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Kansas City, Missouri

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Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City Seal.gif
General information
Quinton Lucas.png
Mayor:Quinton Lucas
Mayor party:Nonpartisan
Last mayoral election:2023
Next mayoral election:2027
Last city council election:2023
Next city council election:2027
City council seats:13
City website
Composition data
Population:467,007
Gender:Female 51.5%
Race:White 54.9%
African American 29.9%
Asian 2.5%
Two or More Races 3.2%
Ethnicity:Hispanic or Latino 10.0%
Median household income:$45,150
High school graduation rate:87.1%
College graduation rate:30.9%
Related Kansas City offices
Missouri Congressional Delegation
Missouri State Legislature
Missouri state executive offices

Kansas City is a Missouri city spanning portions of Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass counties. As of 2013, its population was 467,007.[1]

City government

See also: Council-manager government

The city of Kansas City utilizes a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[2]

City manager

The city manager is the city's chief executive. The responsibilities of the city manager include overseeing the city's day-to-day operations, planning and implementing the city's operating budget, and appointing departmental directors and other senior-level positions.[3]

Mayor

The mayor presides over city council meetings and official city ceremonies. The mayor also represents the city on the state, national and international levels. Quinton Lucas is the current mayor of Kansas City.[2]

City council

The Kansas City City Council is the city's primary legislative body. It is responsible for adopting the city budget, approving mayoral appointees, levying taxes, and making or amending city laws, policies and ordinances.[2]

Membership

See also: List of current city council officials of the top 100 cities in the United States

The Kansas City City Council is made up of thirteen members, including the mayor. Six are elected by the city's six districts, while the other six members and the mayor are elected at large.[2]

A current list of council members can be found here.

Council Committees

The Kansas City City Council features eight standing committees that focus on individual policy and legislative issues. Generally, the drafting of city legislation begins with the committees.[4]

A current list of Kansas City City Council committees can be found here.

Boards and commissions

A series of advisory boards and commissions that are made up of non-elected citizens, whom city council members have appointed and approved, advises the Kansas City City Council. The roles of these boards and commissions are to review, debate, and comment upon city policies and legislation and to make recommendations to the city council.[5]

For a full list of Kansas City boards and commissions, see here.


Mayoral partisanship

Kansas City has a Democratic mayor. As of January 2026, 67 mayors in the largest 100 cities by population are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 22 are affiliated with the Republican Party, one is affiliated with the Libertarian Party, three are independents, five identify as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and two mayors' affiliations are unknown. Click here for a list of the 100 largest cities' mayors and their partisan affiliations.

Mayoral elections are officially nonpartisan in most of the nation's largest cities. However, many officeholders are affiliated with political parties. Ballotpedia uses one or more of the following sources to identify each officeholder's partisan affiliation: (1) direct communication from the officeholder, (2) current or previous candidacy for partisan office, or (3) identification of partisan affiliation by multiple media outlets.

Elections

2020

See also: June 2, 2020 ballot measures in Missouri

City voters decided one local ballot measure on June 2, 2020. Click here to learn more about the city ballot question.

2019

See also: City elections in Kansas City, Missouri (2019) and November 5, 2019 ballot measures in Missouri
The city of Kansas City, Missouri, held general elections for mayor and city council on June 18, 2019. The primary was on April 2, 2019. The deadline for candidates to file to run in this election was January 8, 2019. Click here for more information about the mayoral election.


City voters also decided five local ballot measures on November 5, 2019. Click here to learn more about the city ballot questions.

2017

While no regular municipal elections were scheduled in 2017, there were multiple special ballot measure elections.

See: Jackson County, Missouri ballot measures and Local measures in Kansas City, Missouri

2015

See also: Kansas City, Missouri municipal elections, 2015

The city of Kansas City, Missouri, held nonpartisan elections for mayor and city council on June 23, 2015. A primary election took place on April 7, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was January 13, 2015. All 12 city council seats were up for election.[6][7]

Budget

The citywide business plan is the primary driving force behind the budgeting process. The city budget division works with city departments and public input to develop the annual budget. Kansas City's fiscal year runs from May 1 to April 30.[8]

2017-2018

Kansas City's adopted operating budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year was $1.59 billion. The budget increased by 3.9 percent from the previous fiscal year.[9]

Highlights from the budget included:

“
  • Expenditures: Governmental Activities expenditures increase $27.8 million (2.8 percent) in the FY 2017-18 Submitted Budget. Public Safety expenditures increase $19.0 million. All other functions combined grow by about half that total - $8.8 million. The General Fund grows 1.2 percent, with most increases dedicated to public safety. Public safety now consumes 76 percent of General Fund operating expenditures.
  • Finance and Governance: Finance and Governance includes several administrative departments in the City. Finance and Governance funding decreases overall by 2.2 percent in the Submitted Budget, mostly in decreased positions.
    • General Services decreases six total positions in Administration, Procurement, and Facilities Maintenance.
    • Human Relations decreases one position each in contract compliance and civil rights enforcement.
    • Law decreases one net position. The Submitted Budget eliminates the Community Prosecutor program assigned to the East Patrol Division. It increases Neighborhood Legal Services by 1.5 positions
  • Neighborhoods and Healthy Communities: The Submitted Budget for Neighborhoods and Healthy Communities shows a nominal decrease that will stabilize when the Public Improvements Advisory Committee (PIAC) allocates its Neighborhood Conservation projects.
  • Public Safety: Public Safety expenditures increase $19.0 million (4.6 percent) in the FY 2017-18 Submitted Budget. Public Safety accounts for 76 percent of the General Fund operating budget, and 42 percent of the total government Activities budget.[10]
 ”

2016-2017

Kansas City's adopted operating budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year was $1.53 billion.[11]

Click here to see the sources of government revenue in the 100 largest cities in America by population in fiscal year 2017.

2015-2016

Kansas City's adopted operating budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year was $1.47 billion.[12]

2014-2015

Kansas City's adopted operating budget for fiscal year 2015 was $1.4 billion.[13]

Contact information

Office of the Mayor
29th Floor City Hall
414 E. 12th St.
Kansas City, MO 64106
Phone: (816) 513-3500

City Council
414 E. 12th St.
Kansas City, MO 64106
Phone: (816) 513-1313

To contact individual council members, see here.

Ballot measures

See also: Jackson County, Missouri ballot measures

The city of Kansas City is in Jackson County. A list of ballot measures in Jackson County is available here.

Lobbying

In 2013, Kansas City's federal lobbying-related expenses amounted to approximately $160,000.[14] The issues for which the city filed in 2013, as well as the number of reports, can be seen in the box below. The issues column lists the generic issues that lobbyists working for local governments are required by law to disclose on quarterly federal disclosure forms.[15][16] The reports column gives the number of reports lobbyists filed in regards to each generic issue. To learn more about the details of the specific issues for which Kansas City filed reports, read the federal disclosure forms by clicking the "Issues" links in the box below.

Federal Lobbying Issues, 2013
Reports Issues
4 Government Issues

Issues in the city

Demonstrations, protests, and curfews following the death of George Floyd

See also: Events following the death of George Floyd and responses in select cities from May 29-31, 2020

During the weekend of May 29-31, 2020, demonstrations and protests took place in cities nationwide, including Kansas City, following the death of George Floyd. Events in Kansas City, Missouri began on Friday, May 29, 2020, at the J.C. Nichols Foundation before moving to the Country Club Plaza.[17] On May 30, Gov. Mike Parsons (R) declared a state of emergency, which allowed the Missouri National Guard to join local police.[18] Members were deployed to the city following a request made by Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith.[19] On May 31, Mayor Quinton Lucas (D) issued a curfew.[20]

Nondiscrimination laws

See also: Employment nondiscrimination laws in Missouri

In July 2015, the Movement Advancement Project described Kansas City, Missouri, as a city or county that prohibited discrimination in employment on the basis of gender identity via ordinances that apply to public and private employers. At that time, a total of 71 of America's largest 100 cities prohibited private employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, while 69 of those cities also prohibited discrimination based on gender identity. This did not include those jurisdictions that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity for government employees.[21]

Nondiscrimination laws can cover a variety of areas, including public employment, private employment, housing, and public accommodations. Such laws may be enacted at the state, county, or city level.

City website evaluation

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Budget
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Meetings
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Elected Officials
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Administrative Officials
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Permits, zoning
{{{1}}}
Audits
{{{1}}}
Contracts PPartial.png
Lobbying N
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Public Records PPartial.png
Local Taxes
{{{1}}}
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Transparency grading process
Main article: Evaluation of Missouri city websites

Last rated on Jan. 30, 2012

The good

  • Budgets are posted.[22]
  • City Council meeting schedules, agendas, and minutes are posted on the city clerk's website.[23]
  • City Councilors and the Mayor are listed with contact information.
  • Information on building permits[24] and zoning/development[25] posted.
  • City contracts are posted,[26] as well as information and documents on how to bid on city contracts.[27]
  • Contact information is provided for individual departments.[28]
  • Audits are posted.[22]
  • Information on taxes is posted.[22]

The bad

  • There is no information on whether or not the city lobbies or is a member of lobbying organizations.
  • There is an online form for public records request, but no information on what information is available, citizens' rights under the law, or other useful information.
  • Full contracts are not posted.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "State and County Quick Facts," accessed October 22, 2014
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 City of Kansas City, "City Officials," accessed October 22, 2014
  3. ↑ City of Kansas City, "City Manager's Office," accessed October 22, 2014
  4. ↑ City of Kansas City, "Committees," accessed October 22, 2014
  5. ↑ City of Kansas City, "Boards," accessed October 22, 2014
  6. ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "2015 Missouri Election Calendar," accessed September 19, 2014
  7. ↑ Kansas City Board of Elections, "Home," accessed January 23, 2015
  8. ↑ City of Kansas City, "Budget Division," accessed June 25, 2017
  9. ↑ City of Kansas City, "Department of Finances," accessed June 25, 2017
  10. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  11. ↑ City of Kansas City, "FY 2016-17 Adopted Budget," accessed June 25, 2017
  12. ↑ City of Kansas City, "City Manager, Mayor submit FY2015-16 Budget to Council," February 12, 2015
  13. ↑ City of Kansas City, "Department of Finances," accessed October 22, 2014
  14. ↑ Open Secrets, "City of Kansas City, MO," accessed October 22, 2014
  15. ↑ U.S. House of Representatives: Office of the Clerk, "Lobbying Disclosure Act Guidance," accessed November 11, 2014
  16. ↑ Open Secrets, "Methodology," accessed November 11, 2014
  17. ↑ KSHB, "KC's 'passionate' protest of George Floyd's killing moves to Plaza," May 30, 2020
  18. ↑ Fox 4, "Missouri Highway Patrol and National Guard arrives in Kansas City to aid police during protests," May 30, 2020
  19. ↑ KCTV News 5, "Protests turn violent in Kansas City as demonstrators throw rocks, water bottles," June 2, 2020
  20. ↑ KY3, "Curfew issued for some parts of Kansas City after protests turn violent Saturday," May 31, 2020
  21. ↑ Movement Advancement Project, "Local Employment Non-Discrimination Ordinances," accessed July 7, 2015
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 City of Kansas City, "Finance Documents," accessed October 22, 2014
  23. ↑ City of Kansas City, "City Clerk," accessed October 22, 2014
  24. ↑ City of Kansas City, "Building Permits," accessed October 22, 2014
  25. ↑ City of Kansas City, "City Development," accessed October 22, 2014
  26. ↑ City of Kansas City, "Contracts," accessed October 22, 2014
  27. ↑ City of Kansas City, "Bidding," accessed October 22, 2014
  28. ↑ City of Kansas City, "Departments," accessed October 22, 2014
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