Pfannenstiel said it was his son, Jonathan 10, who finally convinced him to stay put.

“We were talking about that one afternoon and he said, ‘Dad, I think you should run for mayor again you’re doing a good job and I think people would elect you.”

The two decided that at 38, Pfannenstiel could always run for county commission at a later date, he said.

Pfannenstiel ran once before, in 1992, and lost by 54 votes in that year’s primary election.

Four years later, he considered running again, but like this time, eventually decided against it.

In his March 23 mayor’s report that he sent to Basehor City Council members, department supervisors and area newspapers, Pfannenstiel explained that his commitment lies with Basehor.

“While I believe I have helped lay a solid foundation and map out a course for Basehor’s future, we have just begun,” he wrote. “I feel compelled to finish the job that I have started before moving on to other challenges.”

Pfannenstiel, who grew up in the Leavenworth/Lansing area, has worked at the Lansing Correctional Facility for the past 14 years. He and his wife, Nannette, have two children, Annette, 13 and Jonathan, 10.