Forward-thinking new Kansas City Council has experience — and big challenges ahead | Opinion

We won’t call it a new day in Kansas City. Despite seven new members joining the City Council, Mayor Quinton Lucas and all but one incumbent council member won re-election in Tuesday’s municipal election.

But the work to make this city an inclusive, safe and healthy place for us all to live, work and play must remain a priority.

Our ghastly homicide rate continues to temper expectations that we can be the world-class city local civic leaders envision. Will the members of this particular council support new long-term, multimillion-dollar crime prevention plans approved by its predecessor? They’d better.

With 92 killings through Thursday — a record pace — this city cannot afford to drop the ball on the $30 million investment the City Council recently pledged to spend on crime-prevention strategies.

Another pressing issue the new council must aggressively address is affordable housing. Over the last four years, strides have been made on that front. And we don’t doubt newcomer Johnathan Duncan’s commitment to renters’ rights. He was backed by the KC Tenants group’s 501(c)(4) nonprofit, an offshoot of the nonprofit organization’s tenants rights arm.

Until Kansas City’s housing trust fund is fully funded, issues with homelessness will continue to persist, though.

Many other issues must be addressed in Kansas City, including possible public subsidies for the Royals’ new stadium — and whatever the Chiefs will likely demand in kind, as well — aging infrastructure in south Kansas City, and other services residents deserve. Continued investment and development in neighborhoods on the city’s East Side is important, too.

After Tuesday’s election results, we take a wait-and-see approach with these newly elected officials.

We don’t doubt their qualifications or the voters’ will. We live in what is known as the Show-Me State for a reason.

Only 13% of registered voters bothered to cast their lot, according to area election board officials. But those who did make it to the ballot box voted into office some of the most forward-thinking candidates in Kansas City history, Mayor Quinton Lucas said.

We welcome the council members-elect who are political newcomers: Duncan of the 6th District, Crispin Rea of the 4th District at large, Melissa Patterson Hazley of the 3rd District at large, Lindsay French of the 2nd District at large and Nathan Willett of the 1st District. Former Missouri state House candidate Darrell Curls of the 5th District at large and former state Rep. Wes Rogers of the 2nd District will join them.

Incumbents returning to office are Eric Bunch of the 4th District, Melissa Robinson of the 3rd District, Ryana Parks-Shaw of the 5th District and Andrea Bough of the 6th District at large.

Each will bring a unique perspective to the council, said Lucas, himself a one-time council member.

For example, Rea, an assistant county prosecutor and former Kansas City school board member, will become the first Latino councilperson since Michael Hernandez, who resigned amid a bribery scandal in 1995.

And Duncan, the housing advocate and political newcomer, is a military veteran.

“This is the most progressive City Council in the history of Kansas City, “ Lucas said. “Very ambitious.”

Kansas City still needs a robust light rail system, advocates for public transit contend. Will this body make mass transit a priority? It should.

Will the steady hand of outgoing council members Lee Barnes, Heather Hall, Teresa Loar and Kathryn Shields be missed? Perhaps. Each were term limited. But replacing the institutional knowledge of that outgoing quartet will prove difficult, according to Lucas.

Voters were clear, however, Lucas said. People were not afraid to shake things up.

“It’s going to be a serious change,” he said. “But new people provide new perspectives.”

We don’t know if this council will solve the issues that plague our city. If they don’t serve the community as they promise, they — like defeated single-term 3rd District at large Councilman Brandon Ellington — will have to answer to voters four years from now or find a new job.

This story was originally published June 22, 2023 at 12:17 PM.