Wyandotte News Daily sits down with Dr. Carlos Pacheco to discuss his background, platform, and vision for representing the 5th District on the Unified Government Commission
Dr. Carlos Pacheco has lived in Wyandotte County’s 5th District his entire life, and now he’s seeking to represent the area on the Unified Government Commission. In a recent interview with Wyandotte News Daily, the family physician and business owner outlined his background, platform, and approach to the challenges facing the district and county.
Community Roots
Pacheco’s connection to the 5th District runs deep. “I’ve lived in our 5th district my entire life. I grew up right behind where the YMCA’s at on Parallel,” he explained. His family background reflects the community’s working-class values—his father is a retired firefighter, and his mother has worked in community action her entire career at El Centro and other organizations.
The candidate married within the community as well. “I married a beautiful, intelligent woman who’s a registered nurse. She’s a lifelong [resident] as well. She grew up right behind Hen House on Parallel. So we both grew up in the 5th district,” Pacheco said. The couple has two young daughters, ages four and five, and chose to remain in the area despite having options elsewhere.
“We probably could have lived anywhere in town. But really we chose to stay where we’re at right next to Wyandotte County Lake because we love it here and we want to see it grow and do well,” he noted.
Professional Background and Leadership Experience
While known in the community as a physician at Heartland Primary Care, where he’s also a part owner, Pacheco brings a unique educational background to his candidacy. “People know me as a physician, but actually my degree’s in mass communications,” he revealed, having graduated from Bishop Ward High School before attending Benedictine College.
His path to medicine wasn’t entirely straightforward. “About halfway through, decided, yeah, I think I do still want to be a doctor. I had kind of thoughts of that, going into undergraduate and then I just pulled the trigger and said, no, I want to do this and I think this is where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to do.”
After completing medical school at the University of Kansas, Pacheco did his residency at Truman Medical Center Lakewood in Lee’s Summit, where he served as chief resident. “I tell people and it’s not to gloat, but I’ve just always sought leadership positions my entire life and it’s come naturally to me,” he said.
His early exposure to politics came through serving as a Senate page in Washington, D.C. “I actually worked in the Senate in Washington as a page. So I was around all the senators and I saw that from an early age, and I’ve always had interest in policy and making changes in the community.”
Platform: “Winning for Wyandotte County”
Pacheco’s governing philosophy centers on what he calls “winning for Wyandotte County.” He believes the county is “uniquely positioned in the city in the region to really be whatever we want it to be.”
His platform focuses on several key areas:
Property Tax Relief
The most pressing issue Pacheco hears about from constituents is property taxes. “One of the things that I hear a lot about are our property taxes are too high. And I get that. I pay them myself,” he said. He believes residents haven’t felt they’re getting adequate return on investment from county spending.
“What I really want to do is help relieve those taxes on people, get them more value for the dollars that we already spend, and then really be aggressive and outgoing towards people who want to come into the county, develop and give us more revenue streams,” Pacheco explained.
Pro-Development Approach
The candidate takes a decidedly pro-development stance, arguing that the county needs to be more welcoming to businesses and developers. “One thing that I am hearing a lot from different business entities, developing entities is it’s been harder to do business in Wyandotte County in the last five years than it has been in a long time,” he noted.
“We need to open up our doors to whoever wants to come in and drive development, in my opinion,” Pacheco said. “We can’t just turn a blind eye to them or say, ‘Hey, we’re a hard no on things’ because that’s no way for us to move forward.”
Infrastructure and Amenities
For the 5th District specifically, Pacheco identified infrastructure needs including more sidewalk space in the Piper area and additional park amenities. “We got Wyandotte County Lake, but in that district, that’s what we’ve got. And there’s really not too many other park spaces,” he observed, noting that residents have long discussed needs like an aquatic center.
Addressing Controversial Issues
The Data Center Project
On the controversial data center proposal in the 5th District, Pacheco takes a cautiously optimistic approach. While supporting opportunities that bring revenue to the county, he emphasizes the need for thorough vetting.
“I’m for any opportunity in Wyandotte County that can bring us revenue and that can make our city and our county flourish,” he said. However, he stressed the importance of environmental and public health considerations: “We’ve got to make sure that things are safe for our children, that are safe for the people who live around that area.”
Pacheco believes his medical background gives him unique qualifications to evaluate such proposals. “I need to be the one who’s in there because I’m the one with the medical and the public health experience to actually look at the data the right way and make a good decision for the people of Wyandotte County.”
Revenue Neutral and Budget Decisions
Regarding recent budget controversies, including the decision to exceed revenue neutral, Pacheco criticized the process while understanding the difficult financial position. He attended commission meetings that “went until past midnight” with “dysfunction” and decisions made “without good information.”
“My goal is to decrease property taxes for sure,” Pacheco stated, but he emphasized the need for better data and more efficient government operations. “The most important thing is we need to have actual data so you can make actual decisions, because there’s such a lack of data to make these decisions that really it’s irresponsible either way.”
Vision for Leadership
Pacheco frames his candidacy around his track record of leadership and community investment. “I’ve been a leader at every juncture. I’ve never done anybody wrong. Anybody who’s ever taken a chance on me has not been—they’ve definitely not been wronged by me,” he said.
His message to voters reflects both confidence and deep community connection: “That’s what I’m asking the people of my district to do, is to take a bet on me. And I pretty much—I don’t like guarantees, but I guarantee I’ll do my best and it’ll probably still be aware of Wyandotte County.”
The candidate concluded with a simple summary of his appeal: “I’m somebody of this place and for this place, and that sincerely. There’s not too many more things important to me than making sure that Wyandotte County flourishes. A vote for me is a vote for a winning Wyandotte County.”