Baldwin City interviews four candidates to fill vacant council seat

The Baldwin City Council interviewed four applicants to fill a vacant council seat and asked members to rank the candidates 1–4 and submit those rankings to the city administrator (Amra) within 21 days.

Applicants included an unnamed retired law‑enforcement chief who described grant and budget experience and said he would both seek selection and likely run for the seat, a retired municipal utility director who emphasized infrastructure and utility‑rate planning, Ken Hayes (former Baldwin City mayor) who highlighted past downtown and infrastructure projects and preservation of green space, and a local coach and resident focused on housing affordability and support for public employees.

Candidates described priorities that overlapped: addressing aging infrastructure (water, sewer and power), maintaining affordability for seniors and younger families, and preserving community green space including Baldwin City Lake and Blackjack Park. Ken Hayes cited prior projects completed during his tenure as mayor — water towers, a wastewater plant and downtown improvements — and urged pursuing grants to preserve historic assets.

Council members closed the interviews with procedural instructions: they will rank candidates in order of preference, Amra will compile the results, and the appointment will be made within the statutory/administrative window for the opening. One council member said they would like to see all four candidates run on next year’s ballot as well, signaling interest in broadening choice beyond the appointment.

Next steps: council members to submit rankings to Amra within 21 days; no appointment was made at the meeting.