There is something different about seeing a neighborhood from the passenger seat of a Code Inspector’s vehicle.

You slow down.

You notice things.

An overgrown lot that someone drives past every morning. A pile of illegally dumped material that has become part of the scenery. A property that needs attention. Then, right down the street, you see a homeowner cutting the grass, maintaining the property and doing everything they can to keep their block looking good.

This week, I completed my third Code Inspector route, this time with Rob Morgan.

Rob has 21 years of experience, and riding with someone who has spent that much time learning our community reminded me of something important:

You cannot lead from a distance.

You can read reports.

You can attend meetings.

You can look at numbers.

But sometimes you need to get in the car, ride the streets, walk the neighborhood and see what residents see every day.

Because before vision becomes action, there has to be a foundation.

And that foundation starts with understanding.

This Week in District 1

If I had to describe this week in one word, it would be foundation.

One of the most meaningful moments was celebrating Evelyn Wayne’s 80th birthday at the UAW Local 31 Hall.

I had the privilege of presenting Ms. Wayne with a proclamation as she celebrated surrounded by family and friends.

Eighty years.

Think about the history contained in one life.

The changes she has witnessed. The people she has influenced. The family she has helped build. The memories and wisdom accumulated over eight decades.

Recognizing residents like Ms. Wayne matters because community is more than streets, buildings and development projects.

Community is people.

This week also brought the excitement of the USD 500 Back-to-School Convocation.

There is always something special about seeing educators and staff come together before students return. A new school year represents another beginning—not only for students, but for teachers, administrators, support staff and families.

Education remains one of the strongest foundations we can build.

And throughout the week, I continued visiting locations where residents raised concerns about overgrown vegetation and illegal dumping.

Those visits may not make headlines.

But they matter.

Leadership isn’t only about the big announcement. Sometimes leadership is standing beside an overgrown property and asking:

What needs to happen next?

Community Voices: “When Are We Going to See Results?”

That may be one of the most important questions residents are asking right now.

People are talking about roads.

Infrastructure.

Neighborhood conditions.

Public safety.

Development.

Economic opportunities.

And they want to know when plans become progress they can actually see.

I understand that.

Residents don’t live inside reports or presentations. They live on blocks. They drive the streets. They raise families here.

That is why issues such as illegal dumping, vacant properties, blight and overgrown vegetation cannot simply be dismissed as small problems.

They affect neighborhood pride.

They affect safety.

They affect property values.

Most importantly, they affect how people feel about the place they call home.

My approach is to look at urgency, impact, safety and how many residents are affected—and then listen to the people closest to the issue.

But addressing today’s problem is only part of the responsibility.

If we clean up one dumping location today, we also have to ask why dumping continues there.

If vegetation is overgrown, we need to address the immediate concern while looking for a longer-term solution.

Short-term action and long-term vision have to work together.

Youth Spotlight: Your Zip Code Does Not Determine Your Future

As students return to school, there is one message I want every young person in Wyandotte County to hear:

You don’t have to wait until you’re older to start building your future.

Learn something.

Ask questions.

Find a mentor.

Explore college.

Learn technology.

Learn a skilled trade.

Work with your hands.

Understand money.

Start thinking about entrepreneurship.

There isn’t one road to success.

And don’t let anybody convince you that your zip code determines where you can go in life.

That is especially important as we think about the economic opportunities ahead of Wyandotte County.

The young person sitting in a classroom today could become tomorrow’s electrician, architect, engineer, plumber, contractor, developer or business owner.

Our responsibility is to make sure they can see those possibilities—and find a pathway to reach them.

Visibility creates possibility.

Community Spotlight: Shelley Coulter

This week, I want to recognize Shelley Coulter, Community Impact Strategist, FACES at Rosedale Middle School and Executive Director of Groundwork NRG.

Shelley creates culture in a beautiful way for Wyandotte County.

Whether she is working with students, parents, staff or the broader community, she has a way of making people feel seen and valued.

She shows love no matter who you are.

That matters.

Sometimes our most powerful community leaders aren’t standing behind microphones or podiums.

They’re standing beside people.

They’re creating opportunities.

They’re building relationships.

They’re reminding people that they matter.

That is community leadership.

This Week’s Economic Snapshot: Construction Trades

Construction is already an important part of Wyandotte County’s economic foundation.

According to the 2025 One Dotte report, construction supported approximately 6,490 jobs in Wyandotte County, with average annual wages of $79,033. That represents approximately $513 million in annual construction-sector wages.

That $513 million is not the total size of our construction economy. It is a wage-based benchmark. Construction also creates activity through contractors, subcontractors, materials, equipment, transportation, engineering, professional services and suppliers.

And the scale of potential construction activity ahead of us is significant.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ current plans include a $3 billion enclosed stadium in Wyandotte County, expected to open in 2031. Across the Chiefs’ broader $4.5 billion Kansas capital investment—including the stadium, practice facility and associated private developments—the organization projects 36,500 full-time-equivalent job-years during construction.

Those are big numbers.

But here’s my question:

How much of that opportunity can we keep here?

Industry

Construction Trades

Local Economic Benchmark

Approximately $513 million in annual construction-sector wages based on 6,490 jobs and an average wage of $79,033.

Consumer Spending

A reliable county-level consumer-spending figure specifically for construction trades is not publicly reported. Construction is heavily driven by projects, businesses and institutional investment, so project value, payroll and industry output are more useful measures.

Dollars Leaving Wyandotte County

There is not currently a reliable public figure isolating construction-sector economic leakage from Wyandotte County.

And that tells us something important:

We need to get better at measuring it.

If we don’t know how many contracts, purchases and subcontracting dollars leave our community, it becomes harder to develop strategies for keeping more of those opportunities here.

Potential Jobs

Construction already supports approximately 6,490 Wyandotte County jobs. Major upcoming regional construction projects could create additional opportunities—but local participation will determine how much of that opportunity reaches Wyandotte County workers and businesses.

The We Not Me Challenge

Support a local contractor—or encourage a young person to explore the skilled trades.

We have to stop treating skilled trades like a backup plan.

They can be careers.

They can become businesses.

And they can create generational wealth.

Imagine what happens when more of the money connected to development circulates through Wyandotte County businesses and families.

Using $513 million in construction-sector wages simply as a benchmark, 10% equals roughly $51 million, while 20% equals approximately $103 million.

That does not mean retaining 10–20% more would automatically produce those amounts in new revenue. But it helps us understand the scale we’re talking about.

The bigger question is:

Who from Wyandotte County is getting the opportunity to build Wyandotte County?

Can we connect students with apprenticeships?

Residents with training?

Small contractors with procurement opportunities?

Local suppliers with major projects?

Minority- and women-owned businesses with opportunities to grow?

That’s where economic development becomes community development.

And that’s a We Not Me question.

Looking Ahead: Another Brick in the Foundation

Next week, I’m looking forward to doing more of what this week reminded me matters most:

Getting out into the community.

Listening.

Following up.

Learning.

And finding places where we can move from conversation to action.

Many people have good ideas.

What separates an idea from action is accountability.

Who owns the next step?

What’s the timeline?

What resources do we need?

How will we know whether we’re making progress?

Everybody doesn’t have to do everything.

But everybody needs to do something.

The We Not Me Reflection

Public service requires patience.

Some things take time. Funding has to be identified. Partnerships have to be built. Processes have to happen.

But patience should never become an excuse for inaction.

While we’re working toward the big solution, there is usually something smaller we can do today.

This week reminded me that leadership isn’t about having all the answers.

It’s about being willing to show up, listen, learn and take action with the people you serve.

District 1 has tremendous potential.

We have talented residents.

Hardworking families.

Educators.

Entrepreneurs.

Churches.

Nonprofits.

Businesses.

Young people.

Community leaders.

We have the ingredients.

Now we have to build.

One conversation at a time.

One partnership at a time.

One problem solved at a time.

One opportunity created at a time.

One brick at a time.

Because a strong community isn’t built by one commissioner, one department, one organization or one development project.

It’s built by all of us.

Your Turn

What is one issue on your block that needs attention?

What is one idea you’ve been waiting to put into action?

What local contractor or skilled trades business should District 1 residents know about?

And what can you do this week to make your neighborhood a little stronger?

Click here to join the conversation and let me know.

Because the next great District 1 idea may already be sitting in the mind of someone reading this.

Next week: Why no leader succeeds alone—and why partnerships are the foundation of lasting community change.

Leadership isn’t about me.

It’s about WE.

— Commissioner Jermaine Howard

District 1