Candidates were asked to limit their responses to each of the following questions to 200 words or less.
NAME: Rosemary CrumlyLoucks
AGE: 73
OCCUPATION: Retired
INCUMBENT: No
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Sorry, I had been working for so long I never really got involved with community service. I finished my bachelors in 2005. I have tried to be active in Trinity Baptist Church and now the Wamego Council of Churches.
-Why have you decided to run for a position on the City Commission? If you are an incumbent, why did you decide to run for re-election? I am running because it seems no one was listening to the people About two years ago there was a proposed sales increase in the City of Manhattan. It was to fund 8 projects the increase was voted down. Yet 4 of the 8 projects have been or are near completion. To of the four were partly funded by federal dollars. One of the projects is intended to eliminate the flooding in Manhattan. From what I have seen it is going to increase the problem of flooding in the Dix Addition and Northview. I want your voice heard. I want to stand for what is right and to keep our community one that all would like to raise their family in.
-What experience/background do you have that would make you a good city commissioner? If you are an incumbent, what experience/background has made you a good city commissioner? I have over fifty years of various careers. I have worked in the medical field, I worked in Abstracting for five years. I moved from abstracting to a Paralegal for Legal Services of Eastern Oklahoma. While there I carried a caseload of 125 cases related to social service benefits and Landlord Tenant. I worked for the Muskogee County District Attorney as Office Manager and Case Worker in the Child Support Division. I married and moved to the Republic of Panama where I worked for the Air Force compiling data on aircraft repairs. Coming back to the US in worked for the Army at Fort Monroe, Va. We then moved to Manhattan Ks in 1989 where I was fortunate to get on at Fort Riley. I have worked for the Directorate of Contracting, Logistics, Public Works as a buyer and Army Community Services. I have a Bachelor in Social Science Degree, hours equivalent to an Associate in Crininal Justice and hours in financial management.
-What are the top three issues you believe the city will face during your term, if elected/re-elected? I believe we must set up a 5 and 10 year plan to project our growth. I want to work to control spending and lower taxes. I would like to review the various departments to see if there would be any areas to be more efficient.
-What is the number one issue you plan to tackle, if elected/re-elected? I think taxation is the most important issue. The only way I know to reduce taxation is to cut spending. We have got to spend wisely.
-Is there something you would like to see changed about any city ordinance or program? I would have to review the city ordinances. The only three I am familiar with is the placing of burn pits relative to a structure and the noise ordinance. They have been working and I see no reason to change them at this time. The no use of cell phones is not working. The police are trying, but you have to catch them in use before they can give a ticket.