Kansas City Kansas Mayor and Unified Government CEO Joe Reardon took the Google Fiber theme to an unexpected place as his annual State of Unified Government became audience-interactive.
The outgoing Mayor led his seemingly surprised listeners into cloud-based “Textizen.”
The two Kansas Cities have joined under the Code for America program just underway and the texting survey is part of that program.
To Reardon, the cooperation of cities joined and divided by the state line is invaluable--“you know, I think we’ve bucked the conventional wisdom about what Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas can achieve. That’s a legacy as we move forward.”
Reardon had promised his audience that his 8th and final annual address would be what he called “some fun.”
He made repeated references to Google’s choice of Kansas City, Kansas as its launch for ultra high-speed internet. More than 100 people at banquet tables hauled out cell phones at the Mayor's bidding and joined in the "Textizen-style" texting survey of local history and current needs.
Reardon’s vision of renewed neighborhoods is a blend of old and new, avoiding cookie-cutter appearances of suburbia.
And he termed crime, lowest in 30 years.
Reardon commended the communities of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville for setting aside rivalries and agreeing to revenue sharing of casino income.
The mayor’s last day in office is April 24th. He did not reveal his personal plan for future years, saying, “that will come later."
His annual address was delivered at the Kansas City, Kansas Convention Center named for his late father and former Mayor Jack Reardon.
