Editorial: Pick incumbents in Olathe and Overland Park

Olathe and Overland Park often receive deserved national recognition for offering a high quality of life, thanks to first-rate public services such as smooth streets, clean parks and safe neighborhoods.

The generally high quality of leadership provided by elected officials in both cities is one factor in these success stories.

Next Tuesday, voters have good reasons to re-elect several incumbents in the municipalities.

Olathe mayor: A 14-year veteran in this office, Michael Copeland is an energetic, proud supporter of the city’s ability to listen to its residents through detailed quarterly surveys, which pinpoint priorities for quick attention. They have led to improvements in public safety and road conditions in recent years. His opponent is Jason R. Reed.

Olathe City Council: Incumbents Larry L. Campbell in Ward 1, Jim Randall in Ward 2 and John W. Bacon in the at-large position have earned re-election.

All have supported programs aimed at increasing the efficiency of Olathe government rather than its size. That mindset is one reason residents constantly say the city provides good value for taxes paid to City Hall.

Campbell is opposed by Ray Barmby and Jason Graff; Randall is opposed by Bruce Droge; and Bacon is opposed by Adam T. Thomas and Steve Wright.

Overland Park City Council: Incumbents David W. White in Ward 3 and Rick Collins in Ward 6 have been part of a mostly smooth-working government body that gets high marks for its measured reviews of many issues.

White is opposed by Jesse L. Gibson; Collins is opposed by Douglas Pearson.

This story was originally published March 31, 2015 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Editorial: Pick incumbents in Olathe and Overland Park."