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Column: Blue Springs City Councilman Chris Lievsay “Keeping cities growing with the three E’s”

by Blue Springs City Councilman Chris Lievsay

No legislator exists as an island. While there are many instances where this statement can be true, not just in reference to the majority needed to pass or advance a bill, it is especially true when considering the impact that actions taken in Jefferson City can have on the municipalities of Missouri. Whether or not you agree with the economic concept, there is a clear trickle-down effect, both positive and negative, of decisions made in the state capital, and state government at all levels would be wise to consider those when acting as representatives of the people.

As a City Councilman in Blue Springs, I have the opportunity to see these effects on an intimate level. Recently I was having a conversation with Representative Jeanie Lauer (District 32, R-Blue Springs), who is one of the state representatives for this area, regarding her work on what she had termed the 3 E’s as Education, Employees, and Economic Development. I realized that in each of these areas the state government is having some influence here in Blue Springs.

While there is no Normandy School District level crisis on the western side of the state, the condition of the transfer situation is of some concern for the Blue Springs School District. It seems that many well intentioned people are working to provide some sort of reasonable solution to alleviate pressures on both sides of this sensitive issue, but as is often the case, sometimes inaction can be just as detrimental as poorly planned action. The Blue Springs School District is more than just the 3 consecutive Class 6A football championships we celebrate, they are also one of only a few school districts in the state that have received perfect scores and therefore Distinction of Performance awards from DESE for the last 11 consecutive years. The one size fits all approach that some take is not what is best for the students of our school district, and instead maybe an attempt to recreate the success of the Blue Springs School District, and those like it, in failing districts might be a better path.

The job situation in Blue Springs continues to improve as we are successful in attracting additional employers to our city that can provide more and higher paying jobs to the area. Even as the 10th largest city in Missouri, we directly benefit from all attempts at the state level to create a business friendly environment that gives an indication to all employers that we are open for business. Efforts as simple as those to maintain a favorable tax policy or keep Missouri’s AAA bond rating, and those that support Entrepreneurial endeavors or reduce regulation on vital industry, all give us on the municipal level the tools we need to provide more jobs for our residents, which is the best kind of revenue growth possible.

Finally, Economic Development is more than just tax credits and countless incentives. In Blue Springs our focus has been on business retention, preparing for the expansion of existing businesses, and encouraging our residents to buy local. Similar measures are often taken on the state level, and those along with the efforts to attract tourism and large scale events or tournaments to the state create an opportunity for visitors to stay in our hotels and eat at our restaurants. Regardless of what you believe about the economic projections of such events, at its basic level the influx of outside spending in any community does positively impact the revenues of municipalities in some way, and that is always appreciated.

Regardless of the issue, it is almost always true that maintaining responsibilities and decision making control at the most local possible level is preferable. The closer government gets to the people, the more relevant it is likely to be, and collaboration between state and local officials would truly be a step in ensuring the best possible representation for the people who have placed their trust in our hands. The issues on the state level do have an impact on the local level, as they have in Blue Springs, and my hope is that due consideration is given when casting a vote.