KBIA Local
(2008-09-16)
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The seven mayors came in from cities across the state, including St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Joseph. They're working together to develop a more cooperative relationship on a few legislative issues at the capital. Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser isn't originally from Missouri and he saw the need to be more proactive in state issues affecting cities.
Looking at it from outside, that there was way too much competition between St. Louis and Kansas City and there were lots of areas where we had had shared interests where we could work on.
The group will focus on three main issues. First is municipal control over municipal matters. This one is particularly important to Funkhouser. He talks about an incident when he was Kansas City auditor. The city began charging utility companies additional fees for damage to streets. But, the city's decision was overturned once the telecommunication industry appealed to Jefferson City.
Another group focus is working together to strengthen state support for transit and transportation. The third issue is workforce development from early childhood education to prisoner reentry programs. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay says the group isn't about criticizing, but about coordinating their efforts.
We're not trying to blame anybody or saying they're not being sensitive to our issues. We think we can do a better job communicating to them what our common needs and goals and objectives and hopefully be more effective in getting more results from Jeff City.
Slay says the group talked about adding other mayors and county executives and that it's not a closed group. As for a name?...Funkhouser says they don't know what to call themselves yet.
We'll call it local leaders talking with each other right now. The lobbyists will come up with something cute I'm sure.
The group plans on getting back together in a month.
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