photo by: John Young

From left, Jim Denney (R), Jim Weaver (D), Bassem Chahine (D) and Michelle Derusseau (R) answer questions during a question and answer session sponsored by the Voter Education Coalition on Sunday afternoon, July 10, 2016, at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St.

At a forum Sunday, four candidates for the one contested seat on the Douglas County Commission generally agreed on issues, including the need to expand the county jail and construct a mental health crisis intervention center.

The four candidates vying for the 3rd District Douglas County Commission seat of west Lawrence and western Douglas County answered questions at a 90-minute forum the Voter Education Coalition sponsored at Lawrence’s City Hall. Bassem Chahine and Jim Weaver have filed as Democrats, and Jim Denney and Michelle Derusseau have filed as Republicans for the seat now held by the retiring Jim Flory. Voters will decide in the Aug. 2 primary the candidate from each party who will advance to the November general election.

All four candidates said they had toured the Douglas County Jail and came away from that experience supportive of the need to expand and update the facility. All four supported the mental health crisis intervention center as a mental health resource for the community and as a treatment option for some inmates.

The candidates cited the need for more room at the jail for women inmates, whose population has grown in the 20 years since the jail was designed, and the addition of the proposed classification pod, which would help address the safety issue of mixing serious felons with the general population. They agreed more space was necessary to end the expensive practice of placing inmates in the jails of other counties.

Denney, Derusseau and Weaver said they were encouraged by the early work of the Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, which they said would be critical in finding alternatives to incarceration for some offenders. All four candidates supported the effort to create a mental health court to find appropriate placement for inmates with mental health issues.

The candidates also agreed the County Commission was moving in the right direction to address concerns that surfaced last year about the fairness and consistency of the Douglas County Zoning and Codes Department. They praised the hiring of a new department head and supported the reforms proposed by an independent consultant, which are now being put in place. Weaver did add that inspectors needed to be better trained in building trades but thought the concern was being addressed.

If the candidates were in general agreement on most issues, they were able to define themselves when asked about their comfort with budgeting. Lawrence businessman Chahine stressed his daily responsibility of keeping his five businesses profitable for the well-being of his family and his 30 employees.

Chahine couched answers to a range of questions in terms of economic development. He repeatedly called for the need to recruit “primary businesses” in the manufacturing and technology sectors. Those businesses would create high-wage jobs and help retain young professionals who can’t afford the county’s $240,000 homes on $40,000 salaries, he said.

Fellow Democrat Weaver spoke of helping craft the Topeka Fire Department’s $20 million budget as deputy chief for six years and being introduced to Douglas County’s budget process as program coordinator of the Douglas County Conservation District.

Weaver said that latter position introduced him to many rural residents, many of whom are fearful of urban encroachment. One of the focuses of his campaign would be the preservation of soil, clean water, wildlife and other natural resources that make the county special, he said.

Weaver suggested the County Commission should meet at township headquarters to foster better communication with rural residents.

“I think that would go a long way to making people believe this County Commission is working for them,” he said.

The two Republicans also pointed to their public budgeting backgrounds. Denney said he put together annual budgets first as the Kansas University Director of Public Safety for 19 years and then as director of the Douglas County Emergency Communications from 1998 to 2008.

“I went over budget once in 30 years,” he said. “I’m a believer in balanced budgets.”

Denney addressed urban vs. rural tensions from the perspective of someone who grew up in Lawrence but worked summers on the Douglas County farms of both his grandparents. Lawrence’s growth was “inevitable,” but it could be managed with proper planning, he said.

“We’re talking about the rate, how much and how fast,” he said. “The city of Lawrence is talking about growing up, not growing out. I think that’s a good approach.”

Derusseau said she was responsible for budgets in government and through her service on numerous volunteer agencies, including president of the Lawrence Police Foundation, the United Way of Douglas County, Junior Achievement of Lawrence and the Douglas County American Red Cross Disaster Action Team.

As for the county’s budget, Derusseau said the county’s mill levy was high, but said that had to be balanced against the quality of services residents demand.

“I haven’t seen anything in the budget I’m willing to cut,” she said. “I feel like I’m getting what I pay for.”