The Kansas City Star’s endorsement in Olathe’s City Council Ward 4 race | Opinion
A familiar face, or a fresh voice? That’s the question facing voters in Olathe’s City Council Ward 4 race.
Marge Vogt, the incumbent, is extremely familiar to Olathe voters by now: She has served on the council since 1997 — since before many younger voters were even alive — and been reelected to the post repeatedly.
“I think steady leadership, thoughtful decision-making and a community-first approach are some of the aspects that I can contribute,” she said at a recent forum hosted by The Johnson County Post.
Kevin Deneault, her challenger, is a self-employed entrepreneur who thinks Ward 4 voters are ready for a new perspective.
“What distinguishes me from her, first and foremost, is I’m a fresh choice for voters,” he said at the same forum.
We endorse Vogt for reelection.
That’s not a knock on Deneault. If our national politics have proven anything to us in recent years, it’s that there comes a time when long-serving public officials should move on — and all too often, they don’t recognize it. After nearly 30 years in office, Vogt is much closer to the end of her political career than the beginning.
Fresh voices are valuable. But we don’t think it’s time for Vogt to move on just yet.
That’s partly because Denault himself makes the case that Olathe residents have been well-served by Vogt, and by their city government more broadly.
“What I’m hearing from voters In the survey that I sent, people are happy with the value they receive for their tax dollars,” he said at the forum. “The fact that Olathe delivers good quality means we’re doing something right, and I don’t want to jeopardize that.”
About Vogt specifically, he added: “I appreciate everything that she’s contributed on the City Council over the last 20, I don’t know how many, 27 years in making Olathe what it is today.”
Indeed, Vogt has been a strong voice on the council. She has been a force for keeping a lid on the city’s property taxes — voting in 2024 to actually lower the rate — and drawing on her professional background as a nurse practitioner to advocate for public health.
She makes a compelling case that her reelection serves the cause of stability at City Hall, at a moment when Olathe City Manager Michael Wilkes — who has served since 1999 — is preparing to retire early next year. And she clearly has the zest to continue in the job.
“I believe that experience and continuity on the council will be essential to sustaining momentum on key initiatives and building on the progress already achieved,” she said. “I believe in the endless potential for Olathe, and I do want to be a part of that next chapter, the next big idea.”
Eventually, that next chapter will have to be written by Vogt’s successors. There will be a time to pass the torch. We hope that Denault and other younger Olathe residents will continue to offer themselves for public service — and that their pathway to service won’t be blocked by older folks who refuse to make way for new blood.
But Olathe voters have found Vogt worthy of their support for nearly three decades. Her continued service — for now — will be a benefit to the city.