Voters elect longtime Bonner Springs councilman to become WyCo city’s next mayor
Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly elected a longtime Bonner Springs councilman to serve as their next mayor in the western Wyandotte County city.
Tom Stephens, who is serving his fifth term as a council member, defeated former council member Jordan Michael Tiner-Mackey by 572 votes in a race that totaled 874 cast ballots, according to unofficial results.
Stephens, who serves as council president, said he felt honored by voters’ faith in him.
“If you see me out and about, feel free to stop and let me know your thoughts, this is not my community, it’s OURS,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
During the campaign, Stephens said the city of about 7,800 people was on the verge of change in the next few years. He indicated he wanted to maintain the city’s “small-town feel” while absorbing new neighbors.
The election comes weeks after the current mayor of Bonner Springs, Jeff Harrington, as well as the mayors of KCK and Edwardsville announced a task force to consider possible changes to the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. The group has set several community meetings to ask for residents’ input on concerns and solutions to the UG.
Stephens shared the event on his campaign page, letting Bonner Springs residents know when they can provide input.
