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.
Kansas City, Missouri
English, French
Local government
Data journalism
Incumbents will appear on the ballot in half of the City Council races up for election in the April 4 primary. That includes the 6th District at large, where Andrea Bough faces two contenders.
Early voting in that race and others began this week, and Kansas City residents can report to polling locations in Jackson, Clay and Platte counties to select candidates in seven council races that have more than two candidates on the ballot.
In this crowded race, five candidates are competing in the April 4 primary, with the top two vote-getters proceeding to the general election on June 20.
Multiple candidates are competing for seven contested seats in the April 4 primary. The top two candidates for every district will proceed to a general election on June 20.
Although the minimum funding level is enshrined in the state Constitution, the mathematics behind calculating that number is more complicated.
Update: After more than an hour of testimony on Feb. 22, much of it from midtown residents, the board of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority voted to deny a developer’s request for tax subsidies to construct an apartment building at Main Street and Armour Boulevard. This long-controversial project had originally been rejected for city […]
At the end of its last meeting of 2022, the Board of Commissioners of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas voted in favor of a rule change that, while seemingly innocuous, has rocked the county government. The change, which was approved 9 to 1, requires that all items passed by the […]
From the Power and Light District and midtown Costco to the planned KC Current stadium in the rapidly developing Berkley Riverfront, economic development and tax incentive decisions leave an indelible mark on Kansas City. These decisions help bring jobs, housing and sparkly new arenas, but they can also have consequences for taxing jurisdictions like Kansas […]
In a city like Kansas City, car ownership is rarely a choice. For decades, the city has been planned around driving. Walkable neighborhoods are scarce, sidewalks are crumbling or nonexistent in some areas of the city, and access to public transportation can be spotty. But owning a car is not cheap — or easy. From […]
The opening date for Kansas City’s new airport terminal is Feb. 28, and the public will get the chance to see the city’s costliest infrastructure project at an open house on Feb. 18. Serious conversation about a new terminal began a little less than a decade ago, and the road to the terminal’s opening has […]
Do you wonder whether your local government is prioritizing the things that are important to you, like policing, affordable housing, walkability or public health? Official budget documents offer a peek into what elected officials are prioritizing. The budget outlines how much money the city or county plans to spend in every department, and it’s reported […]
