Kurt Schmidt, (Liz Macias, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — Kurt Schmidt is one of the eight candidates who is running for one of the three open seats on the Kearney city council this election season.
Schmidt said he has been a resident of Kearney for the past 34 years. He has been married to his wife, Ginger, for over 30 years and they have two sons who both attended the Kearney Public School and Kearney Catholic High School.
Schmidt noted he is currently a member of the Buffalo County Planning Commission.
One reason he is running, Schmidt said is passionate about keeping Kearney the best place in Nebraska to live and raise a family.
Schmidt also said he has had the desire for several years to be on the city council, but his professional and personal commitments did not allow him the time to pursue a seat.
With his sons grown and pursuing their own careers, Schmidt said he feels he now has the time to run for city council.
He said he has had conversations with other residents about running and these helped to confirm his thoughts that he could be a productive member of the council.
Schmidt said he has watched the council meetings since they were on a public access channel and now on their stream. He added he has always kept an eye on the council’s agendas and what they are being presented with and making sure they were doing what was in Kearney’s best interest.
Speaking of his qualifications, Schmidt said in his current role as Director of Electronic Health Records at Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege he has to make tough decisions that affect the entire hospital.
Schmidt said sometimes the decisions are easy and popular, but other times he must make hard decisions with the good of the entire facility in mind.
Similar decisions have to be made by the city council members, Schmidt said, having to weigh the ordinances presented to them and make decisions with the best interest of the entire community in mind.
Schmidt’s time on the county’s Planning Commission has given him insight on how some of these issues affect the citizens of the county.
“Decisions made by elected officials need to be in the best interest of the community as a whole, even if the opinion may be different from your own personal opinion,” Schmidt said, “You need to have the ability to evaluate what is being presented to the city council, take in all the information and made an informed decision for the community.”
When asked about possible changes he would like to bring to the community, Schmidt said there is nothing major that stands out to him.
He noted the prior and current city council members have done a great job of ensuring Kearney is a progressive community, recruiting successful businesses to the community and making it a great place to raise a family.
Schmidt also praised current council member Jonathan Nikkila, who posts updates after each council meeting on his Facebook page as a way to keep citizens appraised of the workings of the city and said he would seek to do something similar to give people insight to his decision-making process.
When asked what would govern his decision-making process if elected, Schmidt said he would start by looking at issues from a “bird’s eye” or top-down view and question if an ordinance makes financial sense for the city and if it will benefit or defer the city’s path forward.
Asked about why Kearney residents should cast their votes for him, Schmidt said he is passionate about the community and has been friendly with business.
He added that he lives under the personal rule that either, “you are growing, or you are dying,” saying the same mentality will follow him, if elected to the city council.
“I feel Kearney needs to continue to be on the forefront of communities in Nebraska,” Schmidt said.
In conclusion, Schmidt said he looks forward to the primary on May 14.
Editor’s Note: Kurt Schmidt appeared on 1340 KGFW and this article was written using information provided during that interview. The full interview can be found here.
