Overland Park council member, who often pushed against the status quo, steps down
First-term Overland Park Councilwoman Gina Burke — who was a frequent critic of tax incentives on the increasingly divided City Council — has stepped down.
Burke, who represented the 4th Ward since winning election in 2017, said she made the decision for personal reasons, as she recently moved to the Lawrence area with her family. City spokesman Sean Reilly said a group — including Mayor Carl Gerlach and Councilmen Fred Spears and John Thompson — will determine the process for finding a replacement.
Officials will appoint a new council member to serve the remainder of Burke’s term, at least until the November 2021 election. The 4th Ward covers a portion of the western half of the city, from 119th Street south to 151st Street.
Since campaigning, Burke has often challenged the status quo. When she ran against former council member Terry Goodman in 2017, she was vocal about the lack of diversity on the City Council — then took office as one of two women on the 13-member council.
As an elected official, she was a regular critic of the city offering tax incentives for private developments. Since both she and Councilman Faris Farassati took office, the use of incentives has become an increasingly contentious item of debate among council members — many of whom argue the city has used incentives responsibly to spur redevelopment.
Burke has stood by the philosophy that projects should only receive incentives if the goal is to rid an area of blight — adding that it’s hard to find any part of Overland Park that is truly blighted. She voted against $200 million in tax incentives for redevelopment of the Brookridge Golf Course, for example, along with several other deals.
Often, Burke and Farassati were the only dissenting voices during such discussions. Since Councilman Scott Hamblin took office this year, he has offered a similarly hard-nosed approach on tax breaks.
“There are still two other council members who will carry on my voice,” Burke told The Star.
Burke was also one of two council members to vote against controversial plans to redesign Santa Fe Commons Park near the downtown, which is now called Thompson Park.
And right before stepping down from office, Burke pushed for the city to grant scheduled pay raises for first responders during the coronavirus pandemic. The city has postponed raises for all of its employees, including police and fire department personnel, during the outbreak.
