Grof Runs for Second Term as Mayor of Tecumseh
“I've been serving in politics for about a third of my life. I enjoy interacting with people and sometimes dealing with behind the scenes stuff can be very frustrating,” said Jesse Grof of Tecumseh who is seeking his second term as Mayor of the City of Tecumseh in the November 3 general election.
Since he became a member of the Tecumseh City Council 16 years ago, the Downtown Revitalization project has been the main concern “I'm running for another term so we can finish what we started,” said Grof. He added that there have only been one or two meetings where the city council didn't have to deal with some detail for moving the Downtown Revitalization project forward. “I was so grateful when the Downtown Revitalization started. Even with the rainy weather, K-2 Construction is still working in Tecumseh every day and the project is still moving right on schedule.”
He added that other projects he would like to see completed include the construction of a street, Arrowhead Drive, from U-Stop to the Tecumseh Fire Hall. Grof said a bid for this construction project has been approved and it is now just a matter of having good working weather for constructing the street.
“After working super hard on a project, seeing it happen is very rewarding. When you've worked countless hours to bring a project to your community and then see them breaking ground is very rewarding,” said Grof.
In the past four years, Grof said Tecumseh has had significant business growth with the construction of the new Dollar General Store, Family Dollar Store, the U-Stop convenience Store, the NAPA store and Turnbull Ag Tires. “The addition of the U-Stop, Dairy Queen and NAPA Store has transformed the corner at the north edge of Tecumseh. We're constantly working on the streets.” He also noted that the new generator building being constructed south of the Tecumseh Power Plant will house two generating units which will allow Tecumseh to remain self-sustaining should OPPD have an emergency situation. Grof indicated that the growth in businesses required power upgrades.
Grof stated that his position as Mayor keeps him busy 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. He stops into City Hall on a regular basis if the city workers have an issue to deal with or a concern that must be taken care of. “I don't have a lot of free time.”
Grof also works in his shop as a mechanic. “I love being outdoors and I'm looking forward to deer hunting season,” said Grof.
“In any decision I make, I want to my absolute best for the taxpayers in how their money is being spent. I want to be super efficient in working with $10 million of the city's money.” For example, Grof talked about the time frame from signing all the paperwork for U-Stop to seeing the customers coming to U-Stop to do business. “When you work with a business from infancy until you open the doors, and it makes someone's life better, it makes it all worth it,” Grof said.
“I've wanted to make sure every penny we've spent is not wasted.” Some of the improvements made within the city the last couple of years include the attractive painting of the pickleball courts and the construction of a sidewalk near Johnson County Central for the safety of the kids walking to and from school.
“We're always looking for new projects. We want to be responsible and make sure we get the best bang for our buck. When making decisions, I always think about whether it will be beneficial, cost-efficient and make people's life better,” Grof concluded.
Bartels Expresses Many Issues as Mayoral Candidate in November 3 Election
Lavern Bartels is seeking the office of Mayor for the City of Tecumseh in the November 3 general election. Bartels was mayor of Tecumseh previously, from 1978 through 1990 (three terms) and again from 2006 through 2010 (one term) for a total of 16 years.
“I filed for Mayor because just one name on the ballot is not an election. I definitely feel that a change is needed,” Bartels said. “Who is really running our city? If I am elected, it will be me. I have had the experience to handle the job. Some changes do not come easy, but need to be made.”
Some of the issues Bartels is concerned about include: Handibus availability; the possibility of taking back the police department for less cost and better service; limiting employees work time per week to 40 hours regardless of how many positions they hold; making City Hall handicapped accessible; seriously study the appointment list; and remove minimum square footage for small housing.
Bartels also wants to end the use of Flock cameras until the federal government sets some rules and guidelines for using the cameras. “The citizens’ privacy must be protected.”
Lavern describes himself thus: “I am 90 years old and my physical health is not good. I am confined to a wheelchair and scooter. My mind is still great and I am sure that I can handle the job as Mayor,” said Bartels.
He is a high school graduate from Vesta, Nebraska and built houses in the local area for about 50 years. He has built well over 100 houses. When the economy went bad around 1990, Bartels went into harvesting trees and has an ongoing wood business online.
“I also do a bit of farming, part-time mainly with hay and pasture.”
Bartels has five children, 18 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren.
“One of the most rewarding and enjoyable times being mayor was working with ABC Films and getting them to decide to make the movie ‘AMERIKA’ here in the local area. That was in 1985 and 1986. The whole community had fun. It also provided employment for many,” Bartels concluded
