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by
Ivan Foley
Landmark editor
As a general rule, county political campaigns
require some cash to energize the effort and to
help communicate the message of each candidate.
It’s no different here in Platte County,
where candidates—some more than others—have
taken donations to help fund their races.
Quarterly campaign finance reports for county
candidates were due Thursday. Not surprisingly,
the incumbents seem to have more healthy war chests
than the newcomers that are challenging them in
the primary election scheduled for Tuesday, Aug.
3.
What follows is a look at the financial standing
of candidates in the contested county commission
races in Platte County. Wendy Flanigan, director
for the Platte County Board of Elections, explains
the maximum contribution per election is $300.
Steve Wegner
Second District County Commissioner
Early on in the campaign, Steve Wegner, incumbent,
mentioned he didn’t have the personal financial
resources of his challenger in the Republican
primary, Jim Plunkett. A look at the latest campaign
finance report, and a look at the very noticeable
interstate billboard signs he has on display in
his district, leaves the impression that Wegner’s
campaign is not suffering from a shortage of funds.
In this election cycle, Wegner’s campaign
committee known as Platte County First has receipts
of $25,880. It has spent $12,310, leaving roughly
$13,000 on hand as of July 15.
“I’ve done OK on my fundraisers,”
Wegner recently told The Landmark.
It’s true. A recent golf tournament hosted
at The National Golf Course in Parkville had a
net profit of nearly $9,000 for Wegner’s
campaign fund.
Contributions listed on his quarterly report
have come from:
Clark R. Irey II, Leawood, Ks. $150; Nancy T.
Allen, Parkville, $300; Sandra Aust, Kansas City,
$50; Judy Stokes, Kansas City, $200; N. Gary Wages,
Independence, $50; Ronald Williamson, Kansas City,
$100; George Z. Hull III, Weston, $100; White,
Goss, March, Schulte and Weisenfels, Kansas City,
$300; G. Elain Bowers, Kansas City, $300; James
C. Bowers, Kansas City, $300; R.H. Johnson Company,
Kansas City, $300; Betty Gregoire, Austin, Tex.,
$100; O. Lavon Roland, Platte City, $25; Keith
Hicklin, Platte City, $100, Rebecca Rooney, Weston,
$300; John W. Brake, Overland Park, Ks., $50;
Cynthia McGinnis, Platte City, $100; Myron Calkins,
Kansas City, $50; Michael Burke, Kansas City,
$150; Robert Neil Davidson, Parkville, $50;
Whitaker Gunn, Kansas City, $300; Ingle Gunn,
Kansas City, $300; Michael Gunn, Kansas City,
$300; Paul McLaughlin, Kansas City, $300; Cynthia
Hileman, Overland Park, Ks., $300; George Butler
Assoc., Lenexa, Ks, $300; Lexeco, Leavenworth,
$300; Kaaz Construction, Leavenworth, $300; Pamela
Miller, Kansas City, $300; Clarkson Construction
Co, Kansas City, $300; Clarkson Equipment Co.,
Kansas City, $300; Eaton Chemical, Inc., Riverside,
$50; Neil Davidson, Parkville, $25; Philip Krause,
Parkville, $25; Gary Wages, Independence, $25;
Jack and Carole Coots, Platte City, $50; Corey
and Lori Rush, Platte City, $50; Michael Maasens,
Kansas City, $300; Dave Johnson, North Kansas
City, $300; Nelson Hopper, Parkville, $300; Arnie
Tulloch, Fairway, Ks., $300; Allan Cooksey, Overland
Park, Ks., $300; Pat McCowan, Independence, $300;
Kyle Burch, Kansas City, $300; Dale Brouk, Parkville,
$300; ET Archer Corporation, Lee’s Summit,
$300; Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City, $300;
Friends of John Fairfield, $300; Forest Park Development
Parkville, $300; NDH LLC, Parkville, $300; George
and Pam Gunter, Kansas City, $300; Greater KC
Chamber PAC, Kansas City, $300; Harrington &
Cortelyou, Kansas City, $300; Ingram’s Magazine,
Kansas City, $300; John F. Lutjen and Assoc.,
Kansas City, $300; McCormick Distilling Co., Weston,
$300; Mega Industries, North Kansas City, $300;
Nash Gas, Karlton and Donna Nash, Riverside, $300;
Nearing, Statts, Prelogar and Jones, $300; Olsson
Associates, Kansas City, $300; SFS Architects,
Kansas City, $300; Franklin L. Weatherford, Kansas
City, $300; Larkin Group, Kansas City, $300; HNTB,
Kansas City, $300; BHC, Overland Park, Ks. $300.
Expenses for Wegner have included: FireFly Marketing,
Kansas City, campaign literature, $1,360; Firefly
Marketing, campaign literature, $1,475; 1st Street
Graphics, St. Joseph, campaign literature, $601;
DAC Photography, invitations, $299; Waitt Outdoor,
Omaha, Neb., outdoor sign, $1,175; Waitt Outdoor,
Omaha, outdoor sign, $1,500; US Post Office, postage,
$149; Dac Photography, Platte City, $35, Dac Photography,
$53.63; Dac Photography, $17.50; Firefly Marketing,
campaign literature, $2,835; National Golf Club,
Parkville, $2,915.67.
Jim Plunkett, Second District County Commission
candidate
Plunkett’s campaign committee, known as
Citizens to Elect Jim Plunkett, is at the other
end of the financial spectrum from Wegner’s.
Money on hand as of July 15 for Plunkett was listed
as just $373.35.
Monetary receipts this election for Plunkett
are $4,415. Of that amount, $3,900 came from a
personal loan Plunkett made to his own campaign
committee.
Plunkett says there are reasons he is relying
primarily on self-funding of his race.
"I vowed I would not take money from county
vendors or developers," he said, adding that
vendors and developers are prominent in Wegner's
list of contributors.
"I have vowed that if elected, I will be
ethical in office. And I can assure you that there
won't be anything going on that shouldn't be going
on. That's one of the reasons I'm self-funding
the race," he said this week.
"I just want to get work done. I don't want
to be a politician," he remarked.
Monetary contributions received outside of his
own personal funds this election total $515. Itemized
contributions for this reporting period number
only one: It came from Mike Hemphill, St. Louis,
in the amount of $300.
Itemized expenditures for Plunkett’s campaign
include:
Platte County Election office, copies, $4.75;
VictoryStore.com, yard signs, $749.94; Britt Kennedy
Signs, signs, $736.60; Groundhog Communications,
artwork, $425; Groundhog Communications, artwork,
$100; Dunkel Printing, printing, $910.35; Dunkel
Printing, printing, $342.72; The Landmark, ad,
$89.40; The Citizen, ad, $135; and several payments
for postage in the amount of $63.85, $46, $92,
$23, $94.04 and $138.
FIRST DISTRICT COUNTY COMMISSIONER
MICHAEL SHORT
Republican Incumbent Michael Short, first district
county commissioner, has plenty of cash on hand
in his campaign fund, with a balance of $26,438
as of July 15. His report shows he has raised
$73,886 for this election.
"I've been very fortune. A lot of people
have come forward to support me (with donations),"
Short said this week.
Monetary donations to Short this reporting period
include:
Kevin Green Homes, Parkville, $300; Knight for
Presiding Commissioner, Platte City, $300; Shields
for Pro-Tem, St. Joseph, $300; Citizens for Shields,
St. Joseph, $300; Nathan Granger, Parkville, $200;
Michael L. Defenbau, Parkville, $150; James Allen,
Parkville, $300; Gary Anderson, Shawnee Mission,
Ks. $200; Beau Arnason, Columbus, Ohio, $300;
Edie Ballweg, Kansas City, $20; James Bowers,
Kansas City, $300; Brungardt, Honomichi and Co.,
P.A., Overland Park, Ks. $300; Mike Burke, Kansas
City, $100; Myron Calkins, Kansas City, $100;
Central Platte Holdings LLC, Parkville, $300;
Glenda Corwin, Kansas City, $300; Damon Pursell
Construction Co., Liberty, $300; Delich, Roth
and Goddwillie, Kansas City, $300; John Dillingham,
Kansas City, $100; Randall Ferguson, Lee’s
Summit, $300; George Butler and Assoc., Lenexa,
Ks. $300; Whitaker Gunn, Kansas City, $300; Ingle
Gunn, Kansas City, $300; Jan Gunn, Kansas City,
$300; Pamela Gunter, Kansas City, $300; Jerry
Hagg, Dearborn, $150; Bill Hern, Kansas City,
$50; Home Embellishments, LLC, Parkville, $300;
Randy Irey, Leawood, $50; Jerry’s Collision
and Refinishing, Riverside, $50; Gerald Johnson,
Lee’s Summit, $300; Marta Kimball, Weatherby
Lake, $300; Tracey Kolasa, Kansas City, $100;
Lakes at Oakmont, St. Joseph, $300; Lexeco, Leavenworth,
$300; Martins Group, Platte City, $300; Mega Industries,
North Kansas City, $300; John Miller, Kansas City,
$300; Mitchell, Kristi and Lieber, P.A., Kansas
City, $300.; NBH LLC, Parkville, $300; Lee Pedego,
Parkville, $200; Platte County Title, Platte City,
$300; Steve Pomerantz, New Albany, Ohio, $300;
Barry Rosenberg, Columbus, Ohio, $300; Michael
Royle, Kansas City, $50; S&P Financial Services,
Kansas City, $100; Debbie Saladino, Kansas city,
$25; Ronald Shaffer, Prairie Village, Ks. $300;
Robert Shaw, Platte City, $300; Thomas Smith,
Lenexa, Ks. $300; Judy Spinner, Kansas City, $50;
The Bukaty Agency, Overland Park, Ks., $300; Lee
Valentine, Weatherby Lake, $25; Carolyn Valentine,
Weatherby Lake, $25; David Watson, Kansas City,
$300; Larry White, Overland Park, Ks. $300; Vicki
Williamson, Kansas City, $300; WNB Architects,
Kansas City, $300.
Some of Short’s more notable expenses include
$2,915 to The National Golf Club for a tournament/reception;
$3005 to Firefly Marketing for yard signs; $299
to Dac Photography in Platte City; $111.10 to
Sports-N-Shorts in Platte City (owned by fellow
commissioner Steve Wegner) for t-shirts.
TOM PRYOR, CHALLENGER, FIRST DISTRICT COUNTY
COMMISSION
Pryor’s report shows he has nearly $10,000
on hand as of the July 15 quarterly reporting
deadline. Pryor has raised $10,395 this election
and spent just $456. The amount he has been able
to raise is considered fairly impressive based
on the fact it's his first foray into countywide
office.
Contributions received this period for Pryor:
Richard W. Saunders, Kansas City, $300; Pryor
Appraisal Services, Inc., Gladstone, $300; Pryor
Trust, LLC, $300; Inside Information, Smithville,
$300; Larry Ellington, Bonner Springs, Ks., $300;
John Elliott, Smithville, $300; Julie Elliott,
Smithville, $300; James T. Wrigley, Parkville,
$250; Karen E. Wrigley, Parkville, $250; Citizens
for Pouche, Parkville, $300; Todd Burnidge, Kansas
City, $200; Kevin S. Coffman, Kansas City, $200;
Randall C. Reed, Kansas City, $300; Blue Excel,
Platte City, $300; Triple Star, Platte City, $300;
Jeb S. Coy, Smithville, $300; Brian D. Everest,
Mission Hills, Ks., $300; J. Stephen West, Kansas
City, $200; The Donaldson Group, Gladstone, $200;
Moyes Eye Center, Kansas City, $150; Brenda Pryor,
Kansas City, $300; TWG Mortgage Solutions, Kansas
City, $250; Victor Hurlbert, Liberty, $300; Jim
Plunkett, Inc., $300; J.D.N., Kansas City, $125;
Sherri Plunkett, Platte City, $300; Jim Plunkett,
Platte City, $300; Thomas J. Pryor, Kansas City,
$300.
Notable expenses for Pryor include $910.35 to
Dunkel Printing of Weston; $325 to Groundhog Communications
for logo and push piece; $152 in postage; and
$116 to Signs Now of Kansas City for yard signs.
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