By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Hays native Henry Schwaller IV is running for re-election to the Hays city commission after being encouraged to do so by some constituents.
Schwaller, the owner of a real estate investment firm and instructor of entrepreneurship and management at Fort Hays State University, thought about it a lot before making his decision.
“Their logic was there’s a lot on the city’s plate – water and other projects. I was told they thought my seniority and my knowledge would be helpful in moving the city forward,” Schwaller says.
Although he admits his memory isn’t perfect, his believes his familiarity with the city is helpful.
“If we’ve approached a problem before, I’d like to know why haven’t we fixed it, or how is this different. Having that knowledge of where we’ve been and how we’ve gotten here is important.”
Schwaller, 53, is adamant that local officials are not politicians.
“We’re problem solvers. People come to us and say I need my street fixed, my alley fixed. Whether it’s a water issue or economic development, really, local elected officials are problem solvers.”
One problem yet to be resolved is a long-term water supply for Hays.
“We continue to pursue our long-term water option (R9 Ranch) in Edwards County and that has been an issue for the city since its inception but certainly since the late 1980s.
“We’re much closer than we were when I started (on the commission) and certainly much closer than we were in January of this year.
“Now with the master order from the (Kansas Dept. of Agriculture) Division of Water Resources, we are moving ahead. There are some stumbling blocks along the way, but we’ll get through them.”
Schwaller was first elected in 1999 and served until 2007. He was reelected in 2009 and has served since then.
He understands some people may think he’s been on the city commission too long.
“But I approach each meeting as if it were my first. I do my homework. I make sure I know what’s on the agenda. I talk to as many people as possible.
“I think people find that refreshing and also that I’m not afraid to take a viewpoint that may not agree with the majority.”
The most important thing the city does well, according to Schwaller, is creating financial stability through a balanced budget and paying cash for its projects.
Schwaller says the city is not doing enough to prevent the “brain drain” of local college graduates from FHSU and NCK Tech.
“They may go away for a couple years and want to come back. What can they come back to? So it’s imperative that we focus our efforts in the next three to five years on building homegrown businesses through entrepreneurship and by focusing on the needs of our existing businesses, whether to retain or to expand them. Because when you talk to many of these employers, and some of them pay incredibly well, they cannot find talent.”
The top two city commission candidates will serve for four years, while the third-place vote-getter will serve for two years.
Advanced voting is underway. The election is Nov. 5.