Marina
At a well-attended candidate forum held at the Flint Hills Technical College Conference Rooms, Emporia City Commission and USD 253 Board of Education hopefuls presented their visions for the city’s future.
The event was hosted by the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the League of Women Voters, and Ken Weaver served as moderator.
The gathering offered local citizens a rare opportunity to compare candidates side by side — especially those vying for the City Commission, who answered preselected and audience-submitted questions under time constraints.
Forum Format & Candidate Lineup
Before moving into Q&A, moderator Weaver delivered opening remarks and reminded attendees of key election dates.
School board candidates Barbara Fowler, Jami Reever, and Lilian Lingenfelter were introduced and had their backgrounds summarized, but no formal Q&A session was held since there were exactly three candidates for three open board seats.
The spotlight then shifted to the City Commission candidates. Those taking the stage included:
- Aaron Larson
- Denise Gilligan
- Don Loux
- Kurt Steinkuhler
- Monica Duncan
- Tammi Ogle
- Travis Hitt
- Incumbent Tyler Curtis
Each candidate was allotted 1 minute to respond to each of four preselected questions, then the forum opened for four audience questions.
Below is a breakdown of key exchanges, paraphrased or lightly edited for clarity.
Key Q&A Highlights
| Question | Notable Candidate Responses / Emphases |
|---|---|
| Q1: How to manage infrastructure demands tied to commercial growth? | Aaron Larson: Focus on three core questions — community benefit, alignment with goals, and cost/drawbacks. Don Loux: Advocate use of Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) and special sales tax to fund infrastructure so city burden is reduced. |
| Q2: Building trust between law enforcement and community | Kurt Steinkuhler: Emphasized accountability, transparency, communication, and ensuring adequate funding for training. Tyler Curtis: Highlighted that the police get 19.6% of the city’s general fund allocation; praised local law enforcement performance and urged continued support. |
| Q3: Curtailing rising property taxes while balancing city budget | Monica Duncan: Favored economic development and business expansion to broaden the tax base, while protecting seniors and fixed-income residents. Travis Hitt: Called property taxes “ridiculous,” advocated spending cuts and interlocal collaboration to consolidate services and ease tax pressure. |
| Q4: Ensuring reliable, affordable utilities and energy planning | Tammi Ogle: Spoke on building relationships with utility providers, and managing state/federal mandates pushing up water costs. Denise Gilligan: Urged diversification in energy sources (e.g. solar), strategic planning for data centers, and infrastructure investments to balance demand and cost. |
After responses, each candidate had a closing 2-minute statement, then mingled with attendees and addressed follow-up questions.
Broader Context: Election Facts & Timeline
- The 2025 City Commission election opens three commissioner seats; incumbents whose terms expire include Susan Brinkman, Tyler Curtis, and Jamie Sauder.
- As of the filing deadline, the confirmed City Commission candidates are Tyler Curtis (incumbent), Monica Duncan, Tammi Ogle, Aaron Larson, Denise Gilligan, Don Loux, Kurt Steinkuhler, and Travis Hitt.
- No primary is expected if the number of candidates doesn’t exceed threshold requirements.
- Important dates to note: candidate filing deadline was June 2, 2025, and the general election is set for November 4, 2025.
These facts position the forum as a critical chance for voters to weigh alternatives before ballots are cast.
Why This Forum Matters
- Emporia is undergoing commercial expansion (e.g., new developments, utilities demands) that will strain city infrastructure.
- Tensions around public safety, policing, and community trust are front and center, especially as residents ask for accountability and transparency.
- With property taxes rising, many residents—especially seniors—seek assurances that the city will act cautiously and fairly.
- The utility and energy landscape is shifting (water costs, mandates, renewable potential), meaning the decisions made by commissioners will impact affordability and reliability for years.
This forum gave each candidate an opportunity to showcase how they would balance growth, equity, and fiscal responsibility if elected.
The Emporia candidate forum offered a revealing glimpse into how local leadership would steer the city amid growth pressures, tax concerns, and utility challenges.
While each City Commission contender brought different priorities and rhetoric to the stage, themes like transparency, balanced development, and responsible fiscal policy were common.
With the November 2025 general election looming, voters now have a clearer view of who aligns best with their vision for Emporia’s future.