ORDINANCE NO. 250862
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Sponsor: Director of Finance Department
Waiving the limitations established by the Fund Balance and Reserve Policy in Section 2-1954 of the Code of Ordinances; appropriating $5,000,000.00 from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the Convention and Tourism Fund (2360) for the purpose of fulfilling the City’s funding agreement with KC2026 related to hosting the World Cup; and recognizing this ordinance as having an accelerated effective date.
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WHEREAS, through Ordinance No. 170979, Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 171005, and Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 230580, the City Council declared its commitment to fund the services the City must provide in connection with the 2026 FIFA World Cup competition to be held in Kansas City in the months of June and July of 2026; and
WHEREAS, through Ordinance No. 240286, the City was authorized to enter into a Novation agreement with FIFA whereby the City ceased to be a party of the Host City Agreement, KC2026 became a new party to the Host City Agreement, and the City entered into a Guarantee of Obligations agreement with FIFA whereby the City guaranteed the obligations of KC2026 as the new Host City Authority under the Host City Agreement; and
WHEREAS, Section 6 of Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 230580 directed the City Manager to include amounts sufficient to meet the City’s financial obligations toward the 2026 World Cup in the City Manager’s proposed budget for FY 2025-2026; and
WHEREAS, Section 1 of Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 240286 authorized the City Manager to execute a funding agreement with KC2026 in the total amount of $15 million over a three-year period, for the purpose of providing the necessary City services including police, fire, traffic, EMS and sanitation services, and all other contractual obligations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup games that will be played in Kansas City, as well as all related events and activities; and
WHEREAS, Section 2 of Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 240286 stated that the third-year compensation in the amount of $5,000,000.00 is subject to the appropriation of funds by the City Council; and
WHEREAS, the City Council acknowledges that such an appropriation will further reduce the fund balance of the Convention and Tourism Fund (2360) below the minimum fund balance reserve of sixteen percent (16%) established in Section 2-1954(f)(4)(B)(iv) of the City Code of Ordinances; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that this expenditure for the purpose of fulfilling the funding agreement with KC2026 is in the best interest of the City; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That the City Council hereby waives Section 2-1954(f)(4)(B)(iv), Code of Ordinances entitled “Fund balance and reserve policy” to authorize the appropriation of funds bringing the reserve of the Convention and Tourism Fund below recommended levels.
Section 2. That the sum of $5,000,000.00 is hereby appropriated from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the Convention and Tourism Fund, Fund No. 2360, to the following account:
26-2360-632050-B World Cup Soccer $5,000,000.00
Section 3. That this ordinance relating to the appropriation of money and the expenses of government is recognized as an ordinance with an accelerated effective date as provided by Section 503(a)(3)(B) and Section 503(a)(3)(C) of the City Charter and shall take effect in accordance with Section 503, City Charter.
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I hereby certify that there is a balance, otherwise unencumbered, to the credit of the appropriation to which the foregoing expenditure is to be charged, and a cash balance, otherwise unencumbered, in the treasury, to the credit of the fund from which payment is to be made, each sufficient to meet the obligation hereby incurred.
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William Choi
Interim Director of Finance
Approved as to form:
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Samuel Miller
Assistant City Attorney