ORDINANCE NO. 260065
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Sponsor: Mayor Quinton Lucas
Directing the City Manager to assign costs beyond the twenty-five (25) percent annual budget threshold in Mo. Rev. Stat. 84.730 for previously approved Board of Police Commissioners legal settlements to the City’s Legal Expense Fund rather than the submitted Kansas City Police Department Budget; retaining requisitioning authority with the City Attorney; directing the City Manager to negotiate with the Board of Police Commissioners a process for Council approval of costs related to Board of Police Commissioners established settlement agreements, including settlements with costs structured over future budget cycles.
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WHEREAS, Kansas City is required to provide no more than one-fourth of the general revenue to the Kansas City Police Department, pursuant to Chapter 84.730 of the Missouri Revised Statutes; and
WHEREAS, the Kansas City Police Department is governed by the Board of Police Commissioners appointed by the Governor of Missouri, pursuant to Chapter 84.350 of the Missouri Revised Statutes; and
WHEREAS, while the Board of Police Commissioners has exclusive operational control over the Kansas City Police Department, City Council has the responsibility to appropriate funds and provide fiscal oversight on behalf of Kansas City taxpayers; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has the responsibility to approve the annual budget, including the yearly funding appropriation for the Board of Police Commissioners; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Missouri Revised Statutes Section 84.730, City Council is not required to appropriate amounts exceeding one-fourth of the general revenue fund in any fiscal year to the Board of Police Commissioners; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Police Commissioners periodically makes funding requests above and beyond the required one-fourth funding allocation, including requests for settlements and judgments from litigation involving the department; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Police Commissioners in its 2026-2027 Requested Budget seeks funding beyond the required one-fourth funding allocation mandated by state law; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Police Commissioners in its 2026-2027 Requested Budget seeks funding beyond the required one-fourth funding allocation mandated by state law to address costs from legal settlements previously approved by the Board of Police Commissioners with fiscal impact in future years and budget cycles; and
WHEREAS, City Council has received no information on the nature, size, or scope of structured legal settlements impacting this and future years and budget cycles seeking appropriations in excess of state statutory mandate; and
WHEREAS, the City has established procedures for review of costs arising from legal settlements and has responsibility for properly anticipating and budgeting future costs to the City, including seven- and eight-figure legal settlement costs approved by the Board of Police Commissioners; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to reduce the detrimental effect of structured legal settlement costs impacting the current and future years and budget cycles on policing and public safety in Kansas City; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. The City Manager is directed to assign costs beyond the twenty-five (25) percent annual budget threshold in Mo. Rev. Stat. 84.730 for previously approved Board of Police Commissioners legal settlements to the City’s Legal Expense Fund rather than the submitted Kansas City Police Department Budget.
Section 2. The City Manager is directed to negotiate with the Board of Police Commissioners a process for Council approval of costs related to Board of Police Commissioners approved settlement agreements, including settlements with costs structured over future budget cycles.
Section 3. The City Manager is directed to budget an appropriation consistent with the Board of Police Commissioners FY 2026-2027 request for legal settlements to the Legal Expense Fund, assigning requisitioning authority to the City Attorney, subjecting such payments from the Legal Expense Fund to the Council ordinance process.
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Approved as to form:
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Samuel Miller
Assistant City Attorney