By Max Goodwin
The City Council approved Kansas City’s annual budget of $2.3 billion, the largest in the city’s history, on March 28. It’s a 10.3% increase in spending over last year.
City Manager Brian Platt, who submitted the proposed budget to the City Council, attended the April South Kansas City Alliance meeting to explain the process. Platt became city manager in 2020 and recently renewed his contract through 2027.
The budget is the city’s spending plan, reflecting its values and priorities for the next fiscal year. It determines which services residents will receive, how resources will be used, and how they will be paid.
“We’ve done some great work. I think that everyone agrees that basic services have improved in a very tangible, visible and significant way,” Platt said. “That’s why I’m excited to stay here longer and hopefully build on that progress.”
Expenditures increased by 13.3% last year, while revenue increased by 9.9%. The city is spending more than it makes in revenue. As a result, the city will draw down $49.9 million of its general fund balance to cover the budget. That could become a problem if the trend doesn’t change as it would deplete the general fund balance.
The budget process was an eye-opening experience for 5th District-at-Large Councilmember Darrell Curls in his first year on the city council. At 700 pages long, it’s a lot to take in, even for the councilmembers who voted on the budget.
“I didn’t quite understand everything, but as I went through the process I began to understand,” Curls said. “I look forward to the next budget process. I’ll be better equipped to get a lot more accomplished in regards to putting more in the budget than what I did this time.”
Here are some of the highlights of what is included in the budget.
Public Safety
The new budget increases KCPD funding by $32.7 million and provides funds for a salary raise for all officers. Funding was also added for hiring a recruit class of 150 new officers. Platte said KCPD had 1,300 officers in 2020 and that is now down to 1,080 officers.
KCPD Major David Jackson, Commander of South Patrol Division said it’s harder to recruit than it has been in the past and more officers have been leaving KCPD for higher-paying neighboring departments.
The increased investment in KCPD and violence prevention comes after Kansas City set a record of 182 homicides in 2023 according to KCPD data.
“I think that the higher starting salary will help some people apply that were maybe on the fence,” Jackson said. “But, more than anything, I think it is going to help retain some people.”
Over $7 million of the budget will go to the Health Department for violence prevention and intervention solutions. Ryana Parks-Shaw, 5th District City Councilmember, said she was excited to see $1.2 million in funding for pre-arrest diversion included in the budget.
“I’m excited about the investment in violence prevention,” Parks-Shaw said.
She noted the importance of increasing pay for 911 operators and police officers. She said there’s not just been a need for more officers but also 911 operators.
Infrastructure
Parks-Shaw said the city just finished resurfacing its 500th mile of road lanes. The year before, 470 road lanes were resurfaced. That’s in comparison to five years ago when the city resurfaced about 160 road miles each year at a cost of about $20 million. Public Works Director Michael Shaw (married to Parks-Shaw) said they can now resurface about 500 lane miles each year with an increase to $30 million yearly.
Shaw says the Public Works Department is more efficient now in moving trucks and equipment and relies on its asset management system to determine which roads to resurface.
The road resurfacing project continues this year, and sidewalks gain an added focus. The budget for sidewalk reconstruction increased from $5 million to $15 million. Troost Ave. will be an area of focus, and sidewalks will be extended further south on both sides of the street this year.
Trash
Starting in May, people will receive new trash containers that are the same as the recycling containers distributed last year. Bulky trash pickup has expanded, with weekly appointments available on the same day as trash pickups.