| REGISTER TO WIN | |
 |
He outlined 10 challenges facing Kansas City. Most make sense, such as “fund basic infrastructure maintenance,” “bring our sewer system up to modern standards” and “make it easier to move around Kansas City.”
Those, however, already have champions at City Hall. For instance, City Council member Jan Marcason and the city staff are pulling together a plan to finance billions of dollars of improvements to the city’s wastewater system.
Today, let’s take at look at three other challenges outlined by Funkhouser. These are important ones that need to get done by Kansas Citians, the city staff and civic leaders.
The mayor soon will need to provide more details to show how he would respond to these challenges.
Here they are, in order of how crucial they are to Kansas City’s future, along with some ways to accomplish them:
• “Repopulate the urban core.”
This initiative would bring in taxpayers, homeowners and people who care about the city. All are essential ingredients to boosting the city’s prospects.
The top priority for City Hall will be to find federal, city and private funding to help construct new housing. That’s the best way to attract low- and middle-income homeowners.
Funkhouser also will need to succeed with his idea of using economic incentives to boost development in distressed areas of town, not just in downtown or the Northland.
• “Bring the city’s retirement systems and health-care benefits in line with standard business practices.”
The essential step will be cutting millions in taxpayer funds in public subsidies for city employees. The savings should be used to improve services for residents.
The city should offer 401k-type retirement savings programs, especially for future employees. And the city ought to reduce or kill pensions for future employees.
The city also should trim the percentage of payments it makes to subsidize employee health-care programs.
• “Build regional partnerships to fund regional amenities.”
As Funkhouser pointed out, one city can’t finance the zoo, Liberty Memorial and other amenities. Kansas City needs the help of Overland Park, Independence and other cities.
So the mayor and others need to push for a regional source of support (yes, probably a bistate-like tax) to place on a multi-county ballot.
As meeting these challenges moves forward, Funkhouser ought to have definitive outcomes associated with them.
What would constitute a victory in repopulating the core? Adding 5,000 residents by the end of his first term?
When former Mayor Kay Barnes decided that reviving downtown would be her No. 1 priority, she put out several markers. Adding 10,000 residents became one. So did building a downtown arena.
Funkhouser’s to-do list will be different in nature, though.
In part, that’s because Barnes’ efforts on behalf of downtown — especially support for the Power & Light District — caused the city’s debt payments to soar. The city has much less wiggle room to take on big projects.
Also, some of Funkhouser’s priorities are more controversial than something like downtown rejuvenation.
The mayor said last week that saving money on employee pensions and health-care coverage would be “no brainers” with the average citizen.
But then he added, “at City Hall, no change goes un-resisted.”
True. It will take a great deal of political skill to overcome the status quo.
Funkhouser will have to decide which of the 10 challenges ought to receive the most attention — from him, other elected officials and Kansas Citians.
Join the discussion
Share your observations and experiences about news. Lively, open debate is the goal, but please refrain from personal attacks or comments that are racist, vulgar or otherwise inappropriate. If you see an inappropriate comment, please click the "Report as violation" link to notify a KansasCity.com editor. Thanks for your feedback.