Kansas City’s latest public budget hearing wasn’t just a formal affair; it was a demonstration of community solidarity. Held in the packed chambers of City Hall, the event underscored the city’s pressing fiscal challenges.
Yet, the room was packed with members from two organizations: Decarcerate KC’s supporters of the R.E.A.C.H program and Sunrise KC’s advocates for better public transportation
More than merely a discussion about numbers; it was a collective push for transformative priorities in public safety and transit. Amid the current pivotal moment for the city, the hearing turned into a powerful plea for investment in community-led solutions and sustainable services.
Background:
On Saturday, March 2, Kansas City’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) held a second public budget hearing. The hearing took place in the Council Chambers of City Hall on the 26th Floor located on 414 E 12th St. Members of the City Council provided a presentation of the budget and community members provided testimony in response.
The 2024-2025 budget was submitted Feb 8. Following its submission, the City Council held two public budget hearings including this past Saturday and will hold another public hearing today. The budget, once adopted, will govern the 2024-2025 fiscal year which runs from May 2024 through April 2025. Based on the budget overview, the anticipated expenses total $2.27 billion, exceeding the expected revenue of $2.16 billion.
The hearing was led by 6th District-at-Large councilmember Andrea Bough who sat among other councilmembers including Mayor Quinton Lucas, Melissa Patterson Hazley (3rd District), Crispin Rae (4th District), Jonathan Duncan (6th District), Darrell Curls (5th District), and Ryana Parks-Shaw (Mayor Pro Team, 5th District).
KCPD to receive massive raise, despite being ranked among the top 5 worst departments in the United States
Of the $2.27 billion submitted budget expenditures, over $500 million of general funds is allocated to public safety which includes roughly $278.6 million designated to one of the worst police departments across the nation.
If adopted, KCPD will also receive an additional $32 million in special funds “to ensure KCPD can recruit and retain quality public safety officers”, bringing their total expense cost to over $317 million.
Despite KCPD’s steadily declining satisfactory rating, its budget is slated to rise by over 10%, surpassing the affordable housing increase rate by more than threefold.
Local Organizations Show Up in Large Numbers
Following the budget presentation, attendees were invited to offer testimony. Each individual was granted two-minutes for public comment. Nearly 50 attendees made their way to the podium to voice their visions for district funding, climate health, public transportation and alternatives to policing.
Several attendees spoke on behalf of Sunrise Movement Kansas City advocating for an additional $42 million dollars to fund their Better Buses for KC campaign while questioning the raise awarded to KCPD.
“I recall [being told] Kansas Citians need to make tough decisions,” one member of Sunrise Movement KC testified, “I have to ask, why are those tough decisions never given to KCPD. Why does they always get raises by the millions? But also,” he continues,
“why are those tough decisions never held by you all? It aways has to be poorest people holding on to that.”
One member of Sunrise Movement KC shared a personal story. After eight years of being a bus rider, their route was cut.
“I found myself choosing between if I wanted to keep my job or if I wanted to keep my house. I ended up having to move.”
Sunrise Movement KC even provided City Council member Mayor Quinton Lucas with a petition of over one thousand signatures demanding an investment in a more reliable public transit system that includes Zero Fare forever.
Recently, KCATA has been under City Council’s scrutiny regarding their budget spending. In a 2022 lawsuit, Michael Graham, one of the agency’s former finance officials, claimed that Chief Operating Officer Jameson Auten and former President and Chief Executive Officer Robbie Makinen were frivolously spending KCATA’s reserved funds, reducing them from $30 million to $6 million.
Many members of the Sunrise Movement KC spoke to this matter and urged the City Council to take action and audit the agency.
This council claims to not trust KCATA and has not been specific about why. If you’re so concerned about the KCATA, you have the power to audit them and hold them accountable. Stop pointing the finger and not talking accountability for yourself.
Sunrise MovementKC / City County Public Budget Hearing
One other local organization made themselves heard as well. DecarcerateKC showed up in large numbers to the public hearing. Just before the hearing commenced inside, DecarcerateKC held a pre-hearing rally on the steps of City Hall.
Moments after the rally, DecarcerateKC leader Kero spoke with the Defender about their pre-arrest diversion program R.E.A.C.H.
“We need people who know the people. We need people who know the fine line between someone who is violent and someone who is unbalanced and the police cannot provide that.”
6th District Councilmember Johnathan Duncan also spoke at the rally, voicing his support of the R.E.A.C.H program.
“We have failed to fund systems of care and have instead funded systems of punishment.” Duncan explained, “We have overburdened our courts, our jails, and first responders, forcing them to address issues they are not equipped to address.”
Duncan also spoke about the challengers imposed by the court system for individuals struggling with care.
“For many of our most vulnerable residents, we trap them in a viscous cycle that is both costly and inhumane.”
Inside the hearing, Kero provided public testimony and spoke to police inadequacies with responding to mental health crises.
Readers may recall that the Columbia (MO) Police Department was investigated for killing Marquis Rivera while he was having a mental health crisis last August. The incident sparked a recurring conversation about cops responding to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.
“R.E.A.C.H program will take pressure off of KCPD because they don’t know what the f*ck they’re doing.”
Laveli testified.
Other members of DecarcerateKC urged the City Council not to only fund R.E.A.C.H but recognize it as a public health concern and not categorize it under the department of correction. One member even challenged councilmembers to change their thinking around the matter.
“All we do is perpetually punish people. We need to re-evaluate what safety is. Safety isn’t mass incarceration.”
Post-Hearing Briefing
The hearing concluded just around noon. Having listened to nearly 50 testimonies, members of the City Council took the remaining time to respond to the attendees. Many councilmembers applauded the attendees’ passionate testimonies and thanked them for showing up in large numbers. One councilmember, Ryana Parks-Shaw, challenged attendees and other Kansas Citians to get involved earlier in the budget process to better ensure their concerns are taken into consideration before the budget is submitted.
After the hearing, Parks-Shaw spoke with The Defender to explain the process further.
“This budget process actually starts in June or July when we establish the citywide business plan,” she stated, “In most years we don’t have many people show up for those meetings. We tend to hear people once the budget comes out.”
Outside of City Hall, Leaders of Sunrise Movement KC and DecarcerateKC countered her remark stating that local organizations have been speaking up about their concerns for some time.
“They’re been ignoring e-mails. We’ve been trying to talk with them for months,” Alexandria Paul of Sunrise Movement KC “They’ve known about this the whole time. They’ve been pushing it off to other council and now we’re at a breaking point.”
Nonetheless, the local organizations left feeling heard and determined to continue their mission.
If they’re saying we’re not there enough, then we’re going to be there all the time and they’re going to get tired of us.
