Experience, issues and ideas

Briefly (in 2 or 3 sentences), why do you want to serve on the Lawrence City Commission?

Mike Courtney: I’m running because Lawrence is facing a housing affordability crisis, and I believe there are viable solutions to make Lawrence a more affordable place to live without compromising its unique character. I want to serve on the Commission to implement housing and budget solutions that will allow our neighbors and our children to put roots down here for decades to come.

Bart Littlejohn: I have been honored to serve on the commission and I want to continue the progress that we’ve made in terms of housing/houselessness, the land development code, our asset management plan for infrastructure, and working to create an economic ecosystem that will help those at every level. Given the uncertain external circumstances we face, I want us to navigate a path that will help us be flexible and resilient.

Kristine Polian: I absolutely love this City, and am surprised at where we are. People are getting priced out of their homes due to high property taxes, yet we have little to show for the money we have spent. I would like to provide my expertise to this city to correct our path.

Bob Schumm: I have a lot of experience in municipal government (12 years) and I have witnessed what I would refer to as “out of touch” proposals during the last couple of years.The proposal to move City Hall out of downtown was one of the most preposterous: the proposed site was obscure and difficult to find, the building was old and in need of a major investment, and the City was going to pay $4.5 million for it. After the Commission turned it down, through public urging, the building later sold for $1.5 million! Need I say more? We paid a consultant for that (bad) advice; I believe that my experience could have aided in making a better decision.

What experience — in your work, education, personal life and otherwise — qualifies you to serve on the Lawrence City Commission?

Mike Courtney: My decades of tech leadership have taught me how to build consensus, manage budgets responsibly, and most importantly, to get things done. I also know how to identify and implement tech solutions to improve efficiencies and reduce costs, which our city could greatly benefit from.

I’m currently an Artificial Intelligence (AI) engineer at Cisco Systems, the largest networking company in the world. I have a 25-year career as a technology leader at Nvidia, a Silicon Valley executive, and a Dell and IBM employee. I also have years of state, local, and federal experience, and I built the public safety network of Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC, which is used by the region’s first responders. I have led and managed six, seven, and eight figure projects for 200 customers domestically and internationally.

Bart Littlejohn: I currently serve on the commission so I’ve had the opportunity to see what possibilities and actions are there to help our community. My work there has been informed by previous work in various organizations like the Pinkney Neighborhood Association, St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee, Junior Achievement, Parks and Rec Advisory Board and the Community Health Improvement Plan. I primarily work with folks in a mid-size business here in Lawrence. I think that all of those opportunities have helped shape my perspective as a commissioner.

Kristine Polian: I have over two decades of local government experience in multiple states at an executive level. My expertise is in public finance, where my entire career has been focused on protecting tax-payer dollars through sound governance and efficient and effective use of resources. I have managed capital improvement projects, issued millions of dollars in debt, managed utility billing, HR, and all other functions for multiple local governments. It is my expertise and my passion that is desperately needed right now for the City I hold dearest to my heart.

Bob Schumm: I have a degree in Journalism from KU. I have 45 years experience owning and operating restaurants in Lawrence. At the height of my career I had 250 employees. I have 12 years experience as a City Commissioner and 3 terms experience as Mayor. I am married, and Sandra and I have 4 children and 7 grandchildren. Best of all I know Lawrence really well! I have lived here since I was 17.

The city races are nonpartisan, but voters often ask us for candidates’ party affiliations anyway. Will you please share briefly how you’re registered to vote and why? If your registration has changed in recent years, why?

Mike Courtney: I have not only been a Democrat my entire life, I’ve been an involved Democrat. Both of my parents were union members and I’ve volunteered for campaigns, knocking on doors, and phone banking, here in Kansas and in Virginia.

All candidates in the Lawrence City Commission and School Board races are Democrats, except for one. It would have been very easy for this candidate to check the box and change party affiliations to be like all the other candidates. Instead, she followed her conscience and registered as an independent to accurately reflect her lack of affiliation with our country’s major political parties. I respect this decision and believe it affirms the quality and integrity of her character. She has unparalleled City government experience, which is why I am honored to have my campaign signs displayed by hers and why I would be honored to work with her.

Bart Littlejohn: I am a Democrat and registered as a Democrat; and have been a Democrat ever since I have been eligible to vote.

Kristine Polian: I am currently registered as Non-affiliated/Independent, because I cannot be painted into one party’s corner over another. I have been registered as a Republican and voted for Democrats; I have been registered Democrat and voted for Republicans. I believe in researching the people and issues on their own merits, versus steering towards one party’s overall platform. Our political climate is incredibly divisive today, and both sides are very passionate about their beliefs, and I fear partisanship could be making things worse, not better. I mean no disrespect to any political party, I simply choose to be independent.

To summarize my beliefs: I believe in humans and humanity, I believe people should be happy in their own skin, and I believe a community is only as strong as its most vulnerable residents, which is why I believe spending tax dollars responsibly is vital to supporting and providing for the most important reason governments exist … its people.

Bob Schumm: I am a registered Democrat. I also serve as a precinct committeeman for the 16th precinct. I have been a Democrat for a very long time.

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What do you think is the most pressing issue facing the city, and what concrete solutions would you propose to fix it?

Mike Courtney: Affordability. In the last five years, increased property taxes and utility fees have created financial strain for residents. At the same time, the city has overspent on their annual budgets and taken on hundreds of millions of dollars of debt. The city needs a long-term financial plan that smooths out these major expenditures and reduces the burden on taxpayers.

Here are three concrete solutions to this issue:

1) Develop a comprehensive 10-year plan to address the major road and infrastructure work our community needs, rather than cramming these projects into the existing 5-year plan, which has caused our city to take on huge amounts of debt in a few short years. This extended timeline allows us to distribute major capital expenses more evenly, preventing the dramatic spikes in property tax collection and utility fees residents have experienced when multiple large projects coincide.

2) Do not implement rec center entrance fees. The administrative costs and minimal revenue generation do not justify undermining services that enhance our community’s quality of life and economic attractiveness.

3) Reduce the $65 million in debt proposed for the second half of the Municipal Services and Operations (MSO) campus by consolidating functions at the new facility at the end of the current phase. Once operations are transferred, sell the former MSO properties to commercial developers. This prime industrial land can generate significant revenue that directly offsets the MSO campus costs while simultaneously expanding our commercial tax base.

Bart Littlejohn: I think continuing our work on housing is critical and essential for the future of our city. We have to strive to find ways to make it more affordable, accessible, and available.

We’ve done tremendous work to try to add more market rate, entry-level, long-term affordable, transitional and supportive housing in collaboration with the county and community organizations using the plan: A Place for Everyone.

But we still have more work to do. We need to seriously consider all options which could increase affordable single and multi-family housing throughout the city. Our lack of affordable and available housing limits opportunities for tenants and homeowners who wish to expand their families, those who want to build personal equity, making sure that those who have a place to stay can stay in that place, and our work to transition folks from houselessness into housing.

Kristine Polian: I believe the Commission lacks strong leadership to discern between what is necessary and unnecessary for our City in these challenging times. I will provide the education and expertise to empower the Commission to govern the city, instead of solely relying on staff’s recommendations to make decisions.

Bob Schumm: The budget morass which keeps our property taxes on an upward trajectory is the most pressing issue. I would reduce the CIP (Capital Improvement Plan) by delaying some of the projects and spreading the cost out over a longer time line. I would reduce the employee count through attrition, delaying new hires, and buyouts. We hired over 150 new people a couple of years ago when we were flush with money and now we can’t afford the headcount.

What do you think is a local issue that has been overlooked or not given enough attention, and why is it important to you?

Mike Courtney: Lawrence faces a critical housing affordability crisis that is locking out a majority of our residents from homeownership. More than half of Lawrence residents currently rent and are unable to transition to buying locally, where the average price of a new home is $315,000. Lawrence is losing families and young professionals who want to build their lives here but can’t afford to stay.

I’m developing a practical, bi-partisan approach to this challenge: high-quality modular housing that doesn’t compromise on features or long-term value. These aren’t the prefab structures of decades past, but modern off-site constructed homes that can include full basements, attached garages, and multiple bedrooms and bathrooms.

These homes can be delivered at 30-40% less cost than traditional site-built houses while maintaining the same standards for financing and appreciation. A large-scale development that delivered many of these homes could make housing attainable to many Lawrence residents looking for an affordable path to home ownership.

Bart Littlejohn: I would say economic development because I think it touches everything. From job creation, so we are able to retain/employ our folks graduating from Peaslee, Haskell, and KU as well as our high schools in the area. To jumpstarting/increasing our housing stock by encouraging companies to locate here as well as expanding our local businesses. To diversifying our tax base and lessening the burden on residential by adding more commercial.

I’m driven to help expand our economic ecosystem with community stakeholders to find formal and informal ways to support folks starting, growing, and maintaining their businesses and employees; such as under-addressed areas like child care and the trades.

That entails making sure that we’re speaking to businesses who want to locate here as well as growing our local businesses. I want to make sure we don’t forget those folks who run medium-size businesses looking to take the next step in terms of growth. We should strive to have multiple economic hubs around town like Downtown, North Lawrence, East Lawrence, West Lawrence, Iowa Street, 6th Street, and 23rd Street. All of this is the kind of intelligent economic development that works for everyone.

Kristine Polian: The Commission, in my opinion, does not clearly understand their role as managers of this city. The Commision’s job is to set policy that governs this city, but what is overlooked is their vital role of monitoring and protecting the fiscal solvency of this community. The Commission is the last line of defense to ensure our community’s money is being spent wisely and protected from fraud.

Bob Schumm: The KU Gateway Project is a huge opportunity to improve both KU and the City. Much of the financing will be with Star Bonds which uses the state’s portion of the sales tax generated after the facility is built. The Conference Center part of this program will bring many, many out of town guests to Lawrence. They will be spending money in the community, helping our small business people on a Monday through Thursday time frame, when business is not as brisk as on the weekends. The City will see an increase in sales tax revenue!

The city announced Wednesday that the Community Building will no longer have free play and exercise facilities open to people who are not enrolled in programming, and the recreation centers will no longer be used as warming and cooling centers, as membership fees will soon be implemented. What are your thoughts on these changes? If elected, how would you respond to these changes as a commissioner?

(Read more about the changes in this article from Wednesday and in articles at this link.)

Mike Courtney: If elected, I will work to roll back the Rec Center fees and continue free access to the Community Building. 

I have been against Rec Center fees since the start of my campaign. I have argued for a Friends Group, similar to the Lawrence Library, to help make up the difference in the budget gap. So it’s fair to say I have been following Parks and Rec closely – not once in the past 6 months has there been any discussion about closing access to the Community Building.

I went over to the Community Building on Wednesday after the announcement and counted the equipment. There were 11 cardio machines above the basketball court and 14 weight lifting machines, free weights, and curling bars in the weight room. We are going to pay to warm the space, but not allow residents to use this – it is not a cost cutting measure, it’s just cruel.

I have heard from people who say the Rec Centers increase their quality of life, improve their mental health, and prevent hospital visits. These decisions at SPL and the Community Building will fundamentally alter the health and well-being of citizens in our community. 

Bart Littlejohn: We were assuredly faced with challenges this year and tasked with finding a way to provide a sustainable and defined funding model for our parks and recreation department. It was a tough decision due to financial constraints of the last couple of years for that department.

That being said, I’m hopeful and want us to explore options that we can find a way to get parts/times of the center open for at least our youth for after school activities during the winter months in the coming new year.

Kristine Polian: I am opposed to charging any parks and rec fees to residents, and will immediately work to remove them. Unfortunately, there may have already been a significant cost tied to the implementation of said fees, but regardless, I truly believe there is another way to make up for the budget shortfall. As for the 11th Street community building, the lack of transparency from the city is what is most disappointing. This community building has been a centerpoint for the city, especially for kids, so closing access is egregious enough. But to blindside our residents is simply rubbing salt on an already horrible wound.

Bob Schumm: The Community Building should NOT be closed to walk-on play. Furthermore, I will work to abolish all fees to play at all of our rec centers! As far as extreme weather shelter goes, The Community Building should be used only for emergency use in cold weather. The City now has sufficient shelter options available for all homeless that need to be housed in extreme weather conditions.

Lawrence city commissioners in the past few years have made changes to general public comment procedures, including moving the general public comment periods to the ends of meetings and no longer including them in the YouTube recordings of meetings. What is your stance on those changes, and would you want to revisit those decisions if elected?

(Read more about the commission’s decisions in this May 7, 2024 article; this June 2024 article; and this June 2025 article. This publication is posting recordings of public comment for the record; recordings can be found at this link.)

Mike Courtney: Yes, I would like to revisit these changes. There is currently a lack of trust between the public and City Hall, encapsulated in the reduction of services at the Community Building.

The only way to fix a lack of trust is by being more transparent. Here are a couple of ideas on that front. First, the City should publish the general comments on Youtube. I’d support having general comments back at the beginning of the meeting. The City Commission meetings start at 5:45, a time that would allow families and citizens getting off of work to come and petition the City Commission. Right now the comments start after 8pm, which is a nonstarter for families with children. A new level of transparency requires us as a community to meet people where they are and at the times they are available.

Bart Littlejohn: We are committed to maintaining the public process in the forum of a city commission meeting and giving everyone access is a responsibility that I take very seriously. I don’t think that the recent changes have limited folks’ access so far and will continually monitor it.

Kristine Polian: Given the lack of trust our community has for its government, we must give residents access to everything that is legally allowed. We need to reinstitute public comment at a time that is convenient to the public, and we need to live stream open meetings on platforms that are easily accessible to all. Trust will never be regained if we conduct any business outside the light of the public eye, which means we need to engage with the community before commission meetings, not just during. I accept that, if elected, I will be responsible for this task, and it will be a lot of work. But I am up for the challenge.

Bob Schumm: I would be open to discussing a change in our general public comment procedures. It is important to note that these current arrangements were made to try to regain control of the meetings due to many outbursts by the public in an attempt to sabotage the meeting process. I have stated before that my role is to collect all the facts and that means listening to the public.

Free space: What else do you want our readers to know ahead of the election?

Mike Courtney: Ten years ago, my wife and I had a choice about where we would start our family – we chose to move back to Lawrence. Over that time, we have had two wonderful children, made life-long friends, and in the wake of the pandemic, decided to both get more involved in this community.

I truly believe that the city is at a crossroads. We have seen neighbors struggle under the weight of oppressive property taxes and utility fees. We have watched as our friends’ children have graduated from high school and from KU and cannot afford to put down roots in the town where they grew up.

We need change. My entire career has revolved around bringing people together and working to find solutions.

I will fight and put together a long-term budget to bring down property taxes and utility costs; to reject rec center entrance fees; and bring to the table off-site manufactured homes to provide a pathway to homeownership for first-time home buyers and their families.

Bart Littlejohn: I want to thank Lawrence Times and everyone in town for this opportunity and support. We’ve got a lot of great opportunities in this town but there are also challenges. We’ll need to find those ways to work together to navigate them; and to do so we will need to be collaborative, cooperative and compassionate. I have outlined goals and plans to get us to where we need to be; and I plan to work with folks to realize those ideals. Because I think the future of Lawrence is bright and we are all a part of it.

Thank you again for your support and it is my hope that I can earn the votes of this great town of Lawrence for another term.

Kristine Polian: I am surprised that our beautiful city is in the state it is, given the resources we have. We have not maintained our infrastructure, we have failed at economic development, we are issuing debt at unsustainable levels, and we are facing a budget deficit, all while we are seeing our rent and mortgages increase exponentially. I plan to bring my experience to the Commission so we can fully capitalize on all of our resources to increase housing inventory, maintain our infrastructure, and bring higher paying jobs through economic development, all so we can afford to live in the city we love for years to come.

Bob Schumm: Rock Chalk Park should remain free to play! In 2013 as the Mayor, when we were planning Sports Pavillon Lawrence, I promised, with the support of the City Commission, that we would not charge individuals of Douglas County a fee to use the recreation center. It was a selling point that we made to the public. This center was built using sales tax revenue from a special recreation fund and, therefore, you are paying for this service every time you make a purchase in Lawrence. Adding a daily charge fee would be putting a new tax on the original tax! Don’t Do It!

Closing thoughts: Is there anything else that you’d like voters to know about you and/or your stances based on what you’ve heard and questions you’ve received since the August primary election?

Mike Courtney: After the Rec Center fees and the budget was passed, I talked to working class families who were on the fence about staying in Lawrence. Three families that I know are either in the process of, or actively, moving to surrounding counties because they can not afford to live in Lawrence. 

Here is the fundamental economic reality of our times: 60% of people can not afford a medical emergency, 40% have less than five hundred dollars, and 20% do have enough food, which will go up with the SNAP and EBT cuts. For families and individuals on fixed incomes or on Social Security, they have only seen a greater than 3% increase three times in the past ten years. 

All the while in the past five years we have seen our City budget double, debt raised by 230%, Capital Projects increase by 445%, property taxes go up by 40%, and utility costs rise by 25%. We are pricing out residents and families who love this city.

We need City Commissioners who understand that raising property taxes, raising utility costs, and adding Rec Center fees, are making this town – a town that we all love – unaffordable for a majority of our friends and neighbors.

Bart Littlejohn: This has been an interesting election cycle to say the least. As I’ve said before, governing is a lot different than campaigning. In governing, you have opportunities to work with your colleagues to address the challenges in front of you. It’s trying to find the balance between meeting the community’s needs and funding pressures; and usually involves hard choices.

And a lot of momentous things have occurred since the primary. We were recognized both nationally and surprisingly by Columbia, MO for our efforts in houselessness. We continue to work on ways to get more places to live built both through the updated code and policy working with builders. We continue to make progress with our plan “A Place for Everyone” to build more available, accessible, and affordable housing. I continue to support public safety as well as infrastructure to make sure that our city is operating as efficiently and safe as possible.

But one thing that I’ve been able to correlate during all of the talks that we had is that ultimately Lawrence has a revenue challenge. We need more of it to do the things that we want to do or who want to be.

The good news is that I think that this can be addressed through our continued focus on additional economic development and commercial development revenue. It will help with economic stability especially given uncertain support from the federal and state level. It can help offset the tax burden on renters and homeowners. It can continue to support our local job creators like the Chamber, CORE, KUIP, EDC, Peaslee Tech, and KU Small Business Development Center to build up our local entrepreneurs help maintain our small businesses. And I want us to continue to attract businesses to the area. Last, I would like us to conduct similar studies like one going on in North Lawrence. I envision having economic hubs all around town like: East Lawrence, Downtown, West Lawrence, and along the street corridors. Our future is bright to be the best Lawrence that we can be.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve and look forward to the chance to continue to do it.

Kristine Polian: I would like the residents to know that I see and hear them. For those that don’t know me and fear the unknown, my promise to you is that I will work tirelessly to protect our values that make us uniquely Lawrence, while also working to set us on a more prosperous path. Many have asked me what I believe on certain issues facing the community today, and my answer is that it isn’t my opinion that matters, it is theirs that is most important. I did not run for commissioner to further my self-interests; I ran because I want to be the voice of the community and further their interests. In fact, I may have to vote on issues that have an adverse effect on my family and I, but that is simply the job I have chosen, just as I have my entire professional career. Regardless of for whom you vote, please get out and vote! I promise, your vote really does matter, especially locally. Thank you to those who have supported me … I could not be more humbled and grateful than I have been during this process. 

Bob Schumm: Recently there was a postcard sent to many voters that endorsed myself, Bob Schumm, Kristine Polian and Mike Courtney. On the back side of this post card there were disparaging comments about Commissioner Bart Littlejohn. First of all, people have asked me, why did we (the endorsed) send this card that spoke negatively about Bart Littlejohn. We did not send out this postcard and in fact we did not know it was being mailed. Secondly, I thought the information being expressed was inaccurate and sensationalized! 3. This kind of negative information has no place in our Lawrence community.

In general we have many opportunities to grow our community out of our budget difficulties. We need to build more commercial and industrial structures in order to expand our tax base and reduce the pressure on homeowners offering them property tax relief. We need to build more entry level homes in Lawrence. If we annex more land on the east and west sides of the city this would provide builders the opportunities to build to scale which allows for greater building efficiencies. Incentives should be offered to build entry level, affordable homes. We need to continue to manage our homeless populations in order that we have safer neighborhoods and an appealing downtown. Downtown infrastructure needs to be attended to. Downtown graffiti needs to be removed and a regular downtown foot police patrol needs to be in place. We should finish the Lawrence Loop through matching grants and city funds. Recreational opportunities along with culture and the arts define robust and attractive cities. A vision of the possible is what will make Lawrence a Great city.