Kansas City’s Board of Police Commissioners on Thursday carried out one of its highest-profile responsibilities when members announced they had chosen police Maj. Stacey Graves as the new chief of police. The hiring of Graves, the first woman to lead the department on a non-interim basis, concluded a process that began when former Chief Rick […]
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, Housing, Local Government
Landlord ignoring your complaint? Here’s how to get your apartment fixed.
As temperatures dip in the winter months, safe homes become all the more critical. Broken furnaces, moldy ceilings and crossed wires all endanger residents who are spending more time indoors. For tenants, problems in their units can be a source of anxiety, especially if their landlord is reluctant to fix them. To protect tenants, Kansas […]
Posted inHousing, Local Government
Behind the tax incentives ordinance stuck in Kansas City Council limbo
Backers of Ordinance 220701 say it will bring consistency to the way Kansas City government and affiliated agencies can grant a tax break to developers. But it has been on a rocky road. In the four months since the proposed legislation was filed in Kansas City Council’s Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee, it has been […]
Posted inElections, Local Government
Data map: How did your neighbors vote in Kansas City, Missouri?
After a long and contentious midterm election, the election boards representing Kansas City voters have released their official election results for 2022. The results among Kansas City precincts offer a detailed look at the political landscape within the city, with clear political divisions visible on election maps within and across county lines. With another election […]
Posted inLocal Government
The Unified Government is run by an 11-member board. Here’s what they do.
Among the counties in the Kansas City metropolitan area, Wyandotte County is unique for its Unified Government, which merges the city of Kansas City, Kansas, with the county government. Nearly half of the elected representatives of the county government will be up for reelection next November, including four commissioners representing districts in the southeastern portion […]
Posted inElections, Local Government
Missouri votes to increase KC’s police budget despite local voters’ wishes
The Kansas City Police Department will see a budget increase in spite of Kansas City voters’ wishes, following a statewide vote on Constitutional Amendment 4 on Nov. 8. Within the Kansas City Election Board’s jurisdiction — the part of Kansas City located in Jackson County — 61% of voters opposed the amendment, with all precincts […]
Posted inElections, Local Government
This year’s election will introduce four new Clay County positions
After voters in Clay County approved a new county constitution in 2020, this year’s election will look a little different to voters. On Nov. 8, they will select at-large county commissioners for the first time in the county’s history, as well as an additional Clay County commissioner from each of two districts. Before the constitutional […]
Posted inElections, Housing, Local Government
This ballot question would fund ‘deeply affordable housing’ in KC
Housing activists like Maya Neal have had their differences with city hall. But an afternoon in late October found Neal knocking on doors in south Kansas City in support of a ballot question sponsored by Mayor Quinton Lucas and the City Council. “I’m going around talking to neighbors about Question 2 on November’s ballot. It’s […]
Posted inElections, Local Government
Inside Clay County’s proposed $1.7 million tax cut
Commercial property owners in Clay County may soon see a tax cut if voters decide to roll back the property surtax by 10% on Nov. 8. This represents roughly $1.7 million total in tax revenue and it would make Clay County the first county in Missouri to reduce the surtax since 1985. This proposal has […]
Posted inElections, Local Government
Here’s why all eyes are on the Jackson County executive race on Nov. 8
Over the past seven years, Jackson County has seen three different county executives. After then-County Executive Mike Sanders resigned at the end of 2015 — and went to prison in 2018 for corruption — Fred Arbanas served for one week as interim executive until Frank White Jr. was appointed to the role in January 2016. Now, […]