With years of community service and activism all around Shawnee under his belt, David Morris says he’s ready to step into an even bigger leadership position as a Shawnee City Council member.

The candidate for Ward II Council seat has been a leader with his neighborhood association and the Shawnee Downtown Partnership and is currently the co-president of Rebuilding Together Shawnee. Now he says he feels he will make a good Council member because of his drive, experience and knowledge of the community.

“I have the energy and passion it takes to actively represent Ward II,” he said. “I have years of proven consensus building leadership. I have a vast knowledge of current business conditions, an understanding of the needs of our elderly and low-income residents, and a passion for improving our community.”

Morris, 49, will take on incumbent Frank Goode in the April 6 general election, and he said he is prepared to help the city as it looks for ways to save money with decreasing revenues. But he thinks citizens ought to do their part, too.

“… if ‘We The People’ are the government, I think we need to examine ourselves and ask, are we doing our part?” he said. “Are ‘We The People’ demanding a higher standard of service than we can afford? Are ‘We The People’ actively volunteering and giving our time back to the community so tax dollars don’t have to be used for those services?”

He said it is also important for citizens to educate themselves about city government and to correspond with their Council members to let them know what is important to residents.

Morris said he thinks the three most important issues in Ward II are keeping taxes low, responsible economic development and improving infrastructure.

More economic development is key to decreasing the tax burden on residents, and Morris said there are some things the city should explore to increase it.

He suggested working with the state and county to explore the idea of freezing property tax rates for new developments. He also suggested the city give its Economic Development Council a bigger budget and more staff to help attract businesses that are looking to develop in the Midwest.