In keeping with tradition, Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday chose their next mayor and vice mayor.
Mike Dever, elected to the commission in 2023 with the greatest number of votes, will serve as mayor for 2025. Dever served as vice mayor for 2024.
Previously, Dever served on the commission from 2007 to 2015, including two terms as mayor, before choosing not to run for reelection in 2015.
Brad Finkeldei, reelected to a second four-year term in 2023 with the second greatest number of votes, will serve as vice mayor.
Both votes were unanimous.
Bart Littlejohn, outgoing mayor, reflected on the city’s progress over the past year during his term as mayor and looked ahead to “a bigger and brighter future.” He will return to the role of commissioner for the final year of his current term. Read more about that at this link.
The mayor position does not differ strongly from the rest of the commission positions but includes a few extra duties — essentially, presiding over commission meetings and representing the city in ceremonial roles and in intergovernmental relations. The mayor also votes on all agenda items, just like the rest of the commissioners.
Voters on Nov. 5 rejected a change to the city’s form of government. Had the change been approved, voters would have begun directly electing a nonvoting mayor to a four-year term, among other changes. The vote was about 51-49 against the change.
Traditionally, following a city election — held in odd years — commissioners choose the person who received the most votes as the vice mayor, and the following year, the person who received the second most votes is chosen as the new vice mayor while the vice mayor advances to mayor. The mayor’s term typically runs one year, starting and ending with the first meeting of December, though commissioners could choose to keep the same mayor in the position longer than that.
Following the commission’s votes, commissioners discussed their board assignments. Dever, as mayor, will take on the position on the Lawrence Public Library Board. He will also remain on the KU Innovation Park Board of Directors.
Commissioner Lisa Larsen said she was interested in serving on the Explore Lawrence board. Commissioner Amber Sellers said that board is in the process of strategic planning, and she felt strongly about staying on.
Sellers also wanted to stay on the Economic Development Corporation of Lawrence board.
Dever suggested the Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board for Larsen, and she said she was interested in that spot. Littlejohn will remain on that board as well.
Littlejohn will remain on the Sister Cities board, and Finkeldei will remain on the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Finkeldei will also take over the position on the Community Health Plan Steering Committee that Sellers previously held.
Littlejohn will also serve on the Destination Management Inc. Board of Directors, the spot Larsen previously held.
In other business, the commission approved an amended agreement to give the Lawrence Community Shelter an extra $756,550 this year for LCS to construct new Pallet shelters, fix up the Monarch Village and purchase “amnesty lockers.” Read more about that at this link.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
