Star endorses Lee Barnes, Erik Dickinson for 5th District at-large City Council seat

In the race to represent the 5th District at-large on the Kansas City Council, The Star Editorial Board endorses incumbent Councilman Lee Barnes Jr. and Erik Dickinson, who as CEO of the Urban Ranger Corps works to “prepare young men for life after high school, with a diploma in one hand and a plan in the other.”

We’re supporting Barnes, an engineer, businessman and former school board member, with some misgivings, because he has not held the line on incentives for luxury developers and would like to see Kansas City lower city water bills through a three-eighths-cent sales tax.

When asked about his rather late-breaking focus on affordable housing, he answered that the wheels of government move slowly and that with “big-ticket items” now approved, both he and the city can pay attention to different priorities in the next few years.

He does have a reputation as a good colleague and collaborator and as responsive to constituents. And Barnes clearly cares about his district and about the city as a whole.

Dickinson’s experience in getting young people ready for the current job market is highly relevant as the city pivots to economic and workforce development.

He says he’s running to be “the voice of reason that connects working families ... to an ever-changing global economy that leaves thousands of Kansas Citians behind.”

He has already done a lot for Kansas City through his work with the YMCA, the Boy Scouts of America and the Heart of America Council.

Thinking through professional goals with teenagers sometimes involves telling kids who see pro basketball as a solid plan “that there’s only about 300 of those jobs out there in the United States, and you’re 5’ 5”.”

Dickinson is similarly realistic about Kansas City’s development boom. “When I hear about ‘momentum,’ I’m excited about it,” he said, “but does everyone have a seat at that table? Will we be making sure people from the inner city get to work on these projects” at the airport and elsewhere?

It’s important to Dickinson that they have the skills to do that.

Though he clearly has some homework to do on the specifics of city government, we appreciated that he didn’t try to bluff his way through our interview with him. Dickinson is just as obviously committed and capable of doing the job well, and for all of the right reasons.

Two candidates will advance from the April 2 primary to the June general election. Dwayne Williams is also running for the 5th District at-large seat.

The Star is partnering with the nonprofit Verify More on candidate background checks. Barnes is the only candidate in this race who participated in that process. You can see the results of his and all other background checks here.

This story was originally published March 25, 2019 at 5:30 AM.