MORAN — Donald Mann promises he’ll serve as county commissioner in much the same manner he’s owned his construction company and farmed over the past four decades — he’ll do so with attention to detail, particularly when it comes to overseeing contracts, which if not handled properly could cost Allen County thousands of dollars.
While Mann is certain he can provide expertise on a number of issues, those topics are being drowned out, he said, by the approaching sales tax referendum that would result in a new Allen County Hospital.
Mann said that the hospital issue has been a tough sell in the First District, which includes Moran, Humboldt, Elsmore, Savonburg and their adjoining townships.
He cites two reasons — that approval would mean a higher sales tax, and that many “just don’t trust” the county to responsibly oversee a $30 million construction project.
“My problem with a sales tax in general is that it most affects the people who can afford it the least,” he said, “and there’s absolutely nothing fair about who qualifies for sales tax exemptions and who doesn’t.”
Mann said county residents have voiced displeasure to him about the county’s ongoing debate with Iola about ambulance services.
“With the ambulance, they just got in a hurry and had to get that done immediately, and it wound up costing them,” Mann said, referring to when commissioners bought, developed and then abandoned a plot of land in Gas that would have served as a centralized station for the county.
That land was later swapped, with the county spending another $200,000 to trade properties with the Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative office in Iola — but not before the county built a significant rock pad on which a new building foundation could be built.
“They used crushed rock for their base,” Mann said. “That’s the most expensive material you could use.”
Most builders would instead use dirt, a much cheaper commodity, he said.
As an aside, the county’s lot in Gas was the centerpiece of a land swap with Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, whose facilities on North State Street were refitted to house the county’s communications center and ambulance station.
“They should have kept the ambulance station in Gas,” Mann said. “It was an issue of haste making waste.
“I’m seeing the same thing with the hospital,” he continued. “If they wanted it done now, they should have started looking into it three or four years ago. Instead, we get this study done and we have to vote on it immediately.”
But he understands his views will be largely moot by the time he would take office in January. If county voters support the referendum, so will he, even if those in the First District do not.
“I’ve said all along I’ll go with whatever they decide, and some around here may want to hang me for it,” Mann said. “We probably do need a hospital, but I’m just not hearing a groundswell of support for the hospital in this district.”
Likewise, if the sales tax issue fails, Mann vows he will not attempt to find alternate sources to help fund hospital construction, such as using a property tax.
“I think it’s going to be a toss-up,” he predicted, still uncertain of how he’ll vote.
MANN SAID his biggest asset to the county would be his public works expertise.
“It’s the biggest expenditure the county has and the one department the commissioners have the most control over,” he said.
With more than 50 years of experience in road construction, including owning Mann Heavy Construction since 1970, Mann is well aware of the condition of Allen County’s roads from one county line to the other.
“Having worked with roads and bridges for so many years has given me the experience and expertise to know what needs to be done,” he said. Too many roads in Allen County are not properly engineered and designed, he said, making them prone to washouts in torrential rains.
“You can guarantee that crews will be out for three days after it rains, putting the same rock in the same places on the same roads,” he said. “They should fix them properly. There is no need to haul rock only to have it wash away,” he said. “Ask some of the people who live out there what they think of the roads.”
Mann also promises to keep a steely eye on the county’s budget, particularly contracts.
“Being a contractor myself, I know very well how some contractors will not police themselves,” he said. “I’m sure the contractors might not like me.” But he hopes the county’s taxpayers would appreciate his effort.
“The biggest thing I have going for me is my trust,” Mann said. “People know me.”
MANN STARTED in construction in 1957 as an operator for Macadam Construction in Moran. He handled a variety of roles over the next 14 years, including some administrative duties.
Over time, Mann has specialized in finish work.
“It’s a given in any type of construction that people just don’t like to do the finish work,” he said. “So that’s what I focused on.”
Mann eventually earned enough money to buy his own trucks, a bulldozer and other equipment in 1970. Mann Heavy Construction was born. He continues to work on road construction projects and farm from his home about three miles south of Moran.
He also owned the Chicken Shack Restaurant in Bronson for 17 years.
Both operations gave him experience in purchasing, operating and repairing heavy equipment, he said, and with hiring personnel, organizing, bookkeeping and finance.
Mann also served on the Moran City Council and the county’s zoning appeals board. He’s a 40-year member of the Kansas Land Improvement Contractors Association and still serves as a director of KLICA in southeast Kansas.
“I’m a little more selective on my projects now,” he said. “I’m slowing down.” But, he added, “I’m not sure when I’m going to retire.”
If elected, though, he promises to serve only one term.
“It’s important to remember that we are seeking to serve the will of the citizens of our district, and the county as a whole,” he said.
He has one son, Darren, of Moran and a daughter, Darla Buckman, of Ozawkie.
