Issues

It is important for candidates to be transparent about what they believe, and how they plan to solve problems facing our city. Rebecca shares her opinion on key issues that include but are not limited to the following:


Supporting Economic Development Across Our City

The need for a strong economy is currently the number one issue in Leavenworth. Amid uncertain national times, the city needs to assume a larger responsibility for Leavenworth’s prosperity. Sales tax revenue has fallen, which means a larger tax burden will be placed on residents. While 2025 looks slightly more promising for this type of revenue, an uncertain national economy has decreased consumer spending overall. Increasing the portion of purchases made and production in Leavenworth would decrease other tax burdens on citizens.

    1. One of our business parks, the Gary Carlson Business Center (GCBC), was established in 1989, and currently hosts eight property owners. The park brings in over $100,000 in property taxes and provides over 500 jobs. This park has three lots left, but has largely been a success due to the continued efforts of the Leavenworth County Port Authority and the Leavenworth County Development Corporation (LCDC).

    2. The other business park, the Leavenworth Business & Technology Park, has noticeably remained empty since its opening in 2018. It is true that business parks can take time to fill up, and COVID certainly did not set up the park for success. However, this park faces three main challenges:

      1. Nearby housing developments - new homes now lie directly adjacent to the park. Businesses may fear complaints or bad publicity from homeowners who now have a different view in their backyard. Two potential solutions to this problem are constructing a berm with trees to separate the two areas, or presenting a written guarantee from the affected neighborhoods that development in the business park is desired and will not lead to public outcry. 

      2. Electrical infrastructure - the current gigawatt supply at the technology park is low, because it is hard to build infrastructure without knowing the specific needs of a business. This problem will ease greatly once the first business moves in. Until then, one potential solution could be a discount or incentive to the first business to develop that infrastructure, or initially courting businesses that do not need as much power. 

      3. Highway access - this will be the most challenging issue to solve, as the business park does not have direct highway access. There is potential to partner with KDOT to ease stoplight hindrance along the route, but it may be beneficial to target industries that would not have as much supply chain need, like technological industries. 

    1.  Historic Downtown Leavenworth is the heart of our city, and we need to treat it as such. While there are so many hardworking and amazing businesses present, there seem to be just as many vacant buildings; this needs to change. In talking with community leaders, there are multiple action items the next city commission can take:

      1. Use our status as a Certified Local Government (CLG) to expand access to grants across the state and nation, and better communicate those opportunities to potential business owners

      2. Reduce the “red tape” needed to start a business: evaluate each code and regulation to see if it is serving our city or is simply a roadblock in the way of progress

      3. Communicate regularly with business owners and prioritize relationship building through problem solving

      4. Survey businesses that close to collect data and determine the most urgent needs

      5. Work with Leavenworth Main Street to establish specific and attainable goals on revitalization projects including: fixing buildings, creating a complete business directory that also highlights properties available for purchase, beautifying the alleyways and landscaping, and more

    1. It is important that the city spends its residents’ tax dollars efficiently. There has been recent conversation about defunding LCDC, the Port Authority, Leavenworth Main Street, and other organizations, and using approximately $150,000 to hire an economic developer for the City of Leavenworth instead. Rebecca does not believe this is the path that the City of Leavenworth should take right now, due to potential loss of access to shared resources from nearby cities and across the state, and restarting key business relationships. Additionally, with a complicated job market, there is no guarantee the city would find the right individual. There are measures we should take with our existing organizations before exploring a strictly internal option:

      1. When deciding how much to fund an organization, ensure they have enough resources to accomplish the job. We cannot provide less than the bare minimum of what an organization needs and then express surprise when it cannot achieve meaningful goals. 

      2. Create an agreement or memorandum of understanding with organizations that outline specific goals and clear expectations. These organizations often express that they feel too much of their time is taken trying to justify what they do. Including quarterly checkpoints will allow organizations time to prove that they can provide services to the city and therefore deserve the city’s funding

      3. Increase public knowledge and communication as to how the different economic development organizations interact and their independent functions. It is a huge strength that each organization can work on their specific area of development, but that can be confusing to both citizens and potential business owners. Creating easy-to-understand documents or visual media can help keep all organizations and the city accountable to the public. 

    2. If goals are not accomplished, or things do not improve after taking the above measures, within a maximum of two years after they are put in place, Rebecca would support looking toward another option, such as internalizing economic development. 

Increase Affordable Housing Options

Increasing the number of jobs in Leavenworth will naturally increase the need for affordable housing options. Rebecca is currently in the process of talking to stakeholders about RHID to see if that is an option for certain areas in Leavenworth, and will have more information on that topic soon.

The City of Leavenworth needs to examine affordable housing from a long-term perspective.

  • Younger individuals and families not ready for a mortgage need affordable, safe, and nice apartments available to rent. Rebecca supports continuing to fund the Tenant Issue Resolution Program to help give both renters and landlords a safe mediator through which to communicate. 

  • First-time home buyers need reasonable options: choices in between fixer-uppers and $300,000 homes. We have some grants that can help with this, but we can also focus on new development opportunities as well as ensuring current property owners feel empowered to keep their homes in good shape, which will benefit the next owner.

  • As decades pass, property values tend to increase heavily. As mentioned above, this could potentially de-incentivize proper maintenance on a home. While not all property tax legislation is in the hands of the city, we need to make sure that we do everything possible to lessen the burden on longtime homeowners and reward those who improve their home.

  • Seniors need independent living options, whether they want to stay in their home or downsize. The average age of the population in Leavenworth is expected to increase, and we will need reasonably priced options for vulnerable residents to live out their days peacefully. 

Public Safety

While there were no homicides in Leavenworth in 2024, the overall crime rate did increase. This affects the ability of citizens to participate in the community and feel safe raising their families here. There are a number of ways we can encourage a safe and flourishing environment in Leavenworth.

  • Continue to evaluate the needs of our Police Department, which remains in heavy competition for officers with nearby towns in Johnson County. Having a competitive salary in the KC Metro area will always be a challenge, but we can look for unique opportunities to stand out and better ways of communicating the value proposition of being a police officer here in Leavenworth.  . 

  • Partner with the Leavenworth Interfaith Community of Hope, the Guidance Center, and other organizations to prevent and address the current homeless situation in our community. 

  • Continue public campaigns warning of the dangers of fentanyl, how to spot a fentanyl overdose, and how to use Narcan to save lives. Some people may feel that talking about this will draw more attention to the drug itself, but in reality, this can be life-saving information

  • Provide an abundance of spaces and activities for children, preteens, and teenagers to enjoy themselves. This could include expanding the local skate park, adding more features to the splash pad, or beautifying our playgrounds. We need to welcome children into these places, because the more time they spend there, the less time they spend potentially seeking trouble.

Miscellaneous City Issues

    • As mentioned above, we need to help ease the property tax burden on homeowners. This means that whenever possible, Rebecca’s end budgetary goal would be to remain revenue neutral, such that the city uses the same amount of property tax revenue as in the prior year in their budget. Ideally, plans to improve economic development will allow for sales tax revenue to make up a larger portion of the dollars we have to work with.

    • Sometimes, it becomes impossible to remain revenue neutral and provide the same quality and amount of services to the people of Leavenworth. In such a situation, Rebecca would first examine the budget line by line to see if there were any cuts to be made that would not be detrimental to the citizens of Leavenworth. Rebecca would also work to be transparent and open about exactly how much any mil levy increase would cost the average citizen before any public hearings were held. She understands that property tax increases hurt all Leavenworth citizens, renters and homeowners alike, in some way, and would work to ensure that these burdens are decreased in the long run by balancing the tax burden shared between property tax and sales tax revenue.

  • Our solid waste department faces staffing shortages and costly trips all the way to Johnson County to manage our trash. We need to invest in a consolidation station here in our city, which can eventually turn into a transfer station. This will lessen our dependence on other counties to provide essential city services, will lower fuel costs and truck wear and tear, and perhaps open up more availability for bulk pickup days.

    • The CoreCivic detention center issue is an ongoing and rapidly changing situation. CoreCivic previously filed a special use permit to re-open their facility in a contract with ICE, but then retracted the permit, claiming they did not need one. The city has succeeded in state court in getting an injunction, meaning that CoreCivic cannot currently operate as a detention facility. The vote to act on this issue was completely unanimous among the commission. Rebecca also believes that CoreCivic needs to file a special use permit, and must follow the same rules and regulations as all other such entities. 

    • Whether Rebecca would support approval of a hypothetical special use permit, it would depend on the recommendation from our Planning Commission, as well as community input. Rebecca would not vote against a special use permit just because she may not approve of the mission of a business; she would put her personal feelings aside in this matter. Any objection she would have would be centered not on the mission of CoreCivic, but past conduct and potential safety concerns for the City of Leavenworth. 

    • Fireworks are currently illegal in the City of Leavenworth, as voted by citizens decades ago. 

    • There are certainly valid concerns associated with legalizing fireworks. However, many citizens each year choose even more risky and unpredictable behavior because there is no legal avenue to pursue a celebration in Leavenworth. This puts a strain on our police department and their resources. Additionally, it restricts participation and revenue spent in the city on the Fourth of July, since both Fort Leavenworth and Lansing have significant celebrations. This is a missed opportunity for our community and something to consider as sales taxes continue to decline in the City.

    • Rebecca would support a petition to put legalizing fireworks back on the ballot. It is so important for our community to have a direct voice whenever possible. While cooperation with law enforcement and the fire department can yield a reasonable rollout plan, she imagines something like legalization of fireworks from July 3rd to July 5th during certain times of the day, a city-wide festival, and maybe a continued ban on fireworks in areas more susceptible to fire like the historic downtown. Regardless, the issue comes up every year, and it deserves a true vote.

Don’t see the issue here that matters to you? Let Rebecca know by clicking on the “Contact” page or sending her an email at votehollister@gmail.com !