Why Ed Patton is running for Topeka mayor after leading other Kansas communities
Ed Patton, 69, is one of six candidates running for the city's top office this year.
"Well, I ran for several reasons," Patton said. "The main reason is to stimulate positive forward moving change within the community. As you know, experience, education and ability to act as an advisor to the public and to the council is necessary to be able to explain the wishes of the folks and work at a compromise. So, we can all get what we need."
While Patton moved to Topeka in 2020 to be closer to family, he has experience in a variety of leadership roles in rural Kansas communities.
From 2003-2007, he served as the mayor and city clerk for the city of Leon. In 2016-2018, he served as a city manager for Herington, and from 2018-2019, he was the interim city administrator for the city of Sedgwick.
Patton said the top issues Topeka faces are affordable housing, economic development and public infrastructure.
He said you can't solve affordable housing issues without human service programs.
"You can't have one without the other," Patton said. "I mean, human services is part of getting affordable housing so that we get folks off the streets and into affordable living. It will increase home ownership, which in turn helps expand on the tax base as far as revenue's concerned."
Patton said when it comes to public infrastructure and economic development, he has a successful background. He also said he would ensure these issues are included in the council agenda as often as possible, as setting the agenda is a responsibility for the mayor.
"In this way, we can help keep the things on the agenda that the public wants to see there, as well as what the business community wants to see and as well as the educational and cultural communities," Patton said. "All of these are very important things for the community."
Patton said a nonpartisan mayor represents all of the people, regardless of ideology.
"We work at the behest of the electorate," he said, "but we get paid by the entire tax base and it's important that people feel that they are getting their money's worth. That's where having a voice in the council room is very important."
There are five other candidates running for mayor: Chad Fay, Gabriel Killman, Henry McClure, James Bolden Jr. and Spencer Duncan. This race will require a primary on Aug. 5.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Career Kansas public administrator Ed Patton wants to be Topeka mayor
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