Wyandotte County voters will cast votes on Nov. 7 in an election that will decide half of the Unified Government’s Board of Commissioners. This board is the chief governing body for Kansas City, Kansas, and the rest of Wyandotte County, making decisions related to development, the police department and the budget. The candidates elected this […]
Josh Merchant
Josh Merchant is The Beacon's local government reporter in Kansas City. After graduating from Seattle University, Josh earned a master’s degree in investigative journalism from Columbia Journalism School with coursework in data journalism. Josh has contributed reporting to The Seattle Spectator, The South Seattle Emerald and THE CITY in New York. They're a former Beacon intern. At The Beacon, they reported on issues of traffic safety, with a focus on roadway design, as well as tax-incentivized development at a variety of Kansas City agencies. They have lived in Kansas City since 2021.
Posted inDIY Democracy, Elections, Local Government
On the KCMO ballot: Keep a sales tax or cut 30% of bus funding?
For 20 years, people in Kansas City have paid an extra 3/8-cents sales tax on every purchase they made, to subsidize bus service.
On Nov. 7, voters get to decide whether to continue that tax, which hits poorest families the hardest, or whether to effectively cut nearly a third of the bus service that working-class residents rely on most heavily.
Posted inDIY Democracy, Elections, Local Government
These candidates want to represent Armourdale and Riverview in the Unified Government
On Nov. 7, voters across Wyandotte County will decide who will represent them on a city and county level in a Kansas election that will determine half of the county’s Unified Government.
Posted inDIY Democracy, Elections, Local Government
These BPU candidates want to govern the electric and water service in KCK
The Beacon hosted a candidate forum on Sept. 26, where five out of six candidates made their case to voters.
The forum can be watched in its entirety here, and portions have been transcribed below. The candidates’ answers were edited for length and clarity.
Posted inLocal Government
Does Kansas City overuse jails? Commission looks for better solutions
One of the most effective ways to make sure someone shows up at their trial is to send them a text reminder with their court date.
But instead of texting criminal defendants, Kansas City spends millions of dollars every year to hold people in jail while they await trial.
Posted inDIY Democracy, Elections, Local Government
Half of the BPU board is up for election. Here’s how they keep the lights on in KCK
The record-breaking heat wave that broiled the Kansas City area in August posed a pricey and foreboding reminder of the vital need for air conditioning — and the expensive energy bills that follow.
In Kansas City, Kansas, electric and water service come from the local government.
Posted inEnvironment, Local Government
As more Kansas Citians embrace native lawns, local codes try to keep up
Homeowners eager for a lower-maintenance, planet-friendlier lawns are navigating a fine line between going more natural without drawing the wrath of code inspectors or neighbors who see prairie plants as weeds that threaten their home values.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Economics, Housing, Local Government
The zoning dispute that has Prairie Village warring with itself over housing
The tension runs high at Prairie Village City Hall these days.
Earlier this month, amid high-stakes debates over whether to squeeze more housing into the leafy Johnson County suburb, a group fighting against possible zoning changes took particular offense to cutting off public comment.
Posted inDIY Democracy, Elections, Local Government
Four candidates challenge an incumbent in KCK’s District 3
On Aug. 1, voters in Wyandotte County will narrow a crowded field of 15 candidates competing to represent four districts on the Unified Government’s Board of Commissioners, including five candidates in District 3 alone. After the primary election, the top two candidates in each race will move to the Nov. 7 ballot.
Posted inDIY Democracy, Elections, Local Government
A pastor, a retired glazier and a small business owner want to represent Wyandotte County’s District 6
Kansas voters won’t find any federal or statewide races on ballots this year, but more than a dozen candidates in the Wyandotte County election are in competitive primary races to represent voters on a city and county level. For 25 years, the Unified Government has served as the municipal government for Kansas City, Kansas, as […]