RESOLUTION NO. 260441
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Sponsor: Councilmember Melissa Robinson
RESOLUTION - Directing the City Manager to increase indigent care funding in the amount of $140,000.00 for Swope Health Services as part of first quarter FY2026-27 budget analysis, and later quarters if necessary, subject to availability of funds in the Health Levy Fund.
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WHEREAS, Swope Health Services (“Swope”) receives indigent care funding from the City’s Health Levy through an annual contract; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 080357 appropriated $2.1 million bond proceeds for improvements at the Swope Ridge Geriatric Center and the City has historically used the Health Levy Fund to make debt service payments on this debt and the FY2026-2027 adopted budget included a debt service payment totaling $153,000.00 from the Health Levy Fund related to this bond issuance; and
WHEREAS, in Committee Substitutes for Ordinance Nos. 240455 and 250669, the City awarded Swope $9,000,000.00 from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the Health Levy Fund as a contribution toward development of the Swope Health Village project at 5900 Swope; and
WHEREAS, Swope Health Village is a planned 12-acre property consisting of 200 units of senior affordable housing and 75 units of mental health housing, supported by comprehensive mental health services; and
WHEREAS, the City FY2026-2027 budget amendment process included a $1,000,000.00 proportional reallocation of Health Levy dollars from Kansas City Assessment & Triage Center (KCATC) to safety net providers to add to their FY26-27 indigent care contracts; and
WHEREAS, Swope Health was excluded from the proportional reallocation partly due to its receipt of $9,000,000.00 from the Health Levy Fund; and
WHEREAS, the $9,000,000.00 towards development of Swope Health Village was independent of any health levy funds towards indigent care and should not have precluded Swope from receiving its proportional share of the $1,000,000.00; and
WHEREAS, Swope Health serves over 57,000 patients per year, providing comprehensive healthcare services to a diverse community; and
WHEREAS, Swope Health Central provides these other important services in the community:
• Adolescent Care: Approximately 5,000 adolescents receive care at Swope Health Central each year, highlighting their commitment to addressing the health needs of younger populations.
• Preventive Services: The center provides thousands of preventive services annually, including vaccinations, health screenings, and wellness visits, which are essential for early detection and management of health issues.
• Behavioral Health Services: Swope Health Central offers mental health services to around 3,000 patients, including adolescents, focusing on counseling, therapy, and psychiatric care.
• Dental Care: The center provides dental services to nearly 10,000 patients each year, ensuring that oral health is part of their comprehensive care approach.
• Community Outreach: Swope Health engages in various outreach initiatives, serving thousands of community members through health fairs, educational workshops, and partnerships with local organizations; and
WHEREAS, the Health Levy Fund had an ending balance of $1,087,840.00 in FY 2019-2020; an ending balance of $18,435,489.00 in FY 2023-2024 and has an estimated ending balance of $1,232,049.00 in the Adopted FY 2026-2027 budget; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That the City Manager is hereby directed to increase indigent care funding for Swope Health Services in the amount of $140,000.00 to provide parity with indigent care provider FY2026-2027 budget amendments, as part of first quarter FY2026-27 budget analysis subject to availability of funds in the Health Levy Fund.
Section 2. That if Health Levy funds are not available in the first quarter FY2026-2027 budget analysis, the City Manager is directed to perform the same analysis in subsequent quarters until $140,000.00 of funds becomes available.
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