TKC SUNDAY SPECIAL!!! CITY HALL SIDEWALK FREEBIE REPAIR PROMISE TO KANSAS CITY GO BOND VOTERS FAILS!!!

One of the biggest freebies pledged to Kansas City voters who supported $800-MILLION worth of GO Bond bad debt was that City Hall would amend longstanding policy which charged homeowners for sidewalk repairs.

Here's how that bit of campaign hype played in the often gullible mainstream media after the election . . .

Multi-million dollar bond opens door for city to repair sidewalks at no cost to homeowners

But better than media hype, let's take a look at the legislation . . .

#170298 - Abatement of sidewalk special assessments

Here's the money line that might have offered just a bit of well-deserved financial relief . . .

"Issuance of special assessments for sidewalks suspended . . . No special assessments shall be issued for the cost of the repair or replacement of sidewalks, curbing, drive approach or guttering after April 4, 2017, and continuing for all such repairs or replacements made until the 2017 general obligation bond authorization for sidewalks is exhausted."

Following the City Council session on Thursday that mostly focused on passing big tax breaks for the proposed Downtown Convention Hotel . . . Follow-up on this measure was totally ignored by "journalists" covering City Hall.

But here's the reality . . .

THE CITY HALL SIDEWALK ORDINANCE FAILED AND HOMEOWNERS REMAIN ON THE HOOK FOR EXPENSIVE REPAIRS!!!

Here's how the vote went down . . .

Councilmember Justus (Second by Fowler) Move To Introduce

Committee voted to advance for final consideration. The motion failed.

Seconded by Councilmember Fowler

Ayes: 8 - Wagner, Hall, Fowler, Shields, Justus, Canady, Taylor, McManus
Nays: 3 - Lucas, Reed, Barnes Jr.

Changing the muni-code and ordinances often needs a Super-Majority and this obviously didn't meet that threshold.

Urban core resistance to the effort might have a lot to do with concern about slumlords and big banks owning a great deal of property that they should pay to restore instead of KCMO picking up their tab.

Nevertheless and no matter the excuse . . .

IN THE AFTERMATH OF GO BOND VICTORY, CITY HALL POLITICOS HAVE SO FAR FAILED TO KEEP THEIR PROMISE TO VOTERS!!!

In fairness, this ordinance is going back to the Finance and Governance Committee so that Council can hopefully work out their differences. In the meantime, OUR AWESOME TKC BLOG COMMUNITY is the only media outlet keeping track of 12th & Oak breaking their word. We can only hope the public will keep watching closely given that covenants with City Hall are often and easily ignored and then ultimately broken or unfulfilled.

Developing . . .