The Kansas City Star’s recommendation on Prairie Village form of government | Opinion

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Can Prairie Village end years of political turmoil by abandoning its current mayor-council form of government?

The answer is no. That’s why, today, we urge Prairie Village voters to vote no on the mayor-council question on their Nov. 4 ballot.

The measure’s language is simple. “Shall the City of Prairie Village, Kansas abandon the mayor-council form of government?” it asks.

The question is on the ballot because residents initiated a petition drive in 2023. They were angry with Mayor Eric Mikkelson, and with some members of the current City Council, on issues ranging from city zoning to plans for a new City Hall.

A court approved the “abandon” petition for the ballot. But it threw out a companion question, called “adopt,” that would have provided an alternative system for the city — a mayor-council-manager government, a system authorized by Kansas law.

By approving “abandon” without “adopt,” however, the court left voters with just one choice: Throw away the government they’ve known for decades without any clear idea of what will replace it. That’s a mistake Prairie Village should avoid.

We think residents should not be asked to demolish something without knowing exactly what comes next. “Why do we want to break it?” asked Anne Melia, one of the measure’s opponents. “It’s abandoning what has worked.”

Supporters of the ballot measure disagree, of course. “Anything is better than what we have,” supporter Mike Sullinger told us.

PV United opposes mayor’s zoning plans

We have no reason to doubt the frustration and anger of some Prairie Village residents, many of whom gather under an umbrella organization called PV United. The group formed after Mikkelson and others promoted a plan to change the city’s zoning patterns.

The plan prompted a furious pushback from those residents, including attempts to recall Mikkelson. For three years, Prairie Village has argued over council decisions, often pitting neighbor against neighbor. Some council members have stepped aside, exhausted by the bitterness of the city’s politics.

This ballot initiative is the latest chapter in that story.

And we make no judgments about Mikkelson’s time in office. But Prairie Village should not and cannot abandon its form of government just to get rid of the duly-elected mayor, or strip him of his power. That is foolish and undemocratic.

If voters approve the ballot measure, the current system would remain in place until the City Council (and, perhaps, voters) pick a new system. The council might choose to do nothing, leaving the current system in place indefinitely.

If not, politicians would have wide latitude in outlining the powers and responsibilities of a city manager and council. “We’re asking voters to trust the process,” supporter and council member Lori Sharp told us.

But neither side in Prairie Village trusts the other, at all. The campaign, and the three-year argument over the city’s governance, has left both sides angry and suspicious. Changing the form of government for something else won’t address that.

And does anyone think a city manager-led government, however it might be set up, will bring peace to Prairie Village? Of course not. The anger will just be transferred to a city manager who is unelected, and to members of the council and perhaps a less-powerful mayor.

Future of the ballot question

Remember: The whole point of a city manager form of government is to take power from the people and hand it to a hand-picked bureaucrat. A city manager is, at least according to the theory, insulated from public pressure. That’s why you do it.

That probably isn’t what Prairie Village wants or needs. Prairie Village should not sign a blank check by abolishing its current system and hoping for something better, sometime in the future.

Does that mean the city must keep its current system forever? No. Once passions cool, and common sense takes over, Prairie Village residents of good faith can sit down quietly, review the mayor-council form of government, and see if it still makes sense.

If the answer is no, reasonable people could make reasonable suggestions for improvement. But that isn’t what this ballot measure is about.

Moreover, there is always a way to change direction in Prairie Village without imposing an undefined alternative government. That way is to elect a different mayor, and a different council. That’s how democracy works.

Six council races are also on the November ballot. We think Prairie Village voters are perfectly able to make those choices.

But we don’t think they should tear something down just for the sake of demolition. Voters need real alternatives for governance, and they don’t have them here.

We urge a no vote in Prairie Village on Nov. 4.

This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 8:28 AM.