Cabinet installer ready for City Council run
If elected April 3, Robert Altenhofen would be in line to become the Tonganoxie City Council’s youngest member.
Altenhofen, who is 30, said it would be good for the council to have a wide range of ages represented in the governing body.
“City council should be a good cross-hatch of society,” Altenhofen said.
A 1994 Tonganoxie High School graduate, Altenhofen has lived in Tonganoxie nearly all his life. After graduation, he got into the carpentry business. His father owns a cabinet shop, Altenhofen Cabinets, in Linwood. And last year, he opened his own cabinet installation business, Level Best.
Altenhofen said he has been doing woodworking “most of his life.”
When he graduated from high school, Altenhofen continued with the trade.
“It’s not something that college really teaches you well what you need to know,” Altenhofen said.
For the longtime Tonganoxie resident, running for a council seat seemed a logical idea at this time. He filed Jan. 23.
“I’m not coming in with some big agenda and changing a bunch of stuff,” Altenhofen said. “I just want to get a feel for what it does and make a difference.”
Altenhofen didn’t talk about tackling specific issues but stressed the importance of understanding all the issues if he were to claim a seat on the council.
“I think more than anything it’s paying attention to what’s going on and making informed decisions,” he said.
Although Altenhofen spoke in general terms about what the city needed to enhance, he did speak briefly about the city’s growth.
“There’s always things that need improved,” Altenhofen said. “The main thing with Tonganoxie: As long as there is a piece of dirt for sale, it will grow. What it needs is smart growth and well-educated … well-informed growth.”
Altenhofen and his wife, Amanda, have two children: Clara, 4, and Gabriel, 2.