This is one searchable public record of my civic research, participation in Independence government, neighborhood and policy work, public service, reporting, leadership, community involvement, recognition, and public media.
Preparation for public office does not begin on Election Day. Mine has been built over years of doing the work: digging through public records, tracing decisions across agendas and meetings, studying ordinances and resolutions, following issues long after the headlines disappear, listening to residents, asking difficult questions, developing practical proposals, speaking before government bodies, and explaining what I find so other citizens can understand it too.
Along the way, I have made it a priority to learn how a city actually runs — not just what happens at a Council meeting. I have studied how decisions move through departments, boards and commissions before they ever reach the Council; how planning, utilities, infrastructure, development, budgets and public policy intersect; how ordinances and resolutions become action; and how decisions made years ago can shape the choices available today. I continue that education every day. There is always another issue to understand, another record to read, another question to ask and another part of municipal government to learn.
I have learned Independence government from the citizen's side of the dais — where decisions become consequences for neighborhoods, families, businesses and taxpayers. That perspective has taught me not only how City Hall works, but how important it is for an elected official to arrive prepared, know the history behind the vote, ask what hasn't been answered, understand what a proposal will actually do, and remember who will live with the result.
I haven't held a City Council seat. I have spent years preparing myself to be worthy of one. This is the record of that work — including the research, service, leadership, proposals, reporting, public participation and follow-through behind it. And the work continues.
Civic work is more than the finished proposal, article, speech or appearance. It includes the research behind it — reviewing records, tracing decisions, attending meetings and following issues over time — and the work goes on.
Research, proposals, government participation, neighborhood work, public appearances, policy review and other Independence-focused work appear here once, with supporting evidence attached to the record.
A citizen-oriented mini Council packet designed to reconstruct the information, history, financial questions and policy questions an elected Council member should examine before casting a major vote.
Review the RecordCivic-education work explaining why local government requires active citizens who read records, ask questions, attend meetings and continue asking until they understand what government is doing.
Review the RecordDesigned, built and completed a citizen-accessible Independence Public Records Archive preserving searchable historical agenda material from 2007 forward. What started as a response to fragile public access became a substantial civic-technology project: collecting and preserving source records, recovering oversized agenda files, checking for missing material, preventing duplicates, indexing documents and creating a public search experience. The completed archive is live at https://tiny.cc/indeparchive.
Review the RecordDocumented the disappearance of Independence's long-standing public route to older agendas and meeting records, reported the access problem, contacted City staff for answers and specifically requested that the missing public link be restored. After email exchanges and follow-up, Leigh found the agenda-search link back on the City's agenda page on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. The issue is recorded as resolved, with the correspondence, reporting and restoration preserved as the timeline—not as a claim that Leigh placed an item on the Council agenda.
Review the RecordResearch following Council discussion linking vacant buildings, homelessness and shelter policy, with a focus on practical neighborhood consequences and the role of local government.
Review the RecordAttended the Independence City Council retreat across two days and used the experience as a working lesson in how municipal decisions are shaped before they ever become formal agenda items. Leigh listened to extended Council, City Manager, finance and department discussions; tracked priorities, assumptions and unanswered questions; and later returned to retreat statements when subsequent proposals made those earlier conversations relevant.
Review the RecordTracking major bond authorizations and redevelopment financing approved by Independence, with emphasis on the cumulative scale of public financial commitments.
Review the RecordReview and tracking of changes to Independence City Council rules and procedures, with attention to how procedural rules affect public business, voting, consent items and Council deliberation.
Review the RecordTracking and analysis of the District 1 recall process, including certification, procedural developments and the effect of the recall on Council representation and civic discussion.
Review the RecordBuilt a multi-year record of Englewood revitalization—what residents were promised, what zoning and overlay policies actually changed, what conditions remained, and who was expected to adapt to the City's redevelopment vision. The work combined ordinance and agenda research, Planning Commission and Council participation, a notarized legal protest, property-by-property concerns, follow-up review of the WCIOC/Englewood Arts Overlay and reporting that compared official expectations with visible results in the neighborhood.
Review the RecordExamined the relocation of Independence City Hall as a downtown-policy decision, focusing not only on the new building but on what moving a daily government destination away from the Square means for foot traffic, public access, nearby businesses, civic identity and the long-term health of the historic center. The work asks what was gained operationally and what was removed from downtown when a routine reason for residents, employees and visitors to be there disappeared.
Review the RecordReviewed the Noland Fashion Square redevelopment as more than a ribbon-cutting project, following the redevelopment plan, public financing structure, Transportation Development District action and the obligations and measurable outcomes that should accompany major public-private redevelopment. Leigh's focus is what the City commits, what private investment is promised, what improvements residents are buying through public tools and whether the site ultimately produces the economic and neighborhood results used to justify approval.
Review the RecordConducted a detailed citizen review of Independence's first general-obligation bond package rather than treating the April 8, 2025 vote as a simple yes-or-no election result. The work broke apart the three questions, the $197 million total request, the proposed public-safety and justice-center spending, the $55 million transportation question, parks and historic-site work, property-tax consequences, project alternatives and the difference between capital improvements that improve conditions and investments that may generate future City income. The review continued after Election Day so the public record could show what happened to the successful transportation authority after voters approved it.
Review the RecordBuilt a backward-looking research record of Independence's data-center and power-generation redevelopment rather than starting with the final Nebius announcement. Leigh traced the Blue Valley/IPL site, UET Ventures/United Energy Trading involvement, option-to-lease history, later Independence Power Partners/Exigent activity, PUAB discussions, Chapter 100 approvals, EastGate/Nebius presentations, PILOT revenue and the City's electric-capacity commitments, with a focus on what Council knew and when.
Review the RecordBuilt a multi-year record of Englewood revitalization—what residents were promised, what zoning and overlay policies actually changed, what conditions remained, and who was expected to adapt to the City's redevelopment vision. The work combined ordinance and agenda research, Planning Commission and Council participation, a notarized legal protest, property-by-property concerns, follow-up review of the WCIOC/Englewood Arts Overlay and reporting that compared official expectations with visible results in the neighborhood.
Review the RecordReconstructed the May 15, 2023 approval of the 1430 S. Maywood short-term rental from the Planning Commission record through the Council vote, focusing on whether the required Council review and final action can be demonstrated after a valid legal protest and a Planning Commission approval motion that failed 0-6. The work compares Maywood with same-night and other STR cases to test process and equal treatment rather than merely disputing the policy outcome.
Review the RecordSpent approximately six months working with 12 other Independence citizens through the City Charter in detail, then carried that study into public education and later governance research. The work involved reading provisions in context, discussing how authority is allocated, researching practical effects, following proposed amendments and translating dense Charter language so other residents could participate with more than slogans or secondhand explanations.
Review the RecordSpent approximately six months working with 12 other Independence citizens through the City Charter in detail, then carried that study into public education and later governance research. The work involved reading provisions in context, discussing how authority is allocated, researching practical effects, following proposed amendments and translating dense Charter language so other residents could participate with more than slogans or secondhand explanations.
Review the RecordUsed the Mrs. Missouri role as a working platform for civic participation, volunteerism, charitable activity, public speaking and community representation rather than treating the title itself as the accomplishment. The experience required showing up in public settings, representing organizations and causes, communicating with varied audiences, supporting community events and using the visibility of the title to contribute service beyond the pageant setting.
Review the RecordPursued the question of whether Independence needed a true independent forensic review—not merely another routine financial-statement audit—and researched the City's earlier forensic-audit proposals involving the Stay Well Fund, Independence Power & Light and citywide fiscal, procurement and contracting practices. The work included records review, explaining the difference between audit types, examining prior proposed scopes and pressing for a review capable of testing internal controls, spending authority, contracting and compliance.
Review the RecordThis section documents broader experience in community leadership, political and organizational service, nonprofit work, faith-based service, public representation and recognition. These records are presented for what they demonstrate, without treating them as municipal-government experience.
Selected by her local Republican women's club as its 2025 Woman of Tribute and honored through the Missouri Federation of Republican Women's statewide Women of Tribute program. The recognition reflects sustained contributions to the local club, Republican organization, community service and leadership; it is recorded as recognition of a body of service rather than as a substitute for the underlying work itself.
Review the RecordElected in 2024 as Jackson County Republican Committeewoman for Blue 1, serving Northwest Independence and Sugar Creek. The role has given me firsthand experience with the responsibilities that come with being elected to represent others: showing up, listening, communicating, participating in the political process and being accountable to the people I represent. It has also expanded my understanding of elections, grassroots organization and how citizens engage with government beyond City Hall. My term continues through 2028.
Review the RecordFounded and leads BLING Foundation, a nonprofit built around the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to heal, grow and thrive. What began as community fundraising developed into an organization focused on removing financial barriers to children's mental-health care through the BLING Children's Mental Health Scholarship Program, community partnerships, direct support of eligible therapy and a Missouri pilot intended to grow into a sustainable model beyond one community.
Review the RecordProvides recurring Sunday School teaching and practical church service that requires preparation, patience, reliability and the willingness to do routine work whether or not it is visible. Teaching young people and helping with regular meal or breakfast responsibilities are included as evidence of sustained service, communication and follow-through rather than as political credentials.
Review the RecordSelected by her local Republican women's club as its 2025 Woman of Tribute and honored through the Missouri Federation of Republican Women's statewide Women of Tribute program. The recognition reflects sustained contributions to the local club, Republican organization, community service and leadership; it is recorded as recognition of a body of service rather than as a substitute for the underlying work itself.
Review the RecordSelected reporting from The Independence Standard provides supporting research, context and source material. Full articles remain at IndependenceStandard.com.
A commentary from Leigh Phillips, Editor of The Independence Standard Truth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | August 26, 2026 | 2603 Audio
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | August 25, 2026 Article 2633
Read at IndependenceStandard.comA commentary from Leigh Phillips, Editor of The Independence Standard Truth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | August 24, 2026 | 2602 Audio
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | August 22, 2026 Article 2632
Read at IndependenceStandard.comA commentary from Leigh Phillips, Editor of The Independence Standard Truth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | August 19, 2026 | 2601 Audio
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | August 17, 2026 Article 2631
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | August 7, 2026 Article 2630
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | July 29, 2026Article 2629
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | July 27, 2026Article 2628
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | July 4, 2026Article 2627
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | June 15, 2026Article 2626
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | June 9, 2026Article 2625
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | June 2, 2026Article 2624
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 30, 2026Article 2623
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 28, 2026Article 2622
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 27, 2026Article 2621
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 21, 2026Article 2620
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 19, 2026Article 2619
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 15, 2026Article 2618
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 14, 2026Article 2617
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 12, 2026Article 2616
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 8, 2026Article 2615
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 7, 2026Article 2614
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 6, 2026Article 2613
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 5, 2026Article 2612
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | May 1, 2026Article 2611
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | April 28, 2026Article 2610
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | April 24, 2026 Article 2609
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | April 23, 2026 Article 2609
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | April 22, 2026 Article 2607
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | April 21, 2026 Article 2606
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | April 18, 2026 Article 2605
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | April 17, 2026 Article 2604
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | April 15, 2026 Article 2603
Read at IndependenceStandard.comTruth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action. | April 12, 2026 Article 2602
Read at IndependenceStandard.comIt looked like a normal election… but it wasn’t.
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