Councilman Matthew Benkner, City of Independence

06/09/2026

Please join us tomorrow, Tuesday 6/9, for our monthly Council meeting. Anyone wishing to address council can sign up to speak at the beginning of the meeting. All are welcome to share ideas, thanks, concerns or questions!

06/08/2026

Thank you to Pete for sending me this photo from the Memorial Day event. We are truly lucky to have so many of our own serve their Country. To those who laid the ultimate sacrifice upon the alter of freedom, we owe a debt that cannot be repaid.

06/02/2026

06/02/2026

Please join us for our next Council Meeting, Tuesday June 9th at 5:30pm. Anyone that would like to address council before the meeting can sign up to address any issues or ideas that you want to bring before council. I will be arriving a half hour early in case anyone wants to go over any topics one-on-one. Hope to see you there!

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05/21/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1L3mNtDS9D/

05/05/2026

No better way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of this little Republic of ours than by doing our civic duty!

03/24/2026

We have an Economic Development committee meeting this evening that will be covering a variety of topics including:
- Center of town updates
- TIFF update
- Barbershop building appraisal and selling update
- Planned zoning code update
- Independence publications cost cutting update

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02/26/2026

We have a Public Buildings and Lands committee meeting this evening at 5:30 in the Caucus room at city hall for any interested in attending. I’m excited to see the plans that were made for a restroom in Hemlock Trail!

02/25/2026

Hey everyone on Stone… Councilwoman Sarah Szweda and myself talked with Chief Butler and we want to assure everyone that the Police are taking the dump trucks seriously. I witnessed all but one going 35+ up and down the street. I can report that there is an officer sitting in my driveway to ensure these reckless drivers are being watched. Chief Butler has already communicated with Petros and Haydite twice previously that they need to obey the posted 10mph speed limit. If they do not fall in line, he will take the next step. Please let me know first thing in the morning if you see trucks going down over the speed limit. I will relay it to the Chief. The companies are supposed to give him advance notice of the days they will be running. They have not done that so far. So we will do it for them. I get up at 3:15am for work so there is no such thing as too early to inform me. As I am writing this, the officer in my driveway just took off to pull one of them over. Our police force delivering on their promise!