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Kansas City Council set the money aside to encourage small businesses, artists, and makers to move into the city's highly visible, but vacant, storefronts before the 2026 World Cup. “When visitors from all over the world visit next year, we need to be open for business,” one member said.

The Kansas City Council has found its next city manager. Get to know Mario Vasquez, the first Latino to permanently hold one of most powerful positions in the city. Plus: Stay up to date with the latest political headlines from around the region.

Kansas City Council voted last week to make Mario Vasquez, a longtime city employee, as the new city manager. Vasquez joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss his new role and his vision for Kansas City.

Mario Vasquez is the first Latino person to permanently hold the role. The city manager is one of the most powerful positions in Kansas City, and Vasquez will have to balance large projects with regaining the public’s trust.

Kansas City officials will soon decide who will become the next city manager. That person will handle everything from the annual budget to road resurfacing and will be responsible for repairing the community’s trust in the city after Brian Platt was fired.

Kimiko Gilmore has filled in as Kansas City's acting city manager since Brian Platt was fired last month. She's now a finalist for the permanent job, and says the city needs to be "building confidence with the community."

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to approve a $474 million bond for Kansas City Public Schools. On KCUR's Up To Date, Mayor Quinton Lucas reinforced his support for the bond, discussed the recent firing of City Manager Brian Platt and more.

Platt's firing came three weeks after the city lost a whistleblower lawsuit accusing Platt of retaliation, which cost the city nearly $1 million. Kansas City Council member Melissa Robinson said it was necessary to "restore public trust."

Brian Platt joined six other former city managers who have been ousted by KansasCity Council. In fact, city managers are nearly as likely to be fired — or pressured to resign — as they are to leave on their own terms.

Kansas City Council voted unanimously to fire city manager Brian Platt, who was suspended three weeks ago after the city lost a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit. Platt is being represented by a law firm that specializes in employment discrimination.

Platt was suspended two weeks ago after the city lost a lawsuit claiming he had encouraged employees to lie to the media. He is the highest-paid employee in the city.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced on Thursday night that City Manager Brian Platt has been suspended from his position. This comes after a whistleblower lawsuit alleged Platt told the city communications department to lie to the media.