LAST NIGHT AT the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce candidate forum Bob Agler did not try convince voters that he should be re-elected to the Emporia City commission. He let people know that he was removing his name from being a candidate for the general election. Agler recently advanced from the primary election after finishing fourth out of 12 candidates.
Agler said after six years of serving on the commission that he is tired. He cited that he is turning 70 this year and there are things he wants to do.
Not having Agler on the commission will be tremendous loss for the community.
Agler brought a unique background to the commission because he served as an accountant during his professional career. He knew budgets but more importantly he knew government budgets inside and out.
As an accountant he audited government budgets. Today as a consultant Agler advises governments on their budgets.
The city budget is more than $40 million and having someone that can understand budgets was a valuable asset to the community.
During Agler’s time on the commission he worked to put our community back in good financial shape by working to create emergency reserves and bring good financial practices to the commission. Agler was a fiscal conservative who has voted against proposals that did not make financial sense. Agler has even spent time overhauling the financial statements so they could be easier to understand for other commissioners.
Agler’s parting advice to voters: Study the candidates, find out what the candidates stand for, find out if the candidates know what they are talking about, find out if the candidates are invested in the community and then pick the three best ones.
Even though Agler will not be vying for a seat on the city commission his valuable contributions to the community should not be forgotten and voters need to remember his advice when they go to the polls on April 5.
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