KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.
—
Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas delivered the 2026 State of the City Address Wednesday.
He began his remarks shortly after noon from the KCMO City Council Chambers at City Hall.
The mayor touched on several topics facing city leaders, and he looked forward to the city’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2026 this summer.
Watch his full speech in the video player below.
“We are never going broke,” Lucas promised while addressing a hiring freeze and budget shortfall.
Balancing the budget was one of the first things he spoke about. Lucas said every city department should expect cuts in 2026, except the police and fire departments.
Lucas proposed a 5% budget increase for the police department, slightly lower than the 7.5% jump the police chief asked for.
“We’ll make sure they hire an additional 50 officers on top of our numbers today, and we’ll hire 20 new call takers and dispatchers," Lucas said.
Expect to see more affordable housing in the future. Lucas wants to increase housing supply all over the city.
The mayor also expects to strike a deal with the Royals this year to bring the team to a new downtown stadium.
I never heard him mention the Chiefs by name, but he wasn't happy with how they moved to Kansas.
“Historically, large incentives in adjacent communities to develop in empty fields is not the type of regional cooperation we look for long term,” Lucas said.
Finally, Lucas promised the city will repave 300 lane miles of road this year.
—
