After serving six and a half years as a Platte City Alderman, Steve Hoeger is now the Mayor of Platte City.
When he served as an Alderman he grew to love Platte City even more than he did before, and he wanted to help ensure it would become a thriving community.
Hoeger
He had no intention of serving as an Alderman before Mayor Frank Offutt offered him the opportunity in 2017. He had always been service-minded and when asked to serve he knew it was the right thing to do. Offutt called him in 2017 asking if he could appoint Hoeger to the Parks Committee. He attended their meetings for a few months to get a better understanding of what was involved. Then Offutt said he was changing Hoeger’s appointment if he was willing, to the Planning and Zoning Committee. After serving on that committee for several months Hoeger was asked to transition to serving as an Alderman instead, to replace Alderman Lee Stubbs (former Citizen owner) who was moving.
Hoeger was then elected in 2018 to finish out that term. He was re-elected in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
“Over the course of the last many months the Board became increasingly concerned with the direction the city was headed, with the then City Administrator and Mayor, Hoeger said.
He credits his training as a paramedic in feeling a responsibility to respond and do something to change the situation.
“Some of my goals are to re-establish the sub-committees created under Mayor Offutt that were successful in focusing on key areas of city government and keeping the Alderman engaged in leading those committees,” Hoeger said. “ I think Platte City has the potential for strategic growth and development, as the Northland is beginning to blossom, and Platte City should be right in the middle of that. While most residents enjoy the smaller, hometown feel, I think we can grow strategically and still keep the hometown feel we have today, while offering increased amenities people are seeking.”
For Hoeger, who has been a licensed paramedic for 30 years, he believes there are similarities between them and elected officials as far as serving others and dealing with people in crisis and difficult times in their lives.
“An elected official is there to serve their constituents by listening to, and addressing their concerns,” Hoeger said. “A paramedic’s job involves a high degree of empathy and compassion as they deal directly with individuals in distress. These traits are equally important for elected officials, who must understand and be responsive to the diverse needs of their citizens. These overlapping skills can make paramedics well-suited for roles in politics and bring a unique perspective and capabilities to public office.”
Hoeger works for two of the urban core hospitals in Kansas City.
He is the Corporate Director of Emergency Management at one; and at the second he is part of their special venues team, which allows him to still provide bedside care.
He is also the Chair of the bi-state MARC Healthcare Coalition (HCC), which focuses on bringing partners together to promote community and health-care system resilience.
“Our core partners are area hospitals, EMS providers, local Public Health and Emergency Management,” Hoeger said. “We invite others involved in health care that would be affected during a disaster to become involved and build those relationships necessary to continue operating and serving their patients, clients, or residents in times of need.”
From a very young age Hoeger had a passion for healthcare, serving others, and being prepared. He began taking Red Cross first aid and CPR training in junior high school. He coordinated his church’s annual summer carnival’s first-aid needs beginning his freshman year in high school.
“That introduced me to two very special ladies in my life that eventually led to me becoming a CPR instructor while still in high school, and the other was my future paramedic instructor,” Hoeger said. “That lesson taught me the value of strategic relationships which has carried across my 40-year career so far.”
While managing an EMS service at a hospital in east central Iowa he broadened his job responsibilities to include hospital safety and emergency preparedness about 30 years ago. After returning to the Kansas City area he became involved with different committees at MARC, further honing the skills of leveraging strategic relationships and collaborating across disciplines and borders to be successful.
Serving on the Northland Regional Ambulance District Board for six years taught him a lot about the responsibilities of being an elected official. It taught him how to work with other Board members to understand and promote the needs of the district.
“Our financials were growing increasingly tight in the mid 2000s and the District needed an increase in its tax levy,” Hoeger said. “Our first attempt we didn’t do much promoting and it was unsuccessful. I became more involved in getting out in the community and talking about the funding needs. Our next ask with the voters proved successful. I learned being honest with the voters and outlining what the needs are and how we intended to spend the money they were voting to entrust us with is the best way to gain their confidence. That is the approach I continue with today.”
Serving as president of the Platte County Amateur Radio Group has also been a productive way for Hoeger to increase his, and others’ focus on planning, training and emergency communications.
“My experience in preparedness and conducting exercises shows communications are almost always the number-one thing that goes wrong in disasters,” Hoeger said. “This can be from not having the right tools to communicate, not knowing how to use it, and not knowing when and what to communicate. We have become increasingly dependent on just-in-time information. Growing up most people in my generation, and before, likely had one telephone at home. You actually had to wait until you got home to talk to someone. We had to wait for the morning or evening newspaper to be informed of what was happening in our community and watch the evening news. Today everyone expects communications, and information, where, when, and how they want it. Our cellular network is intended for a fraction of the subscribers at any given time and during disasters that can be easily overwhelmed. Amateur Radio has played a vital role for years in helping with communications and information sharing when all else fails and is crucial in helping communities prepare for disaster still today.”
For Hoeger, one of the accomplishments that makes him most proud since serving on the Board was the annexation and development of land on the east side of I-29, affording the first residential property within city limits to build on since 2008.
“This is an essential step in allowing Platte City to grow,” Hoeger said. “Since 2019 we have participated in two national surveys of our residents about their views of city government. We ranked in the top 10% of all cities responding in both surveys. That says a lot but we can’t stop striving to do better.”
The willingness to compromise and working toward a common goal have been the focus of his day job for many years, and Hoeger understands that after working for large organizations with robust resources, no one has the ability to go it alone. “Fostering those relationships ahead of time pays off when the chips are down,” Hoeger said. “I also understand the Alderman are the voting body of the city. The Mayor only votes to break ties. The Mayor’s responsibility is leading the meetings and finding ways to build consensus. Empowering the Board to once again address the city’s needs through sub-committees, and having a sense of stewardship, will lead to better outcomes.”
The Board Chambers were full recently when new Mayor Hoeger and the Alderman, were sworn in. “Many were friends and family supporting me and the other elected officials,” Hoeger said. “That means so much. The support of family, friends and the community is necessary to be successful. The job of Mayor means attending many meetings and functions on behalf of the city and takes away from precious time at home, and requires their support to keep things running at home while trying to keep the city running. I am fortunate that my family has, and continues to, support me in serving our community.”
The major challenges that Hoeger believes the community is facing include navigating a new post-COVID world.
“Recruiting and maintaining competent staff is challenging across all businesses today. Having sound leadership and governance in place makes it easier to be an employer of choice,” Hoeger said. “We are experiencing a change in the way people shop with huge swings to e-commerce away from brick-and-mortar shopping for many wants and needs.”
He also stressed the importance of quality, affordable housing, a concern for community members everywhere, which is why he believes it should be emphasized what a great community Platte City is to live in and raise a family.
“We are close to Kansas City and its amenities including commerce and entertainment, yet we are far enough away we maintain that hometown feel,” Hoeger said. “We have top-notch schools, and strong public safety resources. I will continue to work with the Aldermen to update our economic development plan and recruit new businesses that align with our city’s makeup and culture.”
For Hoeger, maintaining and upgrading the city’s infrastructure and providing essential services within the city’s limited budgets are also priorities, while taking a conservative approach and advocating for efficient government spending and exploring public-private partnerships to fund infrastructure projects.
“Encouraging volunteerism and community involvement to supplement services will also be a focus,” Hoeger said. “To continue improving the services we provide to our citizens is really important. Strategic growth on the east side of the Interstate is essential to how Platte City grows in the future. Our sewer treatment plant is needing to be replaced and this will be a significant undertaking. We have been discussing it the past few years but we are reaching the point it needs to happen.”
Hoeger is excited to begin his new role as Mayor of Platte City, the county seat with a rich history.
“It has proved resilient over the years,” Hoeger said. “Platte City is situated in central Platte County and along major transportation lines. We are modestly sized but prime for good growth. That probably sounds like something out of a recruiting brochure but sums up Platte City to me. It has been a great place to raise our family and now the next generation too. Your hometown kind of town; located under the orange Platte City water tower!”