Voters in District 2 will have three choices for City Council on their ballot: incumbent Becky Tuttle and challengers Marcey Gregory and Hatim Zeineddine.
Tuttle is the only incumbent City Council member running to keep their seat this year. She was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2019 and was re-elected the same year.
Gregory is a retired former business owner. She also served as mayor of Goddard from 2007 until 2017.
Zeineddine is a 28-year-old engineer with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Wichita State University. This is his first run at public office. Zeineddine was interviewed for the audio portion of this voter guide but did not respond to the written questionnaire.
District 2 covers far east and southeast Wichita.
Here's where the candidates stand on issues and questions facing the district:
What are your top two priorities if elected to the Wichita City Council?
Marcey Gregory: Economic growth, we need to continue to work to support existing business, incubate and foster new business and try to bring business from other areas. My philosophy has always been; the way to keep taxes and utilities low is to get more people paying into the pool. Second is public safety, which includes fire as well as police. No one wants to live in a community where they don’t feel safe and well-protected. We must support PD & FD with adequate staffing, equipment and training.
Becky Tuttle: A top priority is the staffing shortage within the Wichita Police Department and public safety. I have been an avid supporter of our police and fire departments during my tenure of Wichita City Council, and I have been unanimously endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police. I believe that we are making strides to not only address the salary issues, but also the morale issues. I am an advocate for any initiatives that will address both root causes.
The second priority is homelessness. The City of Wichita and Sedgwick (County) have created a Homelessness Task Force that’s developing a realistic and ambitious plan to address homelessness, engaging the business community, non-profit providers, faith and health entities, law enforcement and community members who have experienced being unsheltered. This task force will provide guidance on how the City should spend the taxpayers’ time and treasure to address this critical issue.
The City has employed tax incentives – such as TIF districts – for a variety of development projects. Do you think safeguards should be in place to protect taxpayers if a project fails to meet expectations, and if so, what?
Marcey Gregory: I believe revenue-generating tools, such as TIFs, IRBs, STAR Bonds etc., are somewhat misunderstood by the public. They generally have very strict, structured guidelines, which are overseen by the financially issuing entity, which is usually the state or the federal government. Any projects that are paid for with taxpayer monies should have provisions set in place to protect the community from projects that are incompetently or carelessly completed, so that the community has recourse against that developer.
Becky Tuttle: Tax incentives are a useful tool but must be used appropriately to accomplish the City’s economic development goals and objectives. Incentives are designed to encourage development that would otherwise not occur, fund the revitalization of deteriorating or distressed areas, increase property value resulting from redevelopment to help pay the upfront costs of the project and have a public benefit. Safeguards must be in place to protect taxpayers. The City requires a third-party market study for projects being considered for incentives which includes a project plan, feasibility study, description and map of the redevelopment area, and a detailed description of the buildings and facilities. The proposal must also meet a return on investment for the City of Wichita, which can include capital investments and/or newly created jobs. Additional safeguards include personal guarantees, pay-as-you-go on five years plus five-year review, and construction benchmarks with definitive timelines.
A 2021 study found Wichita has an estimated gap of 44,000 affordable housing units. If elected, how would you address the affordable housing shortage in the city?
Marcey Gregory: If you had asked for three “top” issues, instead of just two, I would have brought up homelessness/affordable housing. This is a nationwide problem, not just one germane to Wichita. Many people believe the people they see living on the streets of our town do so because of a combination of mental health issues and/or drug or alcohol addiction. The reality is some are functional, who hold down jobs, but because of some circumstance or other, find themselves living in their cars. There are several tools that I believe our community should look into to address this issue. We can assess available public land, partner with developers to put some affordable housing units there. Also, the City owns many buildings which are vacant because they no longer suit their original purpose. Community Block Development Grants (CBDG), and other grants like it can be utilized to help with some of this expense to convert these to affordable housing units.
Becky Tuttle: Wichita needs a combination of affordable housing and housing that’s affordable, both of which are essential for the future stability of Wichita’s housing market. Subsidized public housing, or affordable housing, supports low-income tenants struggling with rising rents. Affordable housing, by contrast, is when rents or mortgages are no more than 30% of one's income. Implementing the Places for People Plan to help prompt development in the core of the city where infrastructure costs have been realized will help with both affordable housing and housing that’s affordable. I have supported zoning and land use for all types of housing, including single-family, duplex and multi-family. The Realtors of South Central Kansas gave me their endorsement as a candidate because they see I have been a thought leader when our community is discussing affordable housing and have worked hard to learn from community members and content experts in this field.
The City of Wichita is currently developing a new Bicycle Master Plan. Do you think it’s important for the east side to emphasize biking and walkability as it expands?
Marcey Gregory: Absolutely I want the eastside to emphasize biking and walkability as it expands. Communities that want to retain their young talent, have got to realize that is a very important feature to them. Also, if we expect our citizens to take some responsibility for their own level of health, we have got to make certain, that they have space to pursue that.
Becky Tuttle: I hear consistently from the residents in District 2 that safe walking/biking options are a priority and I have continued to champion these efforts. An example of work I have done to ensure walking and biking is a priority in District 2 is the completion of the Red Bud Trail. The Red Bud Trail takes users on a journey via the former BNSF railway corridor and has been a highly utilized amenity, not only in Wichita but has become a regionally significant tourist attraction. The thirty-mile trail is lacking completion from Woodlawn to K-96 and I have coordinated with staff, the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and community advocates to seek funding to ensure the Red Bud Trail not only comes to fruition, but is done so in a safe, cost-effective and timely manner. The main areas of focus for the completion will be security, functionality, and aesthetics.
What is one top priority specific to your district that you would advocate for if elected to the City Council?
Marcey Gregory: Infrastructure. With all the new development we have seen recently, our roads are receiving a lot of wear and tear, and there are many streets within the 2nd District that have so much traffic and congestion that we need to seriously look at adding additional lane(s) and/or turn lanes to accommodate continued growth.
Becky Tuttle: I have many priorities that I have focused on for District 2 over the past four years and I have more work to do! As we are in unstable economic times, we need to be laser-focused on diversifying our economy and utilizing our exceptionally well-trained and skilled workforce. Our city’s economic development team has done an exceptional job of collaborating with community partners and industries to keep our anchor industries here and sharing with the rest of the world why other industries should call Wichita their home. I will support and empower this work in every capacity I can, with the Webb and Greenwich corridors as a top priority. The opportunities with Jabara Airport, Scheels Stryker Multi Sports Complex, and other amenities are immense and we must keep the momentum going! Maximizing our economic opportunities will depend on identifying new industries, strong infrastructure, transportation, and a safe community.
