Mike Amyx is still looking at the number — 10,635.

That’s the number of votes he garnered as the top finisher in Tuesday’s Lawrence City Commission election. The downtown barber shop owner — who was a political mainstay in the 1980s and early 1990s as a city and county commissioner — said the results were a bit overwhelming.

“My wife and I were discussing that number a little while ago,” Amyx said Wednesday afternoon. “It is unbelievable. Really, I’m about as proud as I have ever been in my entire life.”

Now Amyx and fellow winners Sue Hack and David Schauner, both incumbents, will have another number to focus on — two. That’s how many fellow commissioners they’ll have to win over on the five-member commission if they want to see their campaign ideas turn into city policy.

All three candidates said they had plenty of ideas they wanted to get to work on. Amyx said he would focus intently on the city’s budget process. He said he likely would try to convince commissioners to create a new fund in the budget to improve maintenance of older neighborhoods, while keeping the city’s property tax mill levy steady.

Hack, who finished second with just more than 9,300 votes, said she was ready to tackle the issue of providing services to the homeless, improve the efficiency of the city’s planning and permitting process, and talk about the proper role of the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission.

“I don’t want to set off any alarm bells about the planning commission, but I am concerned that we have a planning staff that isn’t always as respected as it should be,” Hack said.

Schauner — who by finishing third received a two-year term while Hack and Amyx received four-year terms — said he would continue to push for a large area southeast of town to be planned for a future office park, and consider moving the city’s neighborhood resources, planning and public works departments into a single location to improve coordination and make them more accessible to the public.

Staying the course

6News video: Commissioners ready to take reins 6News video: Election officials back tabulating accuracy Vote count done; commissioners ready to work ‘Progressive’ candidates win majority on City Commission Complete election coverage in Election 2005

But Schauner said he didn’t expect major changes in the commission’s philosophy, in large part, because that wasn’t the message voters seemed to send Tuesday.

“I think the general message was that people are generally happy with the direction of the city,” Schauner said. “They re-elected both incumbents, and in Mike they elected someone who had served before.”

Schauner’s victory, which wasn’t assured until the final votes were counted early Wednesday morning, ensured that candidates who ran under the Progressive Lawrence Campaign would remain in the majority. Mayor Mike Rundle and Commissioner Boog Highberger were both elected two years ago as Progressive Lawrence Campaign candidates.

The organization generally has supported stricter development standards and policies that ensure growth pays its fair share for new city services. Schauner said the fact Progressive Lawrence candidates would have a 3-2 advantage on the commission was significant. He said the majority could be important in deciding whether the city should add impact fees that would be assessed on new developments, and on issues that directly affect neighborhoods.

“I think what it means is that neighborhoods in the established part of town will have a meaningful voice in long-range planning, and I feel neighborhoods in general will have good access to decision-makers,” Schauner said.

No big deal

Both Hack and Amyx, though, downplayed the split on the commission.

“I think the main thing is we all care about doing what’s best for Lawrence,” Amyx said.

If Progressive Lawrence supporters want to keep their majority on the commission, they’ll have work to do in the next two years. Because of the way commission terms are staggered, all three seats currently occupied by Progressive Lawrence candidates will be up for re-election in two years.

Tuesday’s results also will determine who holds the gavel at City Hall, if commissioners follow tradition. Historically, the top two-vote winners have been selected by their fellow commissioners to receive a one-year term as mayor. That means Amyx would be mayor beginning in April 2006 and Hack would be mayor beginning in April 2007. Highberger, the second-place finisher two years ago, is expected to begin a one-year term as mayor on Tuesday.

Tuesday also will be the final meeting for Commissioner David Dunfield, who chose not to seek re-election.