Jonathan Nikkila, (Liz Macias, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — Incumbent Jonathan Nikkila is running to maintain his seat on the Kearney city council during this election season.
Nikkila said he has served on the Kearney city council since 2012.
Nikkila said he is a lifelong Kearney resident and currently works with a non-profit 50CAN, which mission is to “build the dynamic, student-centered American education system of the future that provides a high-quality education for all kids,” their website states.
He also serves on different area boards including Rowe Sanctuary and coaches track and cross country at Kearney Catholic High School.
When asked why he is running again, Nikkila said he is of the mentality that being in office, “is not an entitlement,” and added that Kearney has been headed in a good direction.
Nikkila said he is excited for the new leadership opportunity as two seats are opening. “No matter what happens, we will have new people serving on the city council. That is exciting to have new voices.”
He said he felt like his leadership has made a difference and is focused on three different things. Keep Kearney running, keep Kearney family friendly and keep Kearney transparent.
On keeping Kearney running, he noted it is important that the city council helps keep the community friendly and open to business.
For family friendly element, Nikkila said Kearney has amazing parks and facilities. He also included keeping the city safe and that means maintaining an effective police department.
Nikkila said he seeks to always be someone who is sharing what is going on in the city and what the council is doing. He said if someone is intimidated to speak with a public official, it is his job to ensure that people feel comfortable approaching him.
Being on the council for over a decade, Nikkila said he has had the opportunity to be a part of many different projects undertaken by the city. He cited the Kearney Sportsplex, currently under construction, the new water tower, updates to the wastewater treatment plant, bringing the Central Nebraska Veterans’ Home to Kearney in 2019, Hike/Bike trail extensions, etc.
Nikkila said beyond the big projects, the council has worked to help Kearney residents through free landfill days, waiving building permits downtown to promote development, “we are trying to do all kind of things, from little to big, to make sure Kearney is still going.”
When asked what got him involved in local government in the first place, Nikkila said he has always been interested the workings of government on a personal level.
“Local government is great because you have that diverse set of issues to tackle, one day you are talking about parks, the other day you are talking about streets,” Nikkila said.
When asked why he should be reelected, Nikkilia said he strives to keep people informed about the ongoings of the council, his experience has taught him the importance of the economy, small business, local government and that balance and they have been able to maintain a low tax rate while still offering a quality place for people to live.
Editor’s Note: Jonathan Nikkila appeared on 1340 KGFW and this article was written using information provided during that interview. The full interview can be found here.
