Robert L. Dye, City Council Candidate

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Robert L. Dye
City Council Candidate
Lee’s Summit—District I

I am a retired 21 year resident of Lee’s Summit with a strong belief in community service and feel that every individual should make an effort to contribute their time and talent at some point in their life as circumstances permit.

My goal for seeking the seat on the City Council is to offer experience and competent service to the city based on a lifetime of proven and continuous success.

I have no interest or reason to acquire social status or gain publicity to advance personal business interests, which unfortunately is the main objective of many politicians.

If elected, I will make every effort to assist in moving the city on a continuous path of progress and growth, reversing the devastating effect of the current recession that many households and businesses presently feel.

Local business activity and the home building industry must be restored.

I am a dedicated conservative in the sense that I look for value and reason in all matters, with a strong belief in fiscal responsibility, progressive and sustainable growth, a strong advocate and supporter of the small business community where 70% of the nations jobs are created, tax restraint, a strong supporter of our school system (14 teachers have been in our family) and a responsive high level of city services to all citizens.

The Lee’s Summit community is fortunate to have a well trained professional city staff, Police Department and Fire Department that perform their duties with consistent and reliable expertise.

It is essential that the Lee’s Summit 360 Charting Tomorrow goals be given high priority and that creation of new commercial/industrial businesses be a major focus to provide job growth.

Lee’s Summit should make every effort to retain it’s historic past, restore and maintain property values in the urban core and revitalize those areas in serious decline. A current updated plan for preservation and restoration of historic sites in Lee’s Summit should be developed.

I am the only candidate that has a broad, extensive lifetime of work experience and life experience that includes many years of personal high level executive responsibility and decision making. My education and background are compatible with city government operations.

My work history primarily involved responsibility for company operations and management, personnel management, financing operations for all types of real estate including home loans, commercial loans, construction loans, subdivision development loans and total banking operations. The last 20 years prior to retirement at age 56 I served in Senior Executive Management positions including C.E.O.

My direct work experience also includes real estate appraising, construction site inspections, auditing, accounting, insurance, customer service, business promotion and advertising, budget management, community relations and asset management. My background also involved a strong relationship with agriculture, farm animal and poultry production, horticulture, sports, conservation and care of the elderly.

Educational Background

William Jewell College—BA Degree in Business Adm.
American Saving & Loan Institute—Graduate diploma in advanced savings & loan operations.
Rockhurst College—Graduate diploma in real estate appraising and supervisory skills.

Personal interests and hobbies include gardening, fishing, hunting, investments and physical fitness.

Civic Background

Most of my life I have been active in civic activities, not with any purposeful planning, but simply serving my community when asked. I have served a number of times as a result of public elections.

I have been a member and held offices in community groups such as the Lions Club, Sertoma Club, Rotary Club, Liberty Junior Chamber of Commerce and have served on 7 Board of Directors and as an officer on those Boards which included the Liberty Hospital, Excelsior Springs Chamber of Commerce, Raintree Lake Home Owners Assn. and as a Senior Executive Member and Treasurer of the Kansas City Savings and Loan League.

My wife Darline and I have been married 34 years this June and have a large extended family. Our family is multicultural and multireligious. Many family members are of European decent and others are of Arabic, Egyptian, Spanish, Dominican, African American and Hispanic origin. Religions include Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Muslim, Christian and Methodist.

My wife has Alzheimer’s Disease and I have spent the last 11 years as her personal caregiver. It has been a constant challenge and very difficult to cope with at times. She has progressed to the stage where only a nursing home can provide the care she needs. I have gained much knowledge and ability regarding care of the elderly and have a great respect, especially for women, who provide care for their husbands with medical problems.

There are many ideas and initiatives that I would like to be considered for Lee’s Summit in the future. Two initiatives would be to make Lee’s Summit one of America’s most beautiful cities and another to make it one of the most healthful based on a program similar to one conducted by the city of Albert Lea Minnesota.
I have an open mind, am a great listener and like to hear all points of view and ideas.

To get a more detailed review of my background and a complete list of initiatives go to Facebook—Robert Dye.

Your vote on April 3, 2012 will be appreciated.

I am physically fit, maintain a daily exercise program and am ready to meet any requirement to serve.
Additional Background Information

I was a child of the Great American Depression born near Macon, Missouri on Easter morning 1936. My parents were both country school teachers and they also tried to do farming as well for a few years. My family moved to Kansas City when I was about 3 years old and to the Liberty area when I was 10 where I grew up and attended high school and college.

I am a candidate like you probably will never see again. I dislike the way politics is conducted, with most voters never meeting the candidates, voting for whoever puts up the most yard signs and spends the most on publicity and advertising, without ever actually knowing the true beliefs or actual experience and background of the person they are voting for. I will not organize a campaign committee nor will I solicit campaign funds or accept them if offered. My candidacy will depend on word of mouth and fair media coverage based on my experience, involvement in civic activities over the years and demonstrated abilities.

My youthful years were primarily involved with the Boy Scouts, Baptist Youth Groups, 4-H Club activities, agriculture and sports.

I served as president of our local 4-H Club, won Grand Champion 4-H Steer of Clay County at age 12 and raised about every kind of farm animal and fowl. In FFA training in high school I held the number I ranking on the livestock judging team and won a county wide livestock judging contest at age 17. I worked summers on my grandfathers farm tending crops and cattle. I began gardening at age 7 and have continued to the present day. I raise grapes and blackberries and make my own wine.

In sports I was named to the 1st team All Conference High School team in football and was a 1st team guard on consecutive conference championship football teams at William Jewell College my junior and senior years. I was also campus handball champion my junior and senior year. I am a sports advocate and have participated in most.

Civic involvement in the past

Board of Director Memberships—Offices Held
Liberty Hospital—Secretary
Liberty Lions Club—President
Excelsior Springs Chamber of Commerce—Treasurer
Liberty Sertoma Club—Charter Member—Vice-President
Raintree Lake Homeowners Assn.—Secretary
Liberty Junior Chamber of Commerce—Secretary
Ducks Unlimited—Lewis & Clark Chapter—Charter Member—Secretary
Senior Executive Member and Treasurer—Kansas City Savings & Loan League
Additional Committee and Group Activities
Consultant Selection Committee—Excelsior Springs Downtown Redevelopment program
Gas Franchise Committee—Excelsior Springs, MO
United Way fund campaign manager for Liberty, MO
Ambulance study committee—Liberty, MO
Volunteer for One Good Meal—delivering meals to the elderly in the Lee’s Summit area for 1-1/2 years
Volunteer for Raintree Lake Shoreline Adoption program (shoreline cleanup)

Primary Goals and Initiatives

1. To advance the proposals set forth in the Lee’s Summit 360 Charting Tomorrow program.
2. Support and maintain our excellent school system, police and fire departments.
3. Provide on efficient and dedicated group of city employees who are well paid for good effort and performance.
4. To promote private and commercial investment in new sustainable business and assist small business owners with measures available to the city.
5. Provide a fast track response team to address citizen problems.
6. Restore our local homebuilding industry.
7. Promote business development along the 50/291 Highway corridor.
8. Secure a new city landfill site.
9. Establish an acceptable recycling and trash collection program for the city.
10. Encourage all Lee’s Summit businesses to hire local citizens.
11. To develop an internship program between Lee’s Summit schools and local businesses to provide on the job training experience for students and recruitment after college.
12. Improve regional bus service.
13. Promote renewable energy programs.
14. To assist where possible independent Christian schools and special needs programs such as autism.
15. Community health measures. Organized community exercise groups and walking groups - Require calorie and nutritional value information provided by restaurants for food served - School nutritional programs to combat teenage obesity.
16. To develop an independent audit system for the city.
17. Expanded benefit program for Senior citizens.
18. Health clinics for the needy and uninsured hosted by medical volunteers.
19. Community gardens on public land—a volunteer project—oversight by Social Services.
20. City wide beautification—Volunteer project using perennial plantings.
21. Completion of the Katy Trail in co-operation with other communities.
Paid for by Robert L. Dye—City Council Candidate
Robert L. Dye—Treasurer