Mike Kelly: Johnson County is poised for great things. Don’t let polarization derail us
Our region is on the cusp of historic opportunities. In the coming years, we will welcome a Panasonic battery manufacturing facility, the World Cup, and the NFL draft to the Kansas City area. Federal initiatives such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act will make unprecedented investment in America’s transportation and energy infrastructures. Thousands of new residents are expected to move into Johnson County alone.
We’ve never seen this level of economic opportunity in our community. How we navigate these possibilities will shape Johnson County and the metropolitan area for generations to come. We must come together to meet this moment.
As Americans, we are told that we are more polarized than ever. Such rhetoric alleges that ideas can be trusted only if they come from “our side.” That disenfranchisement threatens not only our communities and institutions, but potentially precludes us from seizing this moment of innovation and investment that could define our future.
It’s easy to criticize. It’s difficult to lead. A leader must put aside toxic political talking points in order to focus on collaboration and compromise.
In September, I was a part of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Exchange program, which brought together 170 representatives from the public, private and nonprofit sectors, all focused on building connections to consider our community’s opportunities and challenges honestly. It was a group diverse in age, race, gender and lived experiences. Despite — and maybe even because of — our differences, meaningful collaboration ensued.
This opportunity to learn from and connect with leaders from Detroit was another recognition that collaborative leadership can spark meaningful change. Only a decade ago, following the automotive industry’s decline and with its neighborhoods decaying, Detroit was bankrupt. Today, the city boasts a nearly full revitalization, including downtown sports stadiums, a rapidly expanding and award-winning riverfront, public art and green spaces, and reinvestment in neighborhoods through an array of partnerships.
Recognizing the technology-driven future of the auto industry, leaders from all levels of government and private industry are creating a first-in-the-nation connected and autonomous vehicle corridor from downtown Detroit to Ann Arbor. Detroit’s public, philanthropic and educational systems are funding initiatives to support small business in chronically underserved communities, focusing on minority- and women-owned companies. Detroit is seizing the day.
To seize our moment in history, we need to take good ideas wherever we find them. The people we elect and the policies they implement will set the tone and priorities that will shape our community’s future. On Nov. 8, let’s elect leaders.
Mike Kelly is the mayor of Roeland Park and a candidate for chair of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners.
