Alex Straatmann, (Elizabeth Macias, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — Alex Straatmann is one of the candidates who is running for Kearney City Council
A Kearney native, Straatmann attended Kearney High School and the University of Nebraska at Kearney and later attended law school at Texas Tech University before returning to the community in 2003.
He worked for 16 years for Congressman Adrian Smith in his Grand Island office while living in Kearney. Two years ago, Straatman took a position with UNK as their chief compliance officer.
Straatman would also serve two terms, 2015-2023, on the Kearney Public School board of education and has also spent 15 years in the Army Reserve as a lawyer.
“I like to keep myself busy,” Straatman said.
He is currently running for Kearney city council, saying that it seemed like the natural progression in serving Kearney.
He said growing up in Kearney, attending the public schools and benefiting from the leadership over his lifetime, he feels that what Kearney has to offer is numerous. From the parks to the infrastructure, “we always seem to be one step ahead of our peer communities,” Straatman said.
When asked about changes he would like to see brought to Kearney, Straatmann said he doesn’t have a grand sweeping plan for changes but wants to support what Kearney already has available.
He cited the Kearney Area Animal Shelter and the Paws for Patriots program that Straatmann and his wife started to help veterans adopt animals at half price.
Also noted was the fact that the animal shelter has contracts with the City of Kearney and Buffalo County and ensures that it can remain a “no kill” shelter and does not have to act like a pound.
Straatman said it’s important to continue to support organizations that the city is already has relationships with and to ensure they can have the support they need in the future.
When asked about finances and the city’s budget, Straatman said this would be different than his experience with the school’s budget, where the revenue came from property taxes.
He noted it was difficult when the revenue came from a single source. However, with the city, it can draw upon several sources of revenue including sales tax, occupation tax, Keno, etc.
Straatman said that Kearney is a vibrant community and with people seeking to use their convention halls and to eat in their restaurants, it helps keep the property taxes lower for the residents.
When asked how he would stay connected with his constituents, Straatman said he maintains a Facebook page dedicated to his candidacy, which he used in the past during his time on the school board, under a different name.
Straatmann said that people may not have agreed with how he voted on the school board, but he owed it to residents to explain why he voted the way he did. “I am not afraid to be the one on a five to one vote.”
He said that especially on the local level, being transparent with people is, “really critical.”
When asked why people should vote for him, Straatman said he has not motivations other than wanting to serve the people of Kearney. He noted he has served on a number of local boards and currently serves as the president of the Kearney Public Schools Foundation board.
“All of these things have given me experience representing people, managing a budget and make the difficult decisions…we have such a great community but there are still difficult decisions that have to be made…you have to be understanding, you have to be diplomatic.”
He cited the example of building certain amenities, such as a park or splash pad, but those then must be maintained well into the future.
“I just really appreciate the opportunity to be here,” Straatmann said in conclusion, “I feel very privileged and honored to live in Kearney.”
Editor’s Note: Alex Straatmann was appeared on 1340 KGFW and this article was written using the interview. Listen to the full interview here.
