KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Unlike the music that plays inside, conversations outside the American Jazz Museum are hitting some sour notes.
On Wednesday morning, the city's Finance & Governance Committee unanimously approved two resolutions that could change the makeup of the museum's board and impact additional funding.
Their passage led to a scathing letter from Councilman Jermaine Reed, questioning the motives behind the resolutions.
"I'm concerned that we're not acting in good faith," Reed reiterated to 41 Action News.
One of the resolutionsauthorizes the city manager to provide an interim executive director for the museum from city staff. It also cuts off any additional funding unless council approves it.
The second resolution concerns the AJM Board. Currently, the mayor appoints two city representatives to the body. One of those people must be a 3rd District council member, but the new measure would eliminate that requirement.
"If you're talking about money, we want to know about it. If you're talking about who you want to put on a board, we want to take the handcuffs off the mayor," Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wagner explained.
Wagner added the legislation stems from a crescendo in concerns that Councilman Reed speaks for the whole council on the museum's board.
"To be quite honest, many times when we start doing the detective work to find out why are the decisions being made, why are these promises being made, we do come back to Councilman Reed," Wagner said.
Reed chalks that statement and the resolutions themselves up to politics.
"I believe that what Council member Wagner is stating is a misrepresentation of the entire situation, and unfortunately the political gamesmanship that continue to be played in this situation are not in the best interest of the city," Reed responded.
Fellow 3rd District Councilman Quinton Lucas is one of the co-sponsors of both resolutions and a member of the AJM Board. He argued the measures are not political; but instead aimed at securing the best possible outcome for the museum.
"I actually do live the closest to the museum. I care a lot about its future. I care a lot about what's happening there every day. But at the same time, if I'm not the best person to be in that position right now, then we should look for whoever is," he said.
Politics aside, Councilman Reed also expressed concerns the resolution about the board could even come under legal scrutiny.
"I believe this is a huge overreach of our authority as a city council to direct a nonprofit organization," Reed said.
Since the city provides 60 percent of the museum's funding, Councilman Lucas argues there is no legal issue. He likened the situation to a big university donor providing input as to where his or her money goes.
"This is not the sort of thing where we're telling the board everything it has to do. There will still be an independent board. Hopefully a refreshed independent board, and I think we'll get to that soon," he said.
Council is expected to vote on the two resolutions on Thursday.
An earlier version of this article said one of the resolutions would direct the City Manager to hire an interim executive director for the museum. It would actually authorize the manager to appoint one from city staff. We regret the error.
