The mayoral commission looking at how Kansas City should alter its basic operating doctrine hopes to get suggestions from all living ex-mayors, but the Charter Review Commission is having spotty success.
Because the outcome is so important to the basic layout of government function, members decided former mayors have a lot of valuable history to describe. The panel is trying to schedule former Mayor Charles Wheeler; former Mayor Richard Berkley is ill and unable to appear in the next week or two.
Members were amused at email reaction from ex-chief executive Mark Funkhouser.
It read:
“Thanks for the opportunity to comment. Yes, remove the departments from the Charter. Have all council members elected in district. Give the mayor the sole authority to hire and fire the city manager. I’d be happy to discuss these issues further."
Panel members were expecting more elaboration.
Former Mayor Kay Barnes spent the better part of an hour with the review commission on the same three topics to which Funkhouser agreed.
There’s no termination date for the commission to continue probing.