Campaign Phone
785-532-9366
Personal Biography
Grew up on a farm outside Larned, KS. Moved to Manhattan in the fall of 1973 to attend K-State. Married to Marilyn since 1978, have 2 grown children, a daughter and a son, 2 grandsons and 2 granddaughters. Spent 9 years in the home loan business with Home Federal Savings & Loan, 4 years in banking with Union National/Commerce Bank, 10 years as a residential & commercial RE appraiser (6 years owning my own appraisal company, and 24 years with the KSU Foundation as Director of Real Estate.
Education
Graduated from K-State in 1976 with a BS in Finance & Accounting, and in 1985 with an MBA. Was also a member of the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers from 1989-2000 and was a licensed real estate appraiser for the State of Kansas from 1989 to 2024.
Community/Public Service
Member of the 1st United Methodist Church (currently serve as a Trustee), the Manhattan Optimist Club (currently serve as a board member, served as president in 1995), the Sunset Zoo Trust Foundation (was Treasurer for many years, but now retired from that position), former member of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce (graduate of the Leadership Class of 1985), served on the house corporation for the local Sigma Chi Fraternity for 35 years, served as a board member of the Meadowlark Hills for 9 years (2 as president), food pantry volunteer, Friendship Meal delivery volunteer.
1. Keep a lid on the mill levy (stop increasing the rate at which we tax real estate).
2. Street maintenance & replacement and stormwater improvements.
3. Commercial development.
Have 49 years of experience in all matters involving real estate, including valuation analysis, financing, management, commercial development and residential & commercial construction. Also know the history of Manhattan from the past 52 years, so I am well aware of how the community has developed over those years.
The 5 Manhattan city commissioners directly determine roughly 1/3 of the total amount of real estate taxes the residential and commercial property owners of the city pay for government services, and they determine the quality and breadth of those services. They determine the level of safety we enjoy through the funding and oversight of the police and fire departments, and through the community development and code enforcement offices. They determine the types of residential and commercial developments and improvements we must live with and amongst in the city, and through the city manager and budgeting they control the Parks & Recreation Dept. that serves the community and provides for the quality of life we enjoy in our daily lives.
Ballot City
Manhattan
Campaign Phone
7853130454
Personal Biography
Jayme has called Manhattan home since 2005. After earning her degree at KSU, she worked at Flint Hills Job Corps. In 2010, she joined Meadowlark, where she continues to make a meaningful impact. Driven by a passion for economic development, Jayme is dedicated to making Manhattan a place where people want to live, work, and visit. Jayme and her husband are proud sports fans and is a strong advocate for youth sports. She spends her free time supporting her teenage son from the sidelines.
Education
Kansas State University, Bachelors of Sociology and Minor in Anthropology
Community/Public Service
Manhattan City Commissioner, 2024-present; Move MHK Steering Committee; Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Membership Committee, 2023-present; Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Classroom-to-Career, Co-Chair 2017-present; Mercy Community Health Foundation Gala Committee, 2020-present; Kansas State University College of Agriculture Volunteer, 2022-2024; USSSA Boys Travel Baseball Coach, 2021-2024; MHK Parks & Rec Boys Basketball Coach, 2022; Youth Volleyball Coach, 2025; Girls on the Run Board Member, 2017-2020
I believe three critical initiatives that will move the City of Manhattan forward are workforce housing, economic development and future-focused decision making. People are the heart of the community and we need to secure our future by focusing our efforts on creating more opportunities for people to live and invest in our community. The decisions we make today have to have a lasting positive impact on our City and community.
I was fortunate enough to be appointed to the Manhattan City Commission in June of 2024. Since then, I have devoted myself to learning the role of our City government, our budgets, and the mechanisms we can use to ensure we thrive today and in the future. I am a natural investigator and believe in discussing and dissecting items to gain consensus and understanding.
Additionally, I have spent the last 15 years in operations of a successful local, non-profit retirement community that is home to over 400 residents and 500 employees. Through my work, I have gained valuable experience working with large groups of diverse opinions to find a path forward that is supported and achievable.
The role of City Commission is the most direct form of representative democracy in Manhattan. As Commissioners, we represent the wellbeing of an entire city and community instead of smaller districts or special interests.
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Campaign Phone
785-370-6206
Education
B.S. Economics, Kansas State University, 2018
Community/Public Service
Manhattan City Commission, 2024-Present
1. Housing
2. Trust and communication between City Government and the Community
3. Financial sustainability
I've served for two years on the commission. I'm just getting to the point where I see just how much I need to learn.
My professional experience has taught me the importance of listening to feedback, prioritization, and when a hard decision needs to be made.
The City Commission sets the priorities and values of the City. We must serve as voices of everyone in our community to make sure that decisions are made with the whole community is considered, not just one demographic.
Ballot City
Manhattan
Campaign Phone
7855809485
Personal Biography
I was born in Topeka, grew up in Auburn, and graduated from Washburn Rural. I visited Manhattan. Though I’d been here for games, I hadn’t spent much time. We stopped at Pizza Hut, and as I stepped out, I felt it—I was home. At K-State, I studied political science, worked at The Collegian, and met my wife, Katie. After time away, we moved back in 2012 with our twins. We now have three kids and love life near CiCo Park. I have been a Realtor with Alliance Realty for almost 13 years.
Education
4 years at K-State studying political science. Graduated with a BA from Wichita State in 2006.
Community/Public Service
Current or former member of numerous non-profit boards including Manhattan Area Resettlement Team, Sunflower Childrens Collective, Habitat for Humanity and HousingMHK. Former member of Flint Hills Association of Realtors, Konza United Way and Ecumenical Campus Ministries.
1. Housing
2. Roads/infrastructure
3. Parks/Quality of Life
As a longtime Realtor and housing advocate, I’ve seen firsthand how limited inventory drives up costs. We need more housing across all price points — especially workforce housing. On roads, we must prioritize smart infrastructure investments that support growth and safety. And when it comes to quality of life — parks, rec centers, safe neighborhoods — these aren’t wants, they’re essentials to keeping Manhattan Manhattan. Let’s build a city where people want to come back to, but can also afford to stay.
I hate focusing on problems. I’m here for the solutions.
Anyone can point to what's broken — and let’s be honest, we’re good at that as a society. But we often get stuck in that step and forget about fixing the actual problem.
I tell my kids all the time, “What you focus on expands.” If all you do is focus on the problem, then the problem is all you’ll see.
You can’t find your socks sitting on the couch complaining about not having socks. You’ve got to get up and look for them.
That’s the mindset I bring as a Realtor, a dad, and the mindset I’ll bring to the City Commission. No flash. No ego. No politics. Just getting stuff done.
The City Commission plays a vital role in shaping the daily lives of Manhattan residents. From housing and infrastructure to public services and fiscal responsibility, the Commission makes decisions that directly impact quality of life, economic growth, and long-term planning.
I approach City Commission in much the same way as I approach my role on non-profit boards -- to set a path and direction for the staff to follow and then provide accountability after the fact.
Ballot City
Manhattan
Campaign Phone
785-477-8864
Personal Biography
Humanist / Optimist / Strategist. Working Class. Northview resident. I grew up in poverty and have since founded a small business. Good Witch Cleaning Services started in my laundry room, with $100 I had saved from my grocery budget, the vacuum from my house, and my own blood, sweat, and tears. I've been in business for 8 years now. I'm a living wage employer who has contributed over $1M dollars in payroll/benefits to the community. I've been featured in Entrepreneur and Business Insider.
Education
I went to Stetson University, a private college near Daytona Beach, FL, but recognized early that I'd never pay off $40,000 in student loans with a journalism degree and decided not to continue. I started college again at Barton Community College, but dropped out when the business took off much faster than expected. I have since had the incredible opportunity to complete a mini-MBA when I was selected in 2021 to the prestigious SBA Emerging Leaders program.
Community/Public Service
Current Governing Board & Security Chief, Indivisible MHK. Former Lieutenant & Public Information/Education officer in the Monticello Volunteer Fire Department. Former Director of 1 Million Cups, an entrepreneurship initiative. Former Chair, IICRC House Cleaning Technical Advisory Committee. Former Midwest Ambassador, ISSA Residential (trade association).
1.We’re headed for bankruptcy. We need a city-wide Return on Investment (ROI) analysis. This report calculates the taxes produced vs. infrastructure costs of each parcel. This shows which zoning types are most profitable & how the City Commission can become solvent.
2.Workforce housing. Two large-scale employers are already building facilities: PTMW and Amazon will need homes for ~200 workers and their families & we’re already short on workforce housing. People can’t work if they can’t live here.
3.Focus our budgeting on needs over wants. We need $25M to fix the solid waste treatment plant, $2M a year for road maintenance, etc. We have balanced the budget using deferred maintenance of our fleets/buildings but we can’t keep that up.
I am not a politician. I’m a blue-collar business owner who got tired of watching my neighbors work arthritis into their bones to still go to bed hungry. I’m not owned by developers or beholden to business interest groups. I am an employer who has contributed over $1M in payroll and benefits to this community & pay a living wage. I started out solo and I now manage a team of 11 amazing women. When managing my team, I listen to my customers and employees first, then build solutions that meet their needs—an approach I see too little in politics. I am data-driven, but human first. Practical: needs over wants, townies over tourists, build solutions that last. I've attended commission meeting and studied MHK city government for almost 1.5 yrs.
City Commissioners are the gatekeepers of City funds when developers, special interest groups, and social services agencies come knocking. Manhattan needs leadership with the backbone to push back on proposals, up to and including saying no. No more rubber stamps.
City Commissioners provide vision and direction to City staff. Manhattan desperately needs leadership with commitment to finding all the facts, proven strategic thinking capabilities, agile and creative problem-solving skills, and the work ethic to apply them. Haven't seen enough of that from the current Commission.
Please forgive shorthand in previous answers-- 750 characters is a small space to answer big questions. Thank you for the opportunity to earn your vote.
Candidate has not yet responded.
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Personal Biography
I have lived in Manhattan for 10 years. I graduated from K-State with a BA in Modern Languages (German & Russian) and an MBA: International Business. I have worked with students and community members in a previous role as KSU Latin Dance Club President and Instructor as well as Ceramics instructor at the Manhattan Arts Center. I have also worked with the KS Dept. of Commerce and that role as public servant encouraged me to think of how I could help make communities better and I want that for MHK
Education
MBA: International Business - Kansas State University
1. Fixing the roads. Not just endlessly patching, but really committing to nice roads for people to drive on.
2. Community Engagement. Manhattan has great people and many of us don't get a chance to meet each other because we are so siloed, we need more community focused events that anyone from families to students can enjoy.
3. The budget. No matter how you look at it, we can't move as far forward for our city if we can't afford it or spend what we have responsibly. This is essential for the growth of our city.
Public Speaking, detail oriented, and interpersonal skills are some competencies that i possess that I think make me qualified for this position. I have also worked in economic development before at the state level and have traveled to many municipalities, giving me a glimpse into how they are run and what from the things I've seen can improve Manhattan. I am involved with the community from K-State to the Douglass Center to the Manhattan Arts Center, I have spent a lot of time with people in the community which I think is important for getting an idea of what the citizens and our town want and need.
City Commission is our most immediately accessible form of government. They decide a lot of things for our city from zoning to local laws. It is important that this office has Commissioners who want the best for Manhattan because their decisions will affect us directly and immediately.
Campaign Phone
7854105296
Education
BA Political Science / Geography
Community/Public Service
Highway Cleanup, Bell Ringing for Adults with Disabilities and Flinthills Breadbasket
Our City is facing a crossroads. Growth in the City Limits has started to stall since 2010 and growth is shifting across the Blue River into Pottawatomi County. I believe that we need to make Manhattan more attractive by lowering taxes, particularly property taxes and cutting out expensive projects like Indoor Water, Sunrise Cemetery development and Riverfront MHK.
We also should embrace the growth already happening and look at annexation of undeveloped properties in Pottawatomie. Most of our Future Growth is probably east of current city limits.
Spending priorities should focus more on roads and less on parks. The Parks and Rec sales tax should be allowed to expire/ changed to General Fund
I have always had interest in government and went to Kansas State to study Political Science. I added a Geography Major and have always been interested in the big picture.
I have had a variety of different jobs which helps me to relate to all kinds of different people and different topics: Pothole Patching, Inventory Management at Ascension Via Christi, Manufacturing at Farrar, Series 7/ Series 66 Financial Advisor and currently Assisting Clients with Disabilities at Big Lakes Development.
This position provides valuable leadership to the City Government. It helps set priorities and how fast we try to get them done. Fire, Transportation, Water, Police, Parks and Public Transport are all greatly impacted by the Commission's decisions.
