Vision
For many years the City of Leawood and its residents have pursued a vision to grow with distinction and to expand from a collection of distinguished residential neighborhoods into a community that affords its citizens a broad collection of commercial and city services in a safe and beautiful setting. This vision has been realized through a collaboration of our city leaders and the active participation by our very engaged citizenry.
The success of this collaboration is demonstrated in many ways…the development of a true “downtown” for Leawood at the intersection of119th Street and Roe Avenue where our commercial center and our City Hall, Public Library and Law Enforcement Center all meet has created a real sense of place as well as diversifying our tax base, keeping our taxes relatively low. The beauty of our City as well as our awareness of our world community have been enhanced by the development of City Park, Gezer Park, I-Lan Park and Ironwoods Park. Moreover, our commitment to public art and the many sculptures placed around our City has enhanced the aesthetic of our community and has made us unique among the municipalities in the Kansas City Metro. Ours is a city that is committed to a sustainable future through our Self Propelled Leawood initiative, our sustainability initiative, and other programs.
All of this has been achieved through the active participation of our citizens in the many volunteer committees that enhance every aspect of our community’s life.
My vision for Leawood is to continue to realize the vision of a distinguished community that affords its residents a beautiful, safe and affordable place to work, live and raise their families. This includes a robust business community that makes goods and services easily available and diversifies our City’s tax base. I have devoted my volunteer time over nearly two decades to this vision, I would very much like to continue that mission as we encounter and address the challenges of the future. The COVID Pandemic has fundamentally changed our perspective on work/life balance and how and where we make our livings. As a City, we must re-evaluate our assumptions and strategies for commercial growth, particularly along the 135th Street Corridor. In addition, we need to understand that portions of our City are beginning to age. We must expand our focus from growth in previously undeveloped spaces to the graceful transition of our older neighborhoods while at the same time preserving their character. All of this requires the continued collaboration of our citizens and our City leadership through our homeowners’ associations and our many volunteer City committees.