The day after Quinton Lucas defeated his fellow Kansas City Council member, Jolie Justus, in the city's mayoral election, Lucas said he had a roadmap for what he would consider a successful tenure. His three criteria are based on his major campaign issues of crime, infrastructure and housing.
Number one on his priorities list, he said, is creating a safer city.
“I want to see us get below 100 homicides for like two years in a row, not just one,” Lucas said. “I want to see us out of the top 10 most dangerous cities list.”
His second priority, housing, involves developing single-family housing development plans and policy. This includes the rehabilitation of older communities such as southern Clay County, Ruskin Heights and the east side of Kansas City.
When it came to infrastructure, Lucas hesitated to make promises about potholes specifically. But he said he wants the city to develop stronger plans to address infrastructure concerns and keep residents in the loop.
“Not just reacting to a tough winter, but instead saying, ‘This is our resurfacing plan,’ so voters can say you’re not just getting surprised by it,” Lucas said. “We’re actually showing what we’re doing ahead (of time).”
Lucas also said he was interested in Justus’ continued involvement in addressing issues in Kansas City, especially concerning transportation and mobility.
Quinton Lucas spoke with KCUR on a recent episode of Up to Date. Listen to the full conversation here.
Christina Elias is an intern at KCUR 89.3. You can reach her at christinae@kcur.org or on Twitter @eliaschristina4.
