Nikole Babb
nbabb@cherryroad.com
On the evening of Thursday, October 2, the Andover Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate forum for the public to meet and greet the area candidates running for the 2025 election. In attendance were candidates for Andover City Council and Butler Community College Trustee, (BCC), for District 1, 2 and 3.
“Do not forget to go out and vote on November 4,” said Lori Cullum, President/CEO of the Andover Area Chamber of Commerce. “For those of you watching online that were unable to be here, these races are very important. They’re very important to the future of our community and to the direction that we go. So, I hope that you did take the time to watch these candidates. Reach out to them. Learn about them. Learn about what they believe and how they see things moving forward. Because it does affect you every single day as you drive around Andover.”
Before the meet and greet, each candidate gave a five-minute speech to introduce themselves, explain why they’re running for candidacy and why residents should vote for them. Highlights from their speeches are below.
Andover City Council (3 open positions)
Tim Brunson
Brunson is a 15-year Andover resident alongside his wife Kristen and their two daughters who attend Andover Public Schools where he’s served on the Board of Education for four years. He works for pharmacy software company Keycentrix. His goals for Andover include
-Listening to and serving constituents and taxpayers.
-Informing people about important votes and issues coming up in a transparent way.
-Engaging in healthy debate and discussion with decorum.
-Attracting families, businesses, and development in a sustainable way.
-Consideration to build a performing arts theatre for Andover to host music, performances and more as a long-term goal.
Colin Gallagher
Gallagher is a 22-year Andover resident alongside his wife and two children. He’s originally from Salina but came to Andover during his college years and chose to stay due the safety of the community. He says he’s served in the public service sector for a long time and does it because he doesn’t trust anyone else to do it. His priorities are:
-Accountability for those serving the public
-Property taxes
-Transparency as a council to the citizens
-Listening and communicating with residents
Michael “Homer” Henry
Homer is up for reelection after serving the council for six years. He and his family have been residents since 2009. His priorities include:
-Development to strengthen neighborhoods and streets
-Continual renovations of existing facilities
-Support local businesses through grants and incentives
-Retain the community feel from neighbors
Taylor Train
Train is a military combat veteran who served in Iraq. Before running for council, he witnessed the inner workings as his mother worked for the city for many years. He serves on the Rural Water District #5 Board where he hopes to bring clarity to the council. He owns a lawn and landscape business. Although he isn’t running for reelection, he sourced Phil Hamilton as his mentor. His priorities include:
-Affordable housing
-A grocery store and other developments north of Central
-Being a steward of taxpayer dollars
-Collaboratively work with other members on the council to grow the city sustainably
Butler Community College Trustee District 1
James (Jim) Howell
Howell is a BCC graduate, former adjunct professor and former trustee for two terms from 2013-2021. He said he’s running again after hearing concerning rumors of people wanting to consolidate the college into a nearby university. He cites serving with the same tenacity, passion and drive as he did before with the belief that BCC serves Butler County far beyond what people see initially. He works as an attorney. His priorities include:
-Keep BCC cost-effective
-Maintain a suitable selection of programs
-Ensure the college remains an asset without overburdening taxpayers
Butler Community College Trustee District 2
Eric Brown
Brown is a Potwin native, growing up being inspired by Herbert Jones, who played for BCC football. He’s continually inspired by many BCC students who live their dream through the local college in which he and his wife graduated and his sons attend. His priorities are:
-Holding space for hard conversations to be had
-Ensuring success of BCC
-Retaining affordability of BCC for students
Jacob Smith
Smith is an Augusta native who retired in 2020 from the Army after 22 years in the medic reserves. He moved back to the area from Texas just three years ago. His priorities are:
-Help make tough fiscal decisions
-Not overburden taxpayers
-Build on BCC’s success
Butler Community College Trustee District 3
David Sherrer
Sherrer is running for reelection after serving four years on the Board of Trustees. He believes BCC is an important employer of the region and pipeline for students entering the workforce or higher education after. His priorities are:
-Continual strengthening and building partnerships with local high schools and areas outside of Butler County, such as Winfield to grow student base and accessibility
-Collaborating with Dr. Tamara Daniel on a data-driven approach to predict and ensure success
-Build upon the success BCC has already fostered
The Andover Area Chamber of Commerce disclosed to the Times-Gazette that their staff extended the offer for all Butler Community College Trustee candidates to attend and speak at the forum. Those noted in this article are the ones who chose to attend. No candidates were left out of the article.
All photos by Nikole Babb.
