PROVEN, TESTED LEADERSHIP FOR PRAIRIE VILLAGE

With your help over the last few years, Eric Mikkelson steadily and successfully led Prairie Village through adversity. During his tenure as Mayor, we more than doubled our public parkland; invested more in police, public safety and roads; retained our highest “tripleA” fiscal rating; held tax rates relatively low; led the region in pandemic mitigation; strengthened our neighborhoods; increased our property values; facilitated major redevelopment in our commercial centers; and much more.

Eric is running for re-election because we need a tested, proven leader to ensure Prairie Village stays on the right path. 

Eric was elected Mayor in 2018. During his time as Mayor, we:

  • Opened and improved Meadowbrook Park and Wassmer Park
  • Facilitated hundreds of millions of dollars of new business investment in the Prairie Village Shops, Corinth Shops, Corinth Quarter and the Meadowbrook commercial centers
  • Held our relatively-low property tax rates steady and reduced effective tax rates for many with new and expanded rebate and grant programs
  • Built the region’s best skatepark and improved other parks, including adding restrooms
  • Shepherded a revitalized and renewed Village Vision comprehensive plan with public engagement
  • Improved the rated quality of our streets and roads with efficient new investment
  • Beat every annual budget and re-funded outstanding bonds, saving taxpayers millions
  • Appointed the first black police chief in Johnson County city history and implemented many new initiatives to welcome and retain diverse residents
  • Increased transparency and communication with a new website, Village Voice newsletter redesign, enhanced social media, searchable online codes, universal live online access to Council meeting and much more
  • Set records for community events: Mayor’s Tree-Lighting for charity, JazzFest, etc
  • Elevated our city’s decarbonization and sustainability profile with nation-leading construction techniques of new Public Works building (LEED Platinum pending), became the first Johnson County City to sign on to get all city energy from wind, added first electric vehicle charging stations, implemented bike-ped plan citywide, added solar to city facilities and streamlined solar zoning rules for residents, added hybrid to city vehicle fleet, implemented curbside food composting and glass recycling programs, and much more
  • Enhanced funding for police including new K-9 unit (welcome Blitz!), expanded community policing initiatives
  • Completed multi-million dollar drainage improvements leveraged with outside dollars
  • Cooperated regionally in Johnson County and throughout Kansas City metro on both sides of state lines through leadership positions with MARC, Johnson County, UCS and the WyCo/JoCo Council of Mayors
  • Shepherded new public art installations and events include public-private funding for new sculpture
  • Implemented new housing guidelines limiting massing and paved surfaces, protecting trees, limiting construction noise.
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Meadowbrook

 

Most importantly, Eric successfully guided our city through the worst global pandemic, and corresponding economic shocks, of our lifetimes. Under Eric’s leadership, our city maintained essential services seamlessly throughout the pandemic, took the lead in implementing local emergency measures to keep our residents safe, and established COVID-resource communication channels. Eric also worked with the council to provide free personal protective equipment and COVID-19 test kits to residents and businesses.

During his term as Mayor, Prairie Village was independently ranked as the #1 suburb in Kansas, the #1 suburb in the Kansas City metropolitan area, and the #10 suburb in the country.

In addition to his work as Mayor, to facilitate and lead where Prairie Village’s interests are best served with coordinated regional action, Eric served as the Co-Chair of the Mid-America Regional Council (“MARC”) First Suburbs Coalition, on the Board of Directors of MARC (alternate), as a member of the Johnson County Charter Commission and the Johnson County Pandemic Recovery Task Force, on the Advisory Board of Climate Action KC, and on the Board of Directors of United Community Services of Johnson County.

Eric was first elected to the Prairie Village City Council in 2014, where he represented Ward 3. During his term, he was a strong advocate for expanding greenspace, increasing resident involvement in the city, maintaining fiscal efficiency and strength, supporting local businesses and establishing the city’s bike/pedestrian trail plan. Eric served on the city’s Parks & Recreation Committee, Finance Committee, and Tree Board and as the council’s liaison to the Planning Commission and Prairie Village Arts Council.

Eric grew up in Lawrence, Kansas. He graduated from Stanford University and then earned his law degree from the University of Kansas. He is a lawyer, partner and owner of Stinson LLP - a national law firm with over 500 lawyers. He is a graduate of Prairie Village’s Citizen Police Academy and served on the Prairie Hills Homes Association. He is also a professor on the adjunct faculty of the University of Kansas Law School.

Eric has been married to Margo for 22 years. They have three college-age children who each graduated from Shawnee Mission East, Indian Hills Middle School and Belinder Elementary (where Margo served as PTA President for all three). They have lived in Prairie Village for 16 years.