EMS talks have left me feeling hopeful for democracy

Seeing a local leader make an effort to listen to his constituents is the big picture, and much more important than a tax proposal.
Nancy Zartman of Carlyle tells Allen County Commissioner David Lee she’d like to see more health professionals move to the county. Lee hosted local citizens to discuss the upcoming half-cent sales tax on the Nov. 3 ballot that would help fund EMS. Photo by Tim Stauffer
by Tim Stauffer, Register managing editor
Published: October 30, 2026
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Seeing a local leader make an effort to listen to his constituents is the big picture, and much more important than a tax proposal.

I left Carlyle around 8 p.m. or so Thursday night. I’d spent an enjoyable hour and a half with Commissioner David Lee and six Carlyle residents. 

The meeting was Lee’s last in a series of talks with Allen County residents to discuss the commission’s proposed half-cent sales tax.

Over the past 10 days, Lee has made stops in Mildred, Iola, Savonburg, Moran and Carlyle. A Humboldt conversation to be led by Commissioner Jerry Daniels didn’t occur due to poor attendance.

Tim Stauffer, Register managing editor

Tim Stauffer came to The Iola Register in 2018, becoming the fifth generation of his family to work at the small-town newspaper. Tim graduated with honors from the University of Kansas in 2007 and subsequently served for one year as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Seattle, providing GED instruction at Youthcare’s Orion Center. He then served 2.5 years as a Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador. After his time as a Peace Corps volunteer, Tim received his MA in English Education from New York University, graduating with distinction. He then taught high school English for 5.5 years at Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas. While teaching, he completed the Hollyhock Fellowship Program through the Stanford Center to Support Excellence in Teaching. Tim and his wife Violeta have two children.

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