Kansas City Residents Voice Concerns Over Proposed 2026-2027 Budget

Public meetings held to gather feedback on city's spending plan ahead of council approval.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Kansas City residents attended public meetings this month to provide input on the city's proposed 2026-2027 fiscal year budget. Mayor Quinton Lucas and City Manager Mario Vasquez presented the budget plan to the council, and three public forums were scheduled to allow residents to learn more about the proposal and share their thoughts with city leaders. Residents raised concerns about funding for homeless services, code enforcement, and violence prevention programs.

Why it matters

Gathering public feedback is a crucial part of the budget process, allowing residents to advocate for their priorities and ensure the city's spending plan reflects the needs of the community. The input from these meetings will help shape the final budget document that is presented to the city council for approval.

The details

At the first public meeting held at Ruskin High School, residents expressed a range of concerns. John and Ingrid Burnett called for more funding to support the unhoused and less fortunate, while Beth Boerger advocated for increased code enforcement to address problem properties. Denetra Pouncil voiced concerns about a proposed cut to the Violence Prevention Fund, which has supported valuable community programs in her neighborhood.

  • The first public meeting was held on Monday, February 24, 2026.
  • Two additional public meetings are scheduled for March 2 and March 7, 2026.
  • The final budget document will be presented to the City Council for adoption on Thursday, March 26, 2026.

The players

Quinton Lucas

The mayor of Kansas City, Missouri.

Mario Vasquez

The city manager of Kansas City, Missouri.

John Burnett

A resident of the Columbus Park neighborhood in Kansas City.

Ingrid Burnett

The wife of John Burnett, a resident of the Columbus Park neighborhood in Kansas City.

Beth Boerger

A resident of the Ruskin Heights neighborhood in Kansas City.

Denetra Pouncil

A resident of south Kansas City.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I really would like to see the vision of how we deliver to the unhoused and the less fortunate in our community. I think that's key in seeing how those services get delivered.”

— John Burnett, Resident, Columbus Park neighborhood (KCTV5)

“What I want to see on the budget is a sense of how the budget is going to support a bigger vision for our community as a whole and how the budget items are going to be fitted into advancing that vision. And an opportunity for us to get our arms around how we deliver services to the people who are out on the streets.”

— Ingrid Burnett, Resident, Columbus Park neighborhood (KCTV5)

“I have been a proponent for more codes people and more codes enforcement. So we can keep the deadbeat landlords in line and keep their properties up so they don't ruin our neighborhoods.”

— Beth Boerger, Resident, Ruskin Heights neighborhood (KCTV5)

“I'm here because I am concerned about the proposed cut to the Violence Prevention Fund. Our neighborhood has been lucky and fortunate enough to get grant funding from the Strong Program, and I would like to see that continue. It's such a valuable program to our neighbors. It helps bring our community together. It helps our neighbors get to know each other. It just helps so much within our neighborhood that stopping that makes it difficult for us to continue those types of programs it has allowed us to do.”

— Denetra Pouncil, Resident, south Kansas City (KCTV5)

What’s next

The final budget document will be presented to the City Council for adoption on Thursday, March 26, 2026.

The takeaway

The public meetings held by Kansas City officials demonstrate the importance of gathering community input on the city's budget priorities. Residents raised concerns about funding for key services and programs, underscoring the need for the budget to reflect the diverse needs and perspectives of the community.