Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting.

Editorials

The Star’s recommendations for Tuesday’s elections

Voters across the Kansas City metropolitan area on Tuesday will make final decisions on a number of city and school district-related elections.

Also, Kansas City voters will decide which candidates for city offices will advance to the June 23 general election.

Polls are from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Missouri and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Kansas.

The Star’s editorials regarding selected contested elections can be found here.

Here is a summary of The Star’s recommendations:

MISSOURI

KANSAS CITY COUNCIL

Mayor: Sylvester “Sly” James

1st District at-large: Scott Wagner

1st District: Dick Davis

2nd District at-large: Teresa Loar or Jay Hodges

2nd District: Dan Fowler

3rd District at-large: Quinton D. Lucas

3rd District: Jermaine Reed, Jamekia Kendrix or Bryan Dial

4th District at-large: Jim Glover

4th District: Jolie Justus

5th District at-large: Lee Barnes

5th District: Alissia Canady

6th District: Kevin McManus

QUESTION NO. 1: Shall Kansas City sell a vacant piece of park property generally at 534 Highland Ave.? — YES

QUESTION NO. 2: Shall Kansas City impose an annual fee of $1,000 on payday loan businesses to regulate and inspect them? — YES

HICKMAN MILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT

School board: Loran Coleman and Eric Lowe

INDEPENDENCE SCHOOL DISTRICT

QUESTION: Shall the district be authorized to increase the operating tax levy by .24 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to fund capital improvements to district facilities and reduce the student-teacher ratio? — YES

LEE’S SUMMIT SCHOOL DISTRICT

QUESTION: Shall the district borrow $40 million to acquire and equip a new building to be used for Summit Technology Academy and the Missouri Innovation Campus, and for improving existing district facilities, with no increase to the debt service levy? — YES

School board: Julie Doane and Adam Rutherford

NORTH KANSAS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

School board: Jeffrey “Chip” Luerding, Jay Wilson and Victor S. Hurlbert

PARK HILL SCHOOL DISTRICT

School board: Matt Pepper and Lathem A. Scott

KANSAS

JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Trustees, at-large: Greg Musil, David A. Lindstrom and Nancy L. Ingram

OVERLAND PARK CITY COUNCIL

Ward 3: David W. White

Ward 6: Rick Collins

OLATHE CITY COUNCIL

Mayor: Michael Copeland

Ward 1: Larry L. Campbell

Ward 2: Jim Randall

At-large: John W. Bacon

BLUE VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT

School board: Pam Robinson and Cindy Bowling

OLATHE SCHOOL DISTRICT

School board: LeEtta Felter and Joe Beveridge

SHAWNEE MISSION SCHOOL DISTRICT

School board: Sara D. Goodburn and Brad Stratton

UNIFIED COMMISSION OF WYANDOTTE COUNTY AND KANSAS CITY, KAN.

District 1: Melissa Brune Bynum

District 4: Harold Johnson

KANSAS CITY, KAN., COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Board of Trustees: Ray Daniels, Donald Ash, Mary Ann Flunder and Clyde A. Townsend

This story was originally published April 6, 2015 at 4:26 PM with the headline "The Star’s recommendations for Tuesday’s elections."

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