By Steve Bell
Kansas City, MO – The full Kansas City Council will discuss its own budget proposal at its business session Thursday afternoon. The plan advanced from committee Wednesday morning, despite an overflow crowd at the public hearing with dozens of citizens pleading for reductions in the plan's funding cuts.
Councilwoman Jan Marcason, who with colleague Deb Hermann authored the council's compromise plan, said the arguments they heard have already been considered. "We heard from folks today (Wednesday) - very, very worthwhile programs. But we really had to carve out what is the specific role that only the city can play and align that with the priorities that our council and the manager and the mayor adopted last August," Marcason said.
The latest plan doesn't completely cut off funds for the Kansas City Zoo, but would privatize the jail, cut more than a half-million dollars from youth programs and take away health levy support for a new women's and children's clinic.