KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council passed a proposal 10-2 Thursday to create a “Kansas City Administrative Tribunal.”
The proposal was presented by Mayor Quinton Lucas and Councilwoman Andrea Bough, who represents the city’s sixth district.
The tribunal will address parking tickets and other non-moving city ordinance violations.
At the time of the proposal, Lucas said his goal is to keep people who can’t afford tickets from having warrants issued for their arrest.
Incarceration will not be allowed for such offenses with the establishment of the tribunal.
“An unpaid parking ticket or non-moving violation should never result in incarceration, and I am proud that today we continue our work toward a more just legal system for our community,” Mayor Lucas said , adding that “Real reform means creating an alternative means of accountability for violations that previously resulted in incarceration.”
The mayor said previously, punitive measure “disproportionately” harmed poor Kansas Citians.
Bough said she saw the discrepancies, too.
“As a lawyer, I am fully aware of inequities in the judicial process for those not able to have legal representation to avoid incarceration and a criminal record for minor offenses and violations,” Bough said. “This initiative is geared to provide an alternate administrative system that does not impose criminal consequences for minor violations.”
The proposal calls for fines to be collected through legal means.
41 Action News previously reported that if passed, the ordinance would take effect Oct. 15.
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