Two northwest Kansas students honored in ‘If I Were Mayor’ contest

Teacher Ed Mense and Anna Briggs, Quinter Junior/Senior High School, Northwest Kansas Regional Winner

On Jan. 24, the League of Kansas Municipalities held its annual Local Government Day event. At this event, six seventh graders received recognition for their participation in the League’s annual “If I Were Mayor” memo contest. The overall winner of the contest was Annicka Hernandez from Arkansas City Middle School in Arkansas City. Hernandez’s essay represented the southeast region of the state. The League presented awards to five regional winners from across the state along with the overall winner.

Anna Briggs from Quinter Junior High won in the northwest region, while Samantha Clark of Palco Junior/Senior High won in the north-central region.

The League oversees a statewide competition for all seventh-grade students in public or private school systems. The League, which represents Kansas’ cities, asked students what they would do if given the opportunity to serve as mayor of their town. This year, the students were asked to write a memo concerning a topic and think about policy considerations, resources needed, and barriers to success.

“Each year, we look forward to honoring youth across our state for their innovative and inspiring ideas,” said League Executive Director Erik Sartorius. “The regional winners offered their perspectives on a wide range of topics including affordable housing, community vitality, and public safety.”

Samantha Clark, Palco, north-central winner of “If I Were Mayor” contest with teacher, Ms. Stamper-Voss.

This year, over 375 students from across Kansas participated. Hernandez’s essay focused on creating constructing sidewalks to ensure the safety of citizens, particularly students walking to school on busy traffic ways. Her recommendation includes a .5% increase in the city’s franchise fee and engaging the school board for their community support. Hernandez emphasized the need for collaboration and funding, with a strategy to focus on the main roads first and continue the project as funds are collected. Hernandez read her memo at the event; view the video online.

Local Government Day is an opportunity for city officials from around the state to gather and discuss legislative issues. In the afternoon, Jeff Longwell, Mayor of Wichita and League of Kansas Municipalities President, presented the “If I Were Mayor” winners with their awards.