BY CORIE LYNN
The City of Hays is preparing for its next local election.
On Nov. 2, voters will cast their ballots for their next city commissioners. This year, they will vote in two commissioners for two-year terms and one commissioner for a one-year term.
Candidates include Dr. Reese Barrick, Samuel Allen and incumbents Sandy Jacobs and Shaun Musil.
Demetrius Chance is also listed on the ballet but has since moved out of Hays.
Shaun Musil co-owns the Paisley Pear in downtown Hays. Like fellow candidate Sandy Jacobs, Musil is also running for reelection to the Hays City Commission, having previously served as the mayor of Hays and as a commissioner.
His positions as a restaurant owner and city commissioner have allowed him to serve the citizens around him.
“I have always liked being involved in my community,” Musil said.
In fact, he believes his heavy community involvement has allowed him to get a sense of the needs of Hays.
He stated that even with all of the activities he has been a part of in the area, there will always be more to learn. However, when he participates in his community, he sees the issues that affect it.
“I think experience matters,” Musil said.
Should voters reelect him to the city commission, he would like to close the water project he has worked on the past few years, which focuses on providing a sustainable water source to the area.
Musil would also like to encourage growth in the Hays area, in terms of bringing more people to employers and in terms of housing.
As voters consider the candidates, Musil would also like them to know that he seeks to be both a transparent candidate and commissioner. He wants them to approach him with their questions.
“I may not know all the answers,” he said, “but I will get answers as soon as possible.”
Having served as Hays’ mayor throughout the pandemic, Musil has seen how a community works in times of hardship. He thanked them for their response toward him as their mayor, knowing that the time was difficult for everyone.
“You see people’s true colors then,” he said.