Kansas City passes $1.9 billion budget after heated debate over police funding
The new $1.94 billion budget the Kansas City Council passed Thursday touches many issues: housing security, pay raises for city employees, sustainability and transit.
But they’ve been eclipsed by the debate over a $33 million piece of the Kansas City Police Department’s $269 million allocation for the new fiscal year that begins May 1. The $33 million exceeds the state-mandated minimum funding for KCPD, and officials have been debating for months who will control it.
The question was formally settled Thursday. The council decided that the police department will have full discretion over how the money is used. In the end, there was little opposition.
Since last May, some elected city officials, including the mayor, have been trying to assert more direct control over how the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC) spends the city’s tax dollars. The five-member panel is appointed by the governor with the exception of the mayor, who has the power to cast a vote. The governance structure, unlike virtually any other in the nation, is a remnant of the Pendergast Era when the state took control of the police department in the wake of extreme municipal corruption.
After extensive debate among council members and the mayor over whether the department should be given the $33 million outright, or made to apply for it through the City Council, as councilwoman Katheryn Shields, 4th District at-large, proposed, the mayor ultimately won.
Under his plan, he said, the department is expected to adhere to an agreement to use the funding for new sworn officers, 911 call takers and other items. The city auditor will keep an eye on the spending.
Other council members were skeptical of the police board’s interest in following through.
“All we can do is pass the budget and see if in fact they do comply,” Shields said Wednesday at the Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee committee meeting.
Councilman Brandon Ellington, 3rd District at-large, addressed the council Thursday, saying that the city failed to take control over the allocation of $33 million to KCPD.
“I seen more tap dancing yesterday than Gregory Hines has ever done,” he said.
Ellington, the only council member to vote against the special fund and the full budget on Thursday, accused the mayor of siding with the BOPC instead of the city.
Lucas didn’t directly respond to Ellington’s comments during council, but later told media that his plan still holds the police department accountable. He added that while the BOPC could break their “extensive promises,” he doesn’t expect them to.
Public safety, police and fire
The largest slice of the budget — 37.9% — is designated for the police. The fire department gets the next largest amount, at 25%.
Under Missouri law, Kansas City is required to set aside at least 20% of its general revenue for the police board, which then makes policy and spending decisions.
The $33 million in the Community Policing and Prevention Fund, based on conversations between the mayor and the police board, is supposed to go, in part, toward the following:
$4 million for 88 sworn police officers, with a focus on diverse recruiting,
$5.1 million for raises for sworn officer and civilian staff.
$320,000 for school resource officers at public schools.
$550,000 toward full-time Crisis Intervention Officers.
$400,000 toward creation of two Community Action Networks within East and Metro patrol.
$7 million for victim and witness support services in the department’s Violence Crimes Division.
$6.5 million for the communications unit and 911 call-takers.
The Kansas City Fire Department also saw an increase from last year, including $4.2 million in workers compensation. This will fund, among other things, creation of a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer position in the fire department.
The budget also sets aside $350,000 for the creation of a Violence Prevention Office in the city’s health department.
Housing
Kansas City recently hired its first ever Homelessness Prevention Coordinator. Funding for the position was included in the new budget, which focused particular attention on housing insecurity, including:
$2.5 million to support the Tenants’ Right to Counsel program.
$40 million in additional federal funding for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
$12.5 million toward the new Housing Trust Fund, bringing the total to $25 million.
$600,000 for jobs and workforce development for those who are houseless.
Environment
The initial budget proposed in February would have moved the city’s Office of Environmental Quality, tasked with drafting the Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan, into the Neighborhood Services Department. After local environmental groups spoke out against the move, fearing the “siloing” of an office that touches every corner of the city, the city decided to keep the office under the City Manager. The city also put money toward:
An additional $5 million for expansion of trash clean-up, in part to address illegal dumping.
$250,000 to plant more trees across the city.
Money to convert streetlights to LED as a cost-saving measure and environmental benefit. City leaders anticipate this change could save the city $5 million a year while also reducing carbon emissions.
Community and public works
After a series of snowstorms in early 2022, the city was praised by many residents for clearing streets faster than in years past, thanks to a new snow removal plan, which bulked up the city’s snow removal team and their hours. This coming fiscal year, an additional $600,000 will go toward further expanding the snow removal fleet. Other money will go to the following:
$15 million for RebuildKC, a neighborhood grant program, which serves as a way to use American Rescue Plan Act Funds for neighborhood improvements like job creation, violence prevention and sustainability programs.
An additional $500,000 to support small businesses.
An additional $500,000 to improve city parks facilities and to open more city pools.
Transit and infrastructure
The new budget continues to fund the city’s “zero fare” transit program, which eliminated bus fares for Kansas City Area Transportation Authority passengers last year. Other projects funded through the new budget include:
The airport saw a financial bump of nearly $28 million since last year, much of which goes toward positions readying the opening of the new terminal at KCI.
The Streetcar Authority Fund also more than doubled, bringing the total to $27.3 million to help support the streetcar expansion into Midtown.
$2.7 million in funding to repair more than 300 miles of city streets over the next year.
Invests $2 million in dangerous building demolition .
$300,000 to expand Bike Share KC.
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 6:57 PM.
