photo by: Contributed

Gene Dorsey (left) and Ethan Spurling (right).

Two candidates – an incumbent and newcomer – will be competing in the primary for the Douglas County District 4 seat.

The two Democrats in the Commission District 4 primary are incumbent Gene Dorsey – currently representing District 4 – and Ethan Spurling, and the winner will run unopposed in the general election. District 4 includes a small portion of southeastern Lawrence, Eudora and Eudora Township, and the small portion of Wakarusa Township located between Grant Township and the eastern edge of Lawrence.

GENE DORSEY

Dorsey is a retired financial controller and spent 35 years in the international oil and chemical industry. He was raised in Gardner and has been a resident of Lawrence since 2005. Before becoming a county commissioner in 2024, he served on the governing board of the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center for six years.

Dorsey said many county residents are currently facing an affordability crisis, and while property values have risen sharply, personal incomes have not. When it comes to preparing the county’s budget, he said he prefers a revenue-neutral budgeting – where the property tax rate generates the exact same amount of property tax revenue as the prior year, using the current tax year’s total assessed valuation.

“I am firmly in favor of revenue-neutral budgeting,” Dorsey said. “I will prioritize funding for core responsibilities – such as the Sheriff, jail, roads and bridges, public health and judicial services – while respecting statuatory funding requirements.”

In reference to the county’s current fund balance policy, Dorsey said the County Commission has not rigorously reviewed the policy in his 18 months he’s served on the Commission. He hopes to formally address this topic in the future and make sure the county’s properly allocating excess funds.

When it comes to the Wakarusa River Valley, Dorsey said many of his constituents prefer leaving the Wakarusa corridor alone to preserve its natural state. However, he said the county has minimal say in the development that goes forward in that area.

“Because much of the potential development is actually within the city limits of Lawrence, the county’s regulatory influence is limited,” Dorsey said. “I will rely on the expertise of planners and community stakeholders to guide any future long-term planning.”

Dorsey said unincorporated Douglas County is rural in nature and it must remain that way.

“Mega data centers and cryptomining installations have no business in our rural areas,” Dorsey said. “Existing wind farm regulations were approved before my tenure. I am calling for an official moratorium on mega data centers and an outright ban on cryptocurrency mining operations.”

Regarding homelessness in Douglas County, Dorsey said many of the county’s homelessness initiatives are rooted in the joint city-county plan, ‘A Place for Everyone,’ and they have not aged well.

“This strategy requires a thorough, critical review in direct collaboration with the City of Lawrence,” Dorsey said. “Fundamentally, homelessness is primarily an urban issue, and we must evaluate how these county-wide programs are impacting all residents through increased taxes.”

Dorsey said that because it takes at least three commissioners to pass any policy, specific campaign promises are challenging to make.

“However, I want to be remembered for fostering effective communication and collaboration with community members and other district commissioners to deliver the best results for District 4 and Douglas County,” Dorsey said.

ETHAN SPURLING

Spurling was elected to the Frontenac City Council in 2015 and served for four years. After attending college at Pittsburg State University, he worked on Gov. Laura Kelly’s campaign and in her administration, including roles in the governor’s office and as director of government affairs at the Kansas Department of Revenue. He now works in policy and government relations for a Lawrence-based education nonprofit.

Spurling said he and his wife purchased their first home together in Eudora two years ago after renting in Lawrence for many years. Spurling said he wants to advocate for a tax structure that doesn’t balance itself on the backs of working people and families.

“In that short time, we have been stung like many others by a runaway property tax situation,” Spurling said. “This problem is being exacerbated by rapidly increasing property values and a mill levy that is not being adjusted proportionately.”

Regarding the county’s fund balances, Spurling said it’s irresponsible for the county to sit on fund balances that exceed their own policies. He said the fund balances should be within what the policy allows or it should be discussed, debated and adjusted.

“Taxpayers rightly expect that their tax dollars are utilized to provide services – not stashed away in funds that continue to grow,” Spurling said. “The county should either use excess balances to fund additional services or return those excess funds to taxpayers.”

For the Wakarusa River Valley, Spurling said it’s something that should be protected from commercial development, adding that there’s plenty of space and opportunity for development in the county without sacrificing natural resources, public spaces and the environment.

“Protecting this unique landscape will safeguard wildlife habitat, water quality, outdoor recreation opportunities and the character that makes Douglas County a special place to live,” Spurling said.

Spurling said he is opposed to the construction of large-scale data centers anywhere in the county, and he doesn’t think these facilities represent the type of growth the county should be pursuing.

“I am also skeptical of other large scale commercial developments, such as cryptocurrency mining operations that drain local resources, pollute the environment, and drive up utility costs for ratepayers,” Spurling said.

Spurling said the county should invest in social services and nonprofit organizations that address root causes and help prevent problems from becoming larger and more costly down the road, and he wanted to mention the work by Lawrence Tenants, who worked to help pass the county’s tenant eviction defense program.

Spurling said Douglas County is the most progressive county in the state, and county government should govern boldly and progressively.

“Our county should lead on issues like affordable housing, behavioral health, environmental stewardship and economic development that benefits everyone,” Spurling said.