LAHARPE ? Allen County?s third-largest community has seen improvements in several areas in recent years, but much remains to be done, candidates for LaHarpe city offices said Tuesday.
City Council hopefuls Danny Ware Jr., Austin Lee and Rosetta Greathouse spoke at a candidate forum hosted by LaHarpe PRIDE. On Tuesday, voters will pick two of the three to be seated next January. Ware is the only incumbent; this is the first-ever bid in elective politics for Lee and Greathouse.
Also on hand for the forum was Mayor Mae Crowell, who is unopposed in her bid for re-election.
The candidates touched on several topics, ranging from the city?s infrastructure needs to their personal motivations for seeking public office.
LaHarpe City Council candidates, from left, Danny Ware Jr. and Austin Lee listen to Mayor Mae Crowell at a candidate forum Tuesday.
Brief summations of each candidate?s comments follow:
DANNY WARE JR.
Ware has served one four-year term on Council.
He grew up in Iola and has lived in LaHarpe with his wife, Jenny, six years.
His initial experiences in LaHarpe spurred him to run for office.
Ware recalled the city?s troubled electric grid, an old two-phase system prone to brownouts, blackouts and other failures.
?I ran for City Council because the electric was so bad,? he recalled. ?I considered selling my house. It was almost felt like a third-world country.?
During his time on the Council, LaHarpe successfully secured a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant, which when combined with a $435,000 USDA loan, was sufficient to install a new electric system last year.
Ware noted he was the Council member to make the motion to approve the funding mechanisms.
?Getting it taken care of after starting with nothing was a pretty big accomplishment,? he said.
As for the future, Ware sees LaHarpe?s streets and sewer systems as the next priorities.
