KC budget hearing prompts calls for banks to help urban core

A Kansas City budget hearing Saturday prompted the usual appeals for more cops on the street and more code enforcement in struggling neighborhoods.

But one of the biggest appeals was for city government to use its clout to get local banks to invest more in the urban core.

“Bring the banks to the table,” Pat Gilmore-Wilkins, executive director of the Greater Kansas City Housing Information Center, told Mayor Sly James and other city council members. She echoed concerns of Santa Fe neighborhood resident Jan Johnson that getting loans for inner city homes and other investments is too difficult.

As it happens, the time is ripe for the city to engage local banks on community reinvestment.

City Finance Director Randy Landes said the city does more than $1 billion worth of business annually with banks, and it’s time to renew that contract. Commerce Bank has had the bulk of the city’s business for the past five years, but the city is preparing to issue a request for new proposals later this spring.

“This is a good opportunity,” Landes said, for the city to re-engage large local banks on how to best benefit the community.

Dan Fowler and other council members said they would take those concerns to heart. The banking plea, Fowler said, “hit home with me.”

About three dozen residents turned out for the hearing, which precedes the March 23 adoption of a new $1.6 billion city budget. It takes effect May 1.

Those who spoke out pleaded for more cops, better code enforcement, enhancements for parks and community centers, and more summer programs for young people.

This year’s budget proposal has a big increase for public safety, but council members warned the audience that it won’t mean more police officers.

Instead, the increases will go for wage and benefit increases negotiated with management for existing police and fire employees.

Public safety costs — including police, fire, ambulance and municipal court — are expected to rise to $435 million from $416 million. Of that, the police department budget is slated to increase to $250.8 million next year from $242.5 million this year. Fire Department spending is projected to grow to $166.3 million from $155 million.

Public safety costs are expected to eat up about 76 percent of the general fund budget, meaning all other services are squeezed. City Manager Troy Schulte said other basic services will have mostly stable funding but not big boosts.

Details of the budget are at kcmo.gov/finance. The next public hearing is 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 26 at Woodneath Library, 8900 NE Flintlock Road.

This story was originally published February 18, 2017 at 12:59 PM with the headline "KC budget hearing prompts calls for banks to help urban core."