ORDINANCE NO. 240688
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Sponsor: Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw
Directing the City Manager to establish a civic program (“Vote Your Voice KC”) and partner with community centers and to promote voter registration and promote voter participation; reducing the Contingent Appropriation in the General Fund by $1,000.00 and appropriating $1,000.00 from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the General Fund; and recognizing this ordinance as having an accelerated effective date.
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WHEREAS, the participation of citizens in the democratic process is essential for a healthy and vibrant democracy, and increasing voter registration is critical to ensuring equitable representation; and
WHEREAS, per Section 2-1104 of the City code, employees may be granted eight hours of election worker leave to volunteer at any general, primary, general municipal, or special election; and
WHEREAS, Kansas City community centers serve as trusted and accessible hubs for community engagement, education, and outreach, making them ideal partners in fostering civic participation and voter registration efforts; and
WHEREAS, the Greater Kansas City National Pan-Hellenic Council consisting of the local chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. (“The Divine Nine”), and Mattie Rhodes Center have expressed interest in volunteering to help the City achieve the goals of this initiative; and
WHEREAS, collaborative initiatives between these organizations can leverage their unique strengths, resources, and networks to create voter registration pods that effectively reach and empower individuals, particularly those in historically marginalized communities; and
WHEREAS, by working together to establish a voter registration partnership, we can enhance community awareness about the importance of voting, provide essential resources, and facilitate a more inclusive electoral process that reflects the diverse voices of Kansas City residents; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. Directing the City Manager to establish a civic program (“Vote Your Voice KC”) to be administered and implemented using Kansas City community centers to promote voter registration and encourage voter participation.
Section 2. Within 14 days, the City Manager shall also evaluate possibilities for public-facing City facilities to promote voter registration and encourage voter participation including, but not limited to:
a. Opportunities to provide relevant information in the course of activities or services that involve engagement with the public;
b. Opportunities to provide access to voter registration applications in the course of activities or services that involve engagement with the public; and
c. Opportunities to promote and expand access to multilingual voter registration and election information.
Section. 3. That the City Manager may work with civic minded organizations to volunteer with the implementation of this program.
Section 4. Reducing the following appropriation in the General Fund by the following amount:
25-1000-179990-B Contingent Appropriation $1,000.00
Section 5. That the sum of $1,000.00 is hereby appropriated from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the General Fund to the following account:
25-1000-103200-B Vote Your Voice KC $1,000.00
Section 6. That the City Manager is hereby designated as requisitioning authority for Account No. 25-1000-103200-B.
Section 7. That this Ordinance is recognized as an ordinance with an accelerated effective date as provided by Section 503(a)(3)(C) of the City Charter in that it appropriates money, and shall take effect in accordance with that section.
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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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Tammy L. Queen
Director of Finance
Approved as to form:
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Lana K. Torczon
Senior Associate City Attorney