City Commission vacancy applicant Joe O'Brien

Above anything else, Joe O’Brien has pursued the City Commission vacancy “to give back to the community” he raised his son in and to help restore the public’s trust.

“My hope and desires for the future of Lawrence are quite simple,” O’Brien said during the public forum Sept. 24. “I hope for Lawrence to continue and strive to become an economically vibrant, environmentally sustainable and culturally rich community.”

City Commission vacancy applicant Joe O'Brien

Before relocating to Lawrence more than 20 years ago, O’Brien taught middle and high school social studies in Virginia. He was later employed by the University of Virginia, and he directed a nonprofit institute housed at Virginia Commonwealth University.

In 1992, he became a faculty member at Kansas University, where he now helps students who are preparing to teach social studies.

O’Brien said he has the “people, problem-solving and organizational experience” to help Lawrence “in continuing on this journey.”

“Like a lot of the people there, there’s just a desire to give back to the community that has given me so much for the past 20 years,” O’Brien said.

Among the issues most important to him, he said, are economic development, environmental sustainability and affordable housing.

At the forum, O’Brien shared the story of a friend of his who was forced to move from Lawrence back to Eudora because of housing costs.

In his application for the City Commission vacancy, O’Brien wrote that he supports “ensuring quality housing for all income groups” and “exploring ways to integrate complementary issues, such as opportunities for small independent retail and diversity within neighborhoods.”

O’Brien also wrote that he wants Lawrence to be an “economically attractive environment for business development and growth, while remaining consistent with the community’s values and providing for a range of employment opportunities.”

While making decisions on tax incentives, O’Brien said, the commission should ensure employees are making a “favorable” salary.

When asked during the forum to name an important issue that hadn’t been mentioned, O’Brien spoke about rebuilding trust.

He noted controversy directed at a new police facility, former Mayor Jeremy Farmer’s resignation and the East Ninth arts corridor project.

“It seems like we’ve had kind of a rough year,” he said. “So the most important thing we need to be able to deal with now is to figure out how to rebuild trust among ourselves as a community.”