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[COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR] ORDINANCE NO. 250855
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Sponsor: Director of Finance Department
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
Directing the City Manager to establish a one-year childcare pilot program for first responders; increasing the revenue estimate in the General Fund (1000) by $1,500,000.00 due to an initial contribution from the State of Missouri in connection to the Tri-Share Childcare program; reducing appropriations by $1,500,000.00 in the General Fund (1000); appropriating $750,000.00 from the Unappropriated Fund Balance in the Public Safety Sales Tax Fund (2320); appropriating $750,000.00 from the Unappropriated Fund Balance in the Fire Sales Tax Fund (2301); appropriating $3,000,000.00 from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the General Fund (1000) for the purpose of developing a Tri-Share Childcare pilot program with the State of Missouri for first responders; directing the City Manager to establish an internal eligibility verification process and evaluate program effectiveness; designating requisitioning authority; and recognizing the ordinance as having an accelerated effective date.
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WHEREAS, childcare costs can be especially burdensome for those that work nontraditional hours such as first responders; and
WHEREAS, in 2025, the State of Missouri appropriated $3,000,000.00 to support a tri-share childcare model pilot program for first responders in Kansas City; and
WHEREAS, the tri-share model requires costs for childcare to be shared by the State, the City, and first responder employees; and
WHEREAS, tri-share models in other cities are reported to have successfully reduced the costs of childcare for families; and
WHEREAS, Section 4 of Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 250419 directed the City Manager to identify source of funds including department budget savings and salary savings; and
WHEREAS, the Public Safety Sales Tax (2320) has available funds to cover eligible Fire related expenses currently charged to the General Fund (1000); and
WHEREAS, the Fire Capital Sales Tax Fund (2301) has available funds to cover eligible Fire related expenses currently charged to the General Fund (1000); and
WHEREAS, the City may use the General Fund (1000) to pay for the cost initially and then charge participating departments to reimburse the fund balance, and the department will identify sources of funds, potentially to include departmental budgets and salary savings; and
WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to evaluate program success and identify $1,500,000.00 in matching funds before receiving the total state contribution amount; and
WHEREAS, establishing an internal eligibility verification process with input from the Director of Human Resources, Fire Chief, and Board of Police Commissioners will ensure consistent and equitable administration of the program across all eligible first responder departments; and
WHEREAS, the tri-share childcare program is a one-year pilot program, the City’s continued participation in this program shall be subject to availability of future appropriations; and
WHEREAS, the FY 2025-26 First Quarter Budget analysis has determined an appropriation to support this directive will require a drawdown of fund balance in the General Fund; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That the City Manager is hereby directed to establish and administer a one-year Tri-Share Childcare pilot program for eligible first responders in accordance with the terms of the State of Missouri contribution and the provisions of this ordinance with the program ending no later than June 30, 2026.
Section 2. That the revenue estimate in the following account of the General Fund No. 1000, is hereby increased by the following amount:
26-1000-141800-481000 Misc Contributions $1,500,000.00
Section 3. That the appropriation in the following account in the General Fund, Fund No. 1000, is hereby reduced by the following amount:
26-1000-231450-616020 Fleet-Auto Equipment Repair Maintenance $1,500,000.00
Section 4. That the sum of $750,000.00 is hereby appropriated from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the Public Safety Sales Tax Fund, Fund No. 2320, to the following account
26-2320-231450-616020 Fleet-Auto Equipment Repair Maintenance $750,000.00
Section 5. That the sum of $750,000.00 is hereby appropriated from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the Fire Sales Tax Capital Fund, Fund No. 2301, to the following account
26-2301-231450-616020 Fleet-Auto Equipment Repair Maintenance $750,000.00
Section 6. The Fire Chief is hereby granted requisitioning authority for Account No. 2320-231450-616020 and Account No. 2301-231450-616020
Section 7. That the sum of $3,000,000.00 is hereby appropriated from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the General Fund, Fund No. 1000, to the following account:
26-1000-141800-B Tri-share Model Childcare Program $3,000,000.00
Section 8. That the Director of Human Resources is designated as the requisition authority for Account No. 26-1000-141800-B.
Section 9. That the City Manager is hereby directed to establish an internal eligibility verification process, in collaboration with the Director of Human Resources, Fire Chief, and Board of Police Commissioners, to assess and verify participant eligibility requirements for the Childcare pilot program.
Section 10. That the City Manager is directed to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, propose any programmatic revisions to Council and identify an additional amount up to $1,500,000.00, if necessary, in matching funds for the program upon the third quarterly budget update.
Section 11. 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