By Tyler Schneider
Candidates running for the county’s 1st District-at-Large seat will be representing residents in the northeast corner of Jackson County starting north of Knobtown. Though the candidates represent a district outside our readership area, they are elected by all voters throughout the county.
Jalen Anderson (D)
One of the youngest elected officials statewide, Anderson, 26, is a lifelong Blue Springs resident and seasoned activist who was first elected to his current seat as an at-large candidate in 2018. Despite his youth, Anderson has already crafted an impressive political resume, serving as the chairman of the Jackson County Public Works Committee and on the Anti-Crime, Health & Environment, Rules and 911 Oversight Committees. He has also worked for the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations and has been an elected member of the Jackson County Democratic Committee since 2016. If he wins his bid for reelection, Anderson would like to continue to shape a Jackson County that he hopes can be more efficient and accessible to all residents.
Anderson says he supports:
- Crafting a budget that reflects Jackson County’s diversity by investing in projects that include minority groups, women, and veterans.
- Establishing a 12-month property tax payment program
- Moving meetings from Monday mornings to the afternoon for better public attendance and increasing the number of weekly sessions.
- Promoting accountability and oversight in county government by holding monthly meetings with constituents.
Bill E. Kidd (R)
Kidd, 70, served as Missouri’s 20th District Representative for 8-years beginning in 2015, but will hit his term limit at the end of this year. In civilian life, he is an Independence resident and business owner with a degree in electrical engineering from Oklahoma State University. A self described pro-life Christian conservative and NRA member, Kidd is running on the merits of his age and experience—particularly in the areas of finance and investment. In his final sessions as a state representative, Kidd served as the vice-chairman of both the Special Committee on Homeland Security and the Utilities Committee and was a member of the Joint Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Awareness and Special Committee on Aging. He sponsored six bills in that period, many of which were related to utilities and infrastructure.
Kidd says he supports:
- Curbing expenses in the county budget to minimize spending
- NOT raising taxes
- Embracing automation to make more information available to constituents via the internet
- Transparency in government, including open meetings and town halls. Has said that his office has always been instructed to respond promptly to callers.