http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-901869.mp3
Kansas City, Mo. – Kansas City, Missouri will create a city department in charge of overseeing city construction projects after all.
The ordinance to create a city Capital Improvements Management Department failed last week on a tie vote with 12 council members present. Councilman John Sharp brought it up for reconsideration yesterday with the tie-breaking vote present.
Supporters, including the mayor and city manager said it will speed up backlogged city construction projects.
Opponents called it unnecessary bureaucracy and questioned creating a department on a 7 to 6 vote. Mayor Funkhouser responded that most important decisions come on 7-6 votes, adding, "I got hired here 18 years ago on a 7-6 vote, and quipped, "There are a whole lot of people wish that vote had gone the other way, Councilmember Johnson, I'm quite sure."
Russ Johnson's retort? "Thank you for helping me make my case on maybe the fallacy of a 7-6 vote."
The ordinance got the seven votes. The new department is to be in place after the first of the year.