By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
There are five people running for the three open positions on the Hays city commission in the Nov. 7 general election.
The candidates are Chris Dinkel, incumbent Sandy Jacobs, John Mayers, incumbent and current mayor Shaun Musil, and Dustin Roths.
The two people with the highest number of votes will be elected to four-year terms. The person with the third highest vote total will serve a two-year term. The mayor is selected by the commission members.
Hays Post has talked to each candidate, asking why they are running and what they consider to be the most important issues facing the city of Hays.
Musil, 45, is the new co-owner, with his wife Heather, of Paisley Pear Wine Bar, Bistro & Market in downtown Hays. They have three children ages 15, 12 and 6. He is also a part-time Uber driver, most often picking up airport passengers.
“I love working with customers,” Musil said, “and take great pride in promoting Hays.”
When Musil’s term is up in January, the current mayor will have served four and half years on the Hays city commission.
If re-elected, Musil hopes his next term will see the R9 Ranch project approved by the state and moving forward as a long-term water supply for Hays and Russell.
He’s talked with many Hays residents who want to see more economic development and “they ask me why the city didn’t pursue the Tyson chicken plant. It’s not going to work for Hays because of its water use requirements.”
Another concern of constituents is the cost of housing in Hays. “I talked to a guy who just moved here. He said he was kind of shocked at the high housing prices.” Musil doesn’t believe the city government should be involved in housing prices.
“We have to be careful on the cost of ‘specials’ when we have new developments,” Musil said, “but the specials are what pay for it. I don’t think the guy living across the street for 20 years should be paying for you if you’re in a new housing development. It’s touchy,” he admitted with a shrug.
“We’ve just got to find a way to possibly lower land prices. Some of the landowners are saying if the right thing would come in, they’d be willing to sell. A lot of the landowners don’t think their prices are too high and who am I to say they are too high?”
The concern he’s heard “over and over” is that the commission is “unapproachable, but I think we’ve gotten better. You can say ‘no’ without disrespecting someone or their idea,” Musil added in reference to the city commission turning down USD 489 when the school district asked for a city sales tax to support an earlier proposed bond issue.
Although city sales tax revenues have been flat or trending downward for a year or more, Musil isn’t worried about the city’s budget. “We’re still in good shape with reserves for two to three years. If we did have to cut something, outside agencies funding would be first, in my opinion.”
In his interview Musil also talked about the proposal for three traffic roundabouts on north Vine Street, the possibility of a new convention center, and his appreciation of city employees.
Advance voting begins Mon., Oct. 23 in the Ellis County Administrative Center, 718 Main, Hays, through noon Mon., Nov. 6. Polls for the Tue., Nov. 7 general election are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. throughout Ellis County.