KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council voted unanimously Thursday to extend the suspension of City Manager Brian Platt.
Platt was suspended on Thursday, March 6, which was one day after a jury awarded Chris Hernandez, former KCMO city communications director, nearly $1 million in a civil suit against the city.
KSHB 41 News reporter Charlie Keegan spent Thursday afternoon at City Hall. He reports the council had no public discussion about firing Platt. The suspension is indefinite, giving the city council more time to decide Platt's future.
“We expect this is something that will have a final resolution in days as opposed to weeks or months and we look forward to making sure we have that for you soon," Mayor Quinton Lucas said.
The spokesperson for Lucas, Megan Strickland, told KSHB 41 News in a statement that "Mr. Platt's status, and the status of City leadership, remains the same as indicated in the Mayor's March 6, 2025, letter."
"The City Council has voted to continue the process started two weeks ago by ratifying Mayor Quinton Lucas' temporary suspension of City Manager Brian Platt," Strickland said in the statement.
As part of its actions Thursday, the council ratified naming Kimiko Gilmore as interim city manager with a salary of $16,701.01/month. The action was unanimous.
RELATED | Former KCMO city communications director awarded nearly $1 million in lawsuit against the city
The lawsuit alleged Platt suggested in January 2022 that the city lie to the media, which Hernandez did not agree with.
“Why not? In Jersey (where Platt worked before coming to KCMO), we had a mayor who would just make up numbers on the fly from the podium, and no reporters ever called him on it,” Platt reportedly replied to Hernandez, per the suit.
Platt’s paid suspension was initiated after Mayor Quinton Lucas sent him a memo. The document confirmed the KCMO City Council would take action at its next scheduled meeting on Thursday, March 20.
During his suspension, Kimiko Gilmore was appointed the interim city manager.
Platt was hired in 2020.
After reports in 2024 that he was considering leaving for Austin, Texas, an ordinance was passed to negotiate a new contract.
RELATED | City Manager Brian Platt’s future remains unclear despite Kansas City Council ordinance
Platt then agreed to an amendment that would have kept him in Kansas City through Aug. 1, 2027.
—
