Second Web Site in University Heights Race

Second Web Site in University Heights Race

Both de facto slates in the sure to be hot again University Heights city election are now up with web sites.

"U H Moving Forward" is the group that's been in support of the One University Place development at the site of St. Andrew Church.

The candidates are incumbents Mike Haverkamp and Pat Yeggy, candidate Amanda Whitmer, and Jim Lane, who served on the council briefly as an appointee until losing the January special election to Hopson. That January vote saw near-governor level turnout (56%) and broke the long-time Johnson County pattern: if a special election got called by petition, the side that petitioned always lost, until Hopson.

U H Moving Forward is also supporting MAyor Louise From, running unopposed.
Opponents of the project are We Are For University Heights at http://wer4uh.org/.

The WeR4UH candidates are:

Roseanne Hopson, inner of the record turnout January special election.

fellow incumbent Brennan McGrath.

Former school board member Jan Leff. She stepped down from the board in 2009 and just wrapped up a brief term as a placeholder appointee. Leff's husband Al, who preceded her on the school board, lost to From in the 2009 mayor's race.

First time candidate Rachel Stewart.

As a near west sider, near but not in UHeights, I've spotted yard signs and even bumper stickers printed with all four WeR4UH names. Usually when Koni is driving, because she takes Sunset to Melrose and I usually stay on Benton specifically to stay out of University Heights; my foot gets a little heavy on the gas sometimes.

The fifth incumbent, Stan Laverman, is not running. UHeights is also voting on renewing its library levy, which passed with 88% in 2005. Both sides of the development battle seem to agree on that at least.