Funkhouser Rejects Cauthen Budget

At the Kansas City city council's business session Thursday, the mayor was disappointed with the budget, the council was disappointed with the mayor and solving the city's revenue shortfall was still at a standstill.

Mayor Mark Funkhouser repeatedly referred to the city manager's proposed budget as "unacceptable" because it called for reductions in spending but did not say what or who would be cut. The mayor used words like "gimmicky" and "full of smoke" to protest the lack of specifics...and then put the matter in back in manager Cauthen's lap,saying he was not going to provide the specifics either.

With the budget deadline just two weeks away, most of the council, like Jan Marcason, was upset withthat, and the tone of Funkhouser's message.

Jan: We were really, today looking for your leadership on this budget, and I think I'm most disappointed by the inflammatory language you used - calling the budget "gimmicks" and "smokescreens."

Council members resolved to have a balanced budget by February 26th... with or without input from the mayor.