KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City business group has come out against a proposed state constitutional amendment that would require the city to spend a larger percentage of its general revenue on the police department.
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday issued a statement saying the proposal, which will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot as Amendment 4, creates a dangerous exception to state constitutional prohibitions on unfunded mandates for cities.
The amendment would require the city to spend 25% of general revenue on police, up from the current 20% requirement.
“It has been our longstanding policy position that local budget decisions should be decided by local elected officials," the statement said.
Kansas City has one of the only police departments in the nation overseen by a state board instead of local officials.
State lawmakers passed a law this year to require the budget increase but feared it would violate the constitution's unfunded mandate provision. The proposed amendment is meant to resolve any potential conflict.
State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Republican who represents counties in Kansas City's suburbs, said he sponsored the legislation to stand with law enforcement during a time of “radical attempts across the country by city councils to defund the police.”