Help the city set its budget

Photo courtesy City of Kansas City website.

Photo courtesy City of Kansas City website.

City residents have a chance to help the city set big-picture budget priorities for the next five years.

For the first time, City Council members and the City’s budget staff says they are inviting residents to provide input on a new five-year business plan. The input will also help shape the next annual budget.

The opportunity for input comes at citizen work sessions planned for Oct. 1 and Oct. 11. At each, citizens will hear a presentation on budget information and data from citizen satisfaction surveys about resident priorities. Then they’ll move to breakout groups for discussion. Participants are asked to commit to the entire two hour work session.

“It just makes sense to create a long-term business plan that can then help guide the annual City budget,” Councilwoman Jan Marcason said, “We are seeking resident input on high level prioritizing, not line item debates.”

The input gathered will be used to finalize the five-year Citywide Business Plan, which must be adopted by Nov. 1.

Details:

Two identical citizen work sessions are scheduled:

  • Wednesday, Oct. 1, 6-8 p.m., Park Hill School District Administration Building, 7703 N.W. Barry Rd., Room 230
  • Saturday Oct. 11, 9-11 a.m., Southeast Community Center, 4201 E.63 St.
  • Reservations are required to reserve a seat (54 seats available) at a citizen work session table. Please respond to susan.borge@kcmo.org or 816-513-6517 by Sept. 29.
  • Additional space will be available for those who wish to attend as observers.
  • To read the Citywide Business Plan which was submitted for council debate, visit the kcmo.gov home page.
  • Residents also may provide input at www.kcmomentum.com, the city’s virtual town hall website, starting October 1.

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