KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas said Thursday in his annual State of the City Address that the city will spend more on public safety in the coming year.
Lucas told a crowded city council chamber, which included council members, city staff, firefighters, police officers, and residents, that he would propose a 7% increase in the KCMO Police Department's budget.
"We're working on making the city safer," Lucas said in a news release before today's address. "One number communicates that point very effectively as over 73% of our budget for this fiscal year is dedicated to public safety alone. We're increasing the budget for the Kansas City Police Department by over 7% to $343 million and the Kansas City Fire Department as well and will continue to recruit and retain quality officers and firefighters with competitive wages and benefits. We all agree no one should have to wait in the case of an emergency, that's why we're investing in having more 911 call takers dispatchers and raising their salaries by thousands of dollars so that our finest and bravest are on the scene and saving lives as quickly as possible."
In addition, Lucas proposed a 4% salary increase for city employees.
Lucas told the crowd the city is in the best fiscal condition in its history. The proposed budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year is $2.5 billion.
He praised the work of residents, the city council, and the city staff.
Lucas also wants to spend nearly $3 million on the homeless problem.
"Kansas City is dedicated to ensuring that our residents are secure in their homes, to easing access to affordable housing, and to preventing homelessness," Lucas said in the news release. "We’re committed to addressing homelessness, investing $1.8 million in ZeroKC and expanding access to emergency shelters with an additional $1 million to ensure support is available year-round, not just during extreme weather conditions. We are adding five new positions to improve our response, including an encampment coordinator, a housing rehabilitation specialist, and street outreach staff."
Lucas praised the efforts of the current city council and the work of city staff on difficult problems like public safety, housing and smart fiscal management.
"Our new 18th & Vine Tenant Recruitment Plan aims to attract businesses to the historic jazz district, my former home, where the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum has transformational expansions underway," Lucas said.
He also pointed out the city received a $5 million grant for development improvements along U.S. 71 Highway and is working on a longtime effort to revitalize the city's Westside community.
Melesa Johnson won the election as Jackson County Prosecutor and Lucas called her an inspiring leader who is giving cases involving domestic violence and drug distribution the attention they deserve.
Carlos Gomez is president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City. He said his members often bring up public safety issues and have become victims of burglaries.
“We need a safe place to live,” Gomez said. “You’ve seen many restaurants are having a hard time with break-ins and crime. We definitely support the law enforcement.”
Gomez added he appreciated the tone of Lucas’ speech. The mayor used very inclusive words and praised the diversity of the city.
“A lot of communities aren’t at ease right now,” Gomez pointed to concerns in the Hispanic community over national immigration conversations. “I really appreciate he addressed that today in a very confident and sincere way.”
Lucas ended his speech with an appeal for a united city.
"We’ve got work to do," he said. "There is chaos in the land. But, I know Kansas City, all of us cry out to build a better city, not just on the football field, not just around events, but based on fair investments everywhere in our city, based on economic promise and dignity for every Kansas Citian and based on all that makes our community exceptional—our differences; our hard work; our talent; our fiscal responsibility; and our dreams that we all working together will get to the promised land."
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