Josh Merchant
Josh Merchant is The Kansas City Beacon's local government reporter. After graduating from Seattle University, Josh attended Columbia Journalism School, earning a master’s degree in investigative journalism. Originally from Colorado, Josh has contributed reporting to The Seattle Spectator, The South Seattle Emerald and THE CITY in New York. They're a former Beacon intern.
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The proliferation of traditional grass lawns have brought problems like flooding, river contamination and pests. But the local ordinances and the rules of homeowners’ associations across the Kansas City area practically insist on Euro-style turf. -
The issue of Prairie Village rezoning has left the quiet Kansas City suburb more divided than ever. Now, a group wants to kick out half of the City Council.
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About 300,000 complaints have been filed with the Kansas City 311 hotline since March 2021 — spanning issues like trash, street maintenance and property violations. The KC Media Collective analyzed the problems, where they are and how long they take to be fixed.
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A main criticism of Kansas City's various tax incentive programs is that developers are able to shop around agencies for a deal. That appeared to be the case when a Waldo housing development applied for tax incentives from the Port Authority after being rejected for incentives by the Ride KC Development Corp.
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This is the second time in five years that property owners in Jackson County have seen dramatic leaps in the county’s assessment of their home’s value. One big reason is that more out-of-state investors are purchasing Kansas City homes to flip them or rent them out — shrinking the supply and increasing prices.
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RideKC dissolves its controversial tax incentive-approving nonprofit arm, moves development in-houseKansas City's transit agency put an end to RideKCDC, the development nonprofit it used to give tax incentives to some controversial projects. Now, the transit agency will directly oversee transit-oriented development, which it says will make the process "better, stronger, faster."
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Traditional grass lawns are much less effective at absorbing and filtering stormwater than native plants and trees. The Contain the Rain program aims to increase the number of rain gardens across 16 Johnson County cities.
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Kansas City began distributing new recycling carts earlier this month. But apartment buildings with seven or more units will not receive one, leaving these tenants with two options: take their recyclables to one of the city's drop-off locations, or to ask their landlord to contract with a third-party recycling company.
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In past years, Kansas City has had five months to review the city charter. This year, the commission only has five weeks, and it's considering major changes to the democratic process — including raising the bar for ballot initiatives and canceling general elections if one candidate wins a high enough portion of the primary vote.
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A lack of affordable housing is sending hundreds of pets to the city’s animal shelter every year, according to KC Pet Project. And advocates say it’s getting worse.
