2026 Budget Feedback Survey

Help Shape Kansas City’s Budget – Your Input Needed! 

Kansas City is committed to ensuring that our budget reflects the needs and priorities of our residents. That’s why we are introducing a structured online feedback process to gather input on the city’s budget in a way that is clear, accessible, and aligned with best practices from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). 

📌 How You Can Participate: 

✅ We’ve created a brief online survey that asks for your input on key spending priorities. Instead of an open-ended comment form, this approach allows us to quantify responses, identify trends, and ensure that feedback is meaningful in the budget process. 

✅ Your responses will help guide budget discussions and be presented in a public summary report to ensure transparency in how decisions are made. 

Highlights of the Proposed 2025-26 Budget Include:

Housing and Healthy Communities

This goal totals $314.5 million, representing an increase of $13.2 million

• Adds $1.4 million for illegal dumping enforcement
• Adds $1.0 million for emergency rental assistance and $1.0 million to expand emergency shelter beyond extreme weather
• Adds $1.8 million for ZeroKC to include five new positions to support efforts for the City’s initiative to end homelessness, with $750,000 of dedicated funding for homeless encampment clean up
• Adds $2.0 million for World Cup Legacy Projects
• Includes $12.5 million for year three of four, for a total investment of $50.0 million to the Housing Trust Fund

Public Safety

Represents largest expense in Governmental Activities budget, totaling $688.3 million

• Public Safety accounts for 72.7% of General Fund and 41.6% of Governmental Activities Budget, and increases $71.9 million
• Prioritizes increase in wages and benefits to ensure KCPD can recruit and retain quality public safety officers, and ensures competitive compensation for fire and emergency services personnel
• Adds $1.0 million to support security needs in entertainment districts
• Supports efficient court operations despite decline in citation volumes

Infrastructure & Accessibility

This goal totals $341.4 million, representing an increase of $17.5 million

• Adds $3.0 million for Vision Zero, creating a safer Kansas City for all
• Adds $2.6 million for operation and maintenance of the Streetcar-Main Street extension
• Adds $4.0 million for LED streetlight conversion
• Supports regional transportation with $69.9 million for KCATA, including $40.6 million from dedicated sales tax for transit operations
• Continued support for enhanced snow removal operations, and sidewalk improvements

Inclusive Growth & Development

This goal totals $161.4 million, representing a decrease of $4.0 million

• Adds $500,000 for a contract management division and additional advocacy services
• Adds $2.5 million for maintenance and event support for City convention facilities
• Adds $2.4 million for VisitKC tourism efforts
• Reorganized City Planning and Development to promote efficiency while continuing development activities at a productive pace

Finance & Governance

This goal totals $149.0 million, representing an increase of $26.2 million

• Adds $10.2 million for year one of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software implementation (estimated $20.0 million total)
• Adds $10.8 million of new facility improvement and City Hall repairs
• Adds $1.1 million for replacement of fleet and EV charging stations
• Adds 16 positions at $1.4 million for the Investigations Division in Human Resources
• Adds $413,000 for new software for case management and legal research

To see the full budget in its entirety, follow the link below.

FY2025-2026 Submitted Budget Linked Here!