THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN NEWS 3A CITY COMMISSION Candidates file for upcoming primary BY MATT ERICKSON Three city commission seats are up for election this year. David Schauner and Dennis "Boog" Highberger are running for re-election along with seven other candidate hopefuls.The deadline to apply for the race was noon Tuesday.The primary election will be held Feb.27 to narrow the field of candidates from nine to six. David Schauner Jake Davis, another candidate who filed, could not be reached for comment by press time. David Schauner, who works as general counsel for the Kansas National Education Association, has served on the city commission since 2003. He has lived in Lawrence for six years. Schauner Schauner said he had supported the commission's efforts to make the Lawrence Transit System, the T, more convenient for students and to ensure better inspections of rental properties. He said he wanted to increase coordination between the T and KU on Wheels. "I think it's probably something we just don't have a choice about, ultimately," Schauner said. "Clearly, it's more and more difficult to park around campus." Dennis "Boog" Highberger Dennis "Boog" Highberger, an attorney for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. has lived in Lawrence since 1977. He was the former student body vice president at the University of Kansas and has bachelor's and law degrees from the University. Highberger said he supported the city's smoking ordinance, which he said made many students' lives better. Highberger "You can go out to a bar without getting lung . Highberger said." He said he also wanted resource conservation and environmental protection to be priorities for the city. Michael Limburg Michael Limbury, who works for Amart Garage Doors, runs twice for the Olathe city council and has also participated in campaigns and contract negotiations with his worker's union. He has lived in Lawrence for five years. Limburg said he wanted to bring more manufacturing industries to Lawrence, which he said could provide jobs for University graduates. He said he opposed the commission's Limburg proposed domestic partner registry because he said it would have little effect and might allow people to look up the names of registered same-sex couples and harass them. "It has no legal binding whatsoever, and it's going to be a public record for anyone," Limburg said. Mike Dever Mike Dever, owner of GuideWire Consulting. earned his bachelor's degree at the University. He has lived in Lawrence for He has lived in Lawrence for 19 years. Dever said, if elected, he would work to lower realestate taxes, something he said could save students money. "By reducing the cost of real estate taxes, in effect, we can lower the cost of rent for the people who are only leasing the houses or apartments in town,' Dever said. Dever Dever said his other priorities included attracting businesses to Lawrence and improving traffic flow. Rob Chestnut Rob Chestnut moved back to Lawrence in 2001. after leaving in 1985. He grew up in Lawrence and received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University. He is the chief financial officer for Allen Press, Inc. Chestnut said he wanted to attract new businesses to Lawrence that would provide jobs for University graduates. Chestnut "An improved local job market for graduating seniors would allow the community to retain some of the talented young people who leave the community each year," Chestnut said. He said he also wanted to improve the Lawrence Public Library and local recreational facilities without raising property taxes. Sam Fields Sam Fields, a bail bondsman who owns Applejack's and AJ's bonding companies, also works as an insurance agent. He attended classes at the University as a nontraditional student when he first came to Lawrence in 1989. Fields said he wanted to build a new library at the former location of the Riverfront Mall. He said he missed the view and the design of the building. "There been a whole generation of young people in Lawrence who've grown up and never seen the inside of that building." Fields said. Fields James Bush James Bush, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church, moved to Lawrence in 2002. Bush said he wanted to focus on Lawrence's economy. He said he wanted Lawrence to be a place where more University students could get a job after graduating instead of moving elsewhere. "Primarily, I want to work to improve our local economy," Bush said. "I think just as all politics are local, all economy is local." Bush Carey Maynard-Moody Carey Maynard Moody, an environmental activist for the Sierra Club, is a retired school social worker. She volunteers at her local elementary school and sells flowers at the Downtown Lawrence Farmers' Market. A 26-year Lawrence resident, she has a master's degree from the University. Marynard-Moody said she wanted to push for environmentally friendly "green" development in Lawrence, focused on limited carbon emissions. Maynard-Moody "Students will want to be reassured that green candidates are running in local elections to press for policy to protect the environment," Maynard-Moody said. "These candidates are working to ensure a future for young Americans in this time of unprecedented global climate change." Kansan staff writer Matt Erickson can be contacted at merickson@kansan.com. —Edited by James Pinick 1016 Massachusetts