Josh Merchant, Estrella Gonzalez, Savnanah Hawley Bates and Mike Sherry pose for a photo during the Beacon's budget event
From left: Josh Merchant, Estrella Gonzalez, Savannah Hawley-Bates and Mike Sherry at the KCMO Budget Breakdown event at the Mid-Continent Public Library in Kansas City on June 3, 2026. (Stephanie Campbell/The Beacon)

On June 3, The Beacon gathered community members at the Mid-Continent Public Library’s Blue Ridge Branch in south Kansas City for a conversation about one of the most important civic documents shaping life in our region: the Kansas City budget.

Budgets can be overwhelming. They’re often hundreds of pages long, packed with technical language and difficult to navigate. But behind every line item is a decision about public priorities, from housing and transportation to public safety, parks and neighborhood services.

Earlier this year, our Documenters covered the city’s budget hearings to hear what residents considered top funding priorities. We followed up with the recent event at the library, where Savannah Hawley-Bates of KCUR joined our local government reporter, Josh Merchant. 

Our goal wasn’t simply to explain the budget process.

Attendees got a taste of the real world by participating in our mock budget exercise, where they allocated $1,000 across various city functions. The categories and areas they include were:

  • Finance and governance (city manager, clerk, city auditor, mayor and City Council)
  • Inclusive growth and development (planning, civil rights and equal opportunity, economic development and tourism)
  • Public safety (police, fire, municipal court, justice and community intervention)
  • Housing and healthy communities (neighborhood services, parks and recreation and health)
  • Infrastructure and accessibility (public works, water and transportation)
An event attendee looks at their "Interactive Workshop: Build Your Budget" worksheet, where they created their ideal budget.
Attendees created their own city budgets during the event’s interactive workshop. (Stephanie Campbell/The Beacon)

The exercise, and the presentation by Josh and Savannah, prompted interesting conversations on topics such as spending decisions, funding sources and how residents can have a voice in future budget decisions. The discussion reflected something we hear often in our reporting: people want more transparency and more opportunities to participate in local government.

The event was also an opportunity for our newsroom to listen. Resident perspectives help us identify information gaps and better understand what issues matter most to the communities we serve.

Events like this are part of The Beacon’s mission to make local journalism more accessible and useful. Reporting doesn’t begin and end with a published story. It grows through conversations with readers, community members and experts who help us understand the challenges facing our region.

As budget discussions continue, we’ll keep reporting on the impacts these important decisions have on community members and opportunities for continued public input.

Estrella Gonzalez is The Beacon’s community engagement manager who works with the news organization’s community engagement representatives and directs its Community Journalism Lab. She directs The...