KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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Platte County is expected to serve as a major gateway during the 2026 World Cup, with KCI Airport located there. However, some residents are raising concerns about whether public safety agencies will have adequate resources after county commissioners approved the 2026 budget.
The concerns stem from recent budget debates where agencies like the sheriff's department didn't receive the full amount they requested from the county budget.
"My dad was in law enforcement for 25 years, so I know what it means to struggle to keep officers, keep their pay up," said Kat Henry, a longtime county resident.
Henry says the county is growing rapidly, and keeping up with that growth is already challenging.
"We have a short sighted budget plan up here, and short sighted view of what it actually takes to be safe and maintain our growth at the same," Henry said.
Her concerns come after county commissioners approved the 2026 budget last month — a decision that created tension between county leaders, the prosecutor's office, and the sheriff's department.
Commissioners say no department was cut, but the agencies just didn't receive everything they requested.
"I would probably ask the presiding commissioner to go back and review those plans," Henry said.
Henry says the timing is what worries her most — with the World Cup approaching and Platte County expected to be the metro's main gateway.
"We have the airport, we have hotels, we have a major highway artery. The inflow of people is going to be tremendous, and it seemed really short sighted for us to be cutting a $600,000 hole in our budget, and you know, not paying our deputies a livable wage," Henry said.
County officials say otherwise.
In a statement, Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker said the county relies on the sheriff's expertise and recommendations. Fricker says while the sheriff's office requested more than they received, it did not request additional funding specifically for the World Cup.
Fricker says the commission assumes the sheriff has what he needs to keep Platte County safe during that time.
Erik Holland with the sheriff's department said in a separate statement that he and the commission did discuss World Cup matters at a commission budget meeting in October of last year.
Henry says long-term planning matters — especially when it comes to retaining deputies.
"If they can't afford to live here, then they're going to go someplace else, and then we're going to be struggling with turnover, and that's when we're going to see, you know, the rubber meet the road, so to speak," Henry said.
A group that oversees plans for the World Cup in Platte County said a meeting is scheduled soon that will focus on public safety during the event.
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