Jackson County voters will set the tone for the next four years when they cast ballots for the county executive and legislature this fall.

At least six out of nine legislators will be fresh faces, in addition to a brand new county executive. Depending on whom voters pick in the Aug. 4 primary, the county could go in a variety of directions.

Venessa Huskey of the 2nd District is one of three incumbent county legislators defending their seat against a primary challenge. To learn more about the county executive primary, click here.

The 2nd District covers eastern Kansas City north of 55th Street, including most of the Historic Northeast, as well as the northern half of Raytown. You can see a more detailed map by clicking here.

In this district, incumbent Venessa Huskey is defending her seat against J. Erik Dickinson.

(Dickinson spells his first name with a “K,” but his name will appear on the ballot as “J. Eric Dickinson.”)

There are no Republican candidates in this race, so the winner of this primary election will be unopposed in the general election.

The county legislature is the primary governing body for Jackson County, which passes the annual budget and votes on laws affecting the county government. The county is also responsible for assessing property values and collecting property taxes on behalf of school districts and other taxing jurisdictions.

The Beacon reached out to both candidates in the 2nd District primary, asking them to answer a three-part questionnaire. The questionnaires include biographical questions, five short-answer policy questions and five lightning-round, multiple-choice questions. Some responses have been edited for length or clarity.

We published a candidate guide that includes five Democrats running for two at-large Jackson County districts this week. You can read it here.

Click on a link to jump to a section in the questionnaire:

• Meet the candidates.
• What would you do to make property taxes more fair?
• The 3/8-cent sales tax funding Truman Sports Complex will expire in 2031. When it expires, should the county ask voters to renew it? Or let it expire?
• What, if anything, should be done with Truman Sports Complex once the teams’ leases expire?
• How would you encourage a cooperative and collaborative tone among your colleagues in the legislature and with the executive?
• If elected, what issues will you make your own?
• Lightning-round questions.

Meet the candidates

Venessa Huskey

Huskey is the incumbent county legislator for the 2nd District. She was first elected in 2022.

She worked as a program analyst with the U.S. Treasury Department until she retired in 2022. She also worked for eight years as a neighborhood and community liaison for the city of Kansas City and as the administrator of the city’s Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund. 

You can learn more about Huskey on Facebook.

What organization in Jackson County is doing community work you admire?

I admire the fact that Jackson County COMBAT concentrates their efforts on anti-violence and substance abuse programs.

J. Erik Dickinson

Dickinson is the director of the Urban Ranger Corps. He highlighted that he has spent the last three decades “in the trenches of youth development and community service.” 

You can learn more about Dickinson at his campaign website or on Facebook.

What organization in Jackson County is doing community work you admire?

Boys Grow: Mentoring Kansas City’s urban youth through agricultural entrepreneurship.

What would you do to make property taxes more fair?

Huskey: From the beginning an assessor should have viewed the property in person or used drones. However, what our current County Executive Phil LeVota has done to correct the tax assessment debacle and the state of Missouri is willing to support is more than fair. Individuals who overpaid will get tax credits for three years. The money has already been distributed; Jackson County no longer has the funds.

Dickinson: When I talk to homeowners, they aren’t asking for special treatment. They just want a tax bill that makes sense and reflects the reality of their home. We need to prioritize actual physical inspections over generalized estimates. If the county is going to adjust an assessment, it should be because someone has looked at that property and can explain the change to the homeowner. And when we find that the county has made a mistake, we need to be the kind of government that makes it right immediately, without forcing our residents to jump through hoops.

The 3/8-cent sales tax funding Truman Sports Complex will expire in 2031. When it expires, should the county ask voters to renew it? Or let it expire?

Huskey: Voters had misunderstood the 3/8-cent sales tax funding for the Truman Sports Complex and blamed the legislators. The tax question was to extend, not to increase. If the voters were asked to renew the tax, the new purpose would have to benefit any and everybody — perhaps healthcare.

Dickinson: Let the tax expire without replacing it. I believe the voters of Jackson County have already provided a clear answer on this. In 2024, they rejected the extension of this tax, and I think we have to respect that decision. The government doesn’t need to be in the business of perpetually taxing our residents to support private sports franchises. Once these leases expire, we shouldn’t be looking for ways to keep the same tax funnel open. We should be looking at how we can stop placing that burden on our taxpayers. I’m not interested in finding a new purpose for a tax that was intended to end. I’m interested in giving that relief back to the people of this county.

What, if anything, should be done with Truman Sports Complex once the teams’ leases expire?

Huskey: Today, Arrowhead has major concerts, college football games, monster trucks, proms and other major events that have been enjoyed in the stadium, and it is convenient to get to. I have suggested we keep Arrowhead. The Royals stadium has serious plumbing issues. It should be demolished. The location has access to/from U.S. highways 40 and 50, Interstates 70 and 435.

Dickinson: That 400-acre site is the most significant piece of real estate in our county, and we have to be honest about the cost of inaction. We can’t let it sit idle. I’m looking at this as a chance for long-term economic development that actually serves the surrounding neighborhoods, which have been underinvested in for decades. Whether it’s mixed-use space, public amenities or small-business hubs, the focus has to be on economic growth for our citizens — not just another temporary construction project. We need a development plan that brings year-round jobs and opportunities to the people in the 2nd District, not just seasonal event traffic.

How would you encourage a cooperative and collaborative tone among your colleagues in the legislature and with the executive?

Huskey: Executive Phil LeVota cares about the county. He will be willing to do what is good for the residents and individuals who work in Jackson County. My colleagues were in support of extending the 3/8-cent tax. The individuals who voted made the choice for many who did not vote at all. We were all elected in 2022 to progress what Jackson County has to offer. The first three years the county executive vetoed everything, or he did not show up at all.

Dickinson: I’ve spent 30 years working with people from every walk of life to solve problems that don’t care about politics. If I’m in that seat, my door is open. I’m not interested in the feuds that have defined our recent county politics — the public is tired of it, and frankly, I am too. Collaboration happens when we stop talking in soundbites and start talking about the people we represent. I’ll be the person who picks up the phone to talk through the why behind a vote, and I’ll expect my colleagues to do the same. We aren’t there to score points. We are there to do the work. If we stay focused on the people and the practical outcomes they need, the politics tend to take care of themselves.

If elected, what issues will you make your own?

Huskey: As a reelected county representative, my budget priority is clear: serve people, not politics. I will fund county departments based on public need, eliminating manager bias. Furthermore, county grants only go to transparent, financially healthy nonprofits with proven community impact.

Dickinson: If I’m elected, these are the three areas where I’m going to stay focused:

• Proactive youth investment:  I’ve seen that we can’t arrest our way out of these problems. I want to shift our resources toward the programs that reach our kids before they find themselves in trouble.
• Government accountability: A government should be transparent, responsive and willing to admit when it makes a mistake rather than hiding behind bureaucracy.
• Economic opportunity for residents: I want to ensure that every economic incentive or project we approve actually creates year-round jobs and real stability for 2nd District families. It’s time we focus on growth that happens from the inside out.

Lightning-round questions

Candidates were asked for a yes-or-no position in response to these questions:

1. If a question is put to Jackson County voters asking whether to impose a half-cent sales tax for public transportation, will you be voting yes or no?
2. Do you support or oppose refunding certain 2023 property taxes with tax credits, at the expense of the school districts?
3. Do you support or oppose the Missouri legislature’s proposal to eliminate the state income tax?
4. Do you support or oppose the use of public dollars (including potential property tax revenues in the form of tax abatement) for data center construction?

Candidates were also asked which county executive candidate they are supporting.

Huskey said she is supporting either Bill Baird or Dan Tarwater. Dickinson said he was holding an opinion until he met everyone.