LeVota Flips: Interim Exec Seeks Full Term

0:00It's March 31st. From your city to your ears, this is Kansas News Today, powered by AI, Interim. Jackson County Executive Phil LaVota just filed to run for a full four-year term, flipping his earlier promises not to seek the top job permanently. He submitted papers Tuesday afternoon, right before the deadline, on top of his current 14-month stint. He's the eighth candidate in the race. He signed a public pledge during his interim bid, swearing he wouldn't run if picked after Frank White Jr.'s recall. But now he says constituents pushed him, and he doubts the other contenders like Deiron McGee, or Stacey Lake, can handle it. Things change, he claims, and he's seeing real progress. Folks are split on his moves. He tackled property taxes by capping commercial hikes, rolling back home values, and issuing credits, but that delayed bills and hit school budgets. Not like cakeman Mills, owing three million more. On stadiums, with the chiefs and royals eyeing exits by 2031, he launched Operation

1:03Save Arrowhead and a task force for the sites. Future. LaVota's a Kansas City lawyer, who helped drive White's recall, then won the interim spot by a five-to-four vote. Brother Paul was a state lawmaker with his own scandals. LaVota's face ethics pines too, but if he wins, it'd be his first public election victory. The fields crowded, and voters would decide if his U-turn sticks or sinks him. Progress or politics as usual, keep watching Jackson County shake it up.