”

As the city tries to cut back due to decreasing revenues, Goode suggests the city get an outside analysis of the city budget, run the city like a business and review all expenditures.

He said no new taxes and proper street maintenance are among the most important issues in Ward II; he said he would not increase taxes unless the city was facing “extreme, critical problems.”

He also listed increasing “the tax base with tax abatements/ incentives to attract new businesses to Shawnee and keep the burden of taxation off the backs of the retired and semi-retired” as an important issue for his constituents.

He said he has long been a supporter of tax abatements and they would be key to increasing economic development in the city for the future.

He also suggested the city look into national advertising to attract new businesses and offer special enticements to attract more businesses from around the country to Shawnee.

“If you don’t give tax abatements, Lenexa will get them or Olathe will get them, and they won’t come to Shawnee,” he said. “I’ve been supporting tax abatements for 30 years.”

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