Lynn Horsley
ContributorLynn Horsley is a freelance writer in Kansas City. Follow her on Twitter @LynnHorsley.
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Amendment 4, which will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot, asks Missouri voters to require Kansas City to increase funding for police. -
After weeks of fierce debate, the Kansas City Council approved new boundaries for its six council districts. But the redistricting vote was especially controversial for the Northland, with council members and civic leaders north of the Missouri River vehemently opposed to the change.
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Bob Kipp was one of the most consequential city managers in Kansas City history. He was praised for his humble approach as a government official and, later, corporate executive.
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Kansas City Council members failed to reach a consensus Thursday on whether to jumpstart the process to replace Police Chief Rick Smith, who will retire next year but whose current leadership continues to be fraught with controversy.
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Police commissioners were mum Wednesday after a video surfaced in which Smith could be heard saying the "bad guy's dead" following the fatal shooting of Cameron Lamb, a Black man killed by KCPD Detective Erik DeValkenaere, who was convicted last month of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.
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An advisory commission recommends a horizontal split that would divide the Northland into two council districts based on socioeconomic status. The split is designed to give voters in less affluent neighborhoods more political access and representation.
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Some working-class residents say a horizontal boundary between Northland Council districts — a radical change — would give them greater voice and political clout. Northland civic leaders argue it would be divisive and negative, and would actually reduce funding for low-income neighborhoods.
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The Kansas City Council established a trust fund in 2018 to support affordable housing, but it never had any actual money to spend. Some housing advocates say the fund still doesn't fully address the needs of low-income renters.
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First-time candidate Tyrone Garner defeated one-term incumbent David Alvey to win election as mayor of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas.
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Mayor David Alvey seeks a second term and says he has guided the Unified Government responsibly during the pandemic. Challenger Tyrone Garner says the community demands tax relief, help for neglected neighborhoods and more engaged leadership.
