After 16 years as Overland Park’s mayor, Carl Gerlach will not seek reelection
Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection in November, after holding the office since 2005.
Gerlach, 66, has led Johnson County’s largest city through the Great Recession of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s been at the helm of Overland Park as leaders have worked to redevelop areas such as the Metcalf Avenue corridor and the downtown, attracted new luxury apartment buildings and businesses, plus added 25,000 new jobs in the past 16 years.
He felt this year was the right time to retire, he told The Star. He plans to spend more time with his family and traveling, but also looks to continue volunteering and serving the community.
“I’m not one who can sit back and do nothing. I grew up in this community and I want to continue to give back,” he said. “My goal was to help make it a better place — a place that my kids would want to live. And that goal’s accomplished, with all three of my kids living here now. But I want to continue to make it a place that more people want to live.”
Overland Park City Councilman Faris Farassati announced in late 2019 that he plans to run for mayor this year. Farassati has been critical of Gerlach, and what he calls an excessive amount of tax dollars being handed to private developers. He announced his mayoral campaign after Gerlach cast the deciding vote to approve a $200 million tax incentive package for the redevelopment of the Brookridge Golf Course.
Before winning election as mayor, Gerlach served on the City Council for 10 years. In his announcement, he touted several projects that have been completed during his time in office, such as the Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex at 135th Street and Switzer Road, new community centers and the Korean War Memorial.
“I have provided the leadership to be sure we have the proper combination of residential, office and retail development while protecting our neighborhoods, which has provided Overland Park residents with a high standard of living, low taxes and the financial ability to provide important services to all areas of our city,” Gerlach said in a news release.
“Government that is fiscally responsible with proven leadership, well-designed and maintained infrastructure such as highways and city streets, and safe neighborhoods are all critical elements when residents and companies consider locating to your city,” he said. “I feel I have continued the tradition that began before me and that I can say I added to the city of Overland Park.”
In addition to running the city during the pandemic, Gerlach has faced several challenges in the past couple of years. The mayor and city officials continue to face criticism about a $70,000 severance agreement paid to former officer Clayton Jenison, who shot and killed 17-year-old John Albers in 2018.
This fall, the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that federal authorities had opened a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting. And The Kansas City Star is suing to obtain the resignation and severance agreement, which the city has refused to provide.
And some residents continue to push Gerlach and other officials to craft a plan for racial justice and greater police accountability. Many have demanded answers about last summer’s arrests of four protesters, who were marching to take a stand against racism and the police killings of Black Americans.
Gerlach continues to serve on the boards of Advent Health Shawnee Mission and the Johnson County Community College Foundation. He received the NAACP Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award in 2012.
“Hopefully we can find the next mayor that continues with priorities like teamwork and unity, and just wants to make the city the best it can be,” Gerlach said.
This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 12:31 PM.
