Council Committee Advances Budget Plan

Kansas City, MO – The Kansas City Council's Finance and Audit Committee has advanced the council's version of the city budget and recommended that the full council pass it next Tursday. But the debate isn't over yet. KCUR's Steve Bell reports.

The budget the committee advanced avoids a property tax increase and keeps the Marlborough Community Center open. But some of its cutbacks continue to be controversial. When public comment began, most who spoke pleaded for continuation of youth advocacy and employment programs and the Aim4Peace program to discourage violence.

The Reverend Wallace Hartsfield said prevention is better than detention: "The mentality of many is to lock 'em up. It looks like we would learn by not that to lock 'em up is five to six times the cost to prevent."

Mayor Funkhouser objected to the cuts to police and fire budgets. There is one more chance for amendments. The council must pass a balanced budget by a Thursday, March 26.