Departmental Strategic Objectives

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The Budget Process Strategic Objectives are identified within each City Goal. These objectives define initiatives and actions that will be taken in order to accomplish the City Goals, as well as standards by which success will be measured. Simply, the Strategic Objectives are the instructions to actually achieving each goal. City Departments develop Strategic Objectives, which are then considered and adopted by the City Council within each City Goal. These Goals and Objectives are reassessed each year, through Citywide Business Planning, to keep the City moving forward.

City Goals, Objectives, & Key Performance Indicators

The Measures of Success are Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) used to track the City’s progress toward ensuring success in each Goal. New targets are set each year for KPIs to maintain high standards that keep the City striving to improve.

City Goal – Finance & Governance

To employ best practices in governance and management with an emphasis on accountability, transparency, engagement, and resiliency, and to be good stewards of Kansas City’s economic resources to maintain financial solvency while executing the functions of government.

Departmental Strategic Objectives and Strategies

Ensure the resiliency of a responsive, representative, engaged, and transparent City government

Deliver an organizational standard of core competencies in Human Resources, Finance, and Law.
Modernize the City’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System.
Secure upcoming tax and fee renewals including Earnings Tax (2026), Public Safety Sales Tax (2026), Municipal Court Building Fee (2026), and Central City Economic Development Sales Tax (2027).
Review and maintain financial policies.
Build and maintain fund balances in accordance with policies for all fund types.
Continue to implement priority-based budgeting to address structural budgetary imbalance.
Deliver a uniform information technology governance framework.
Implement the City’s comprehensive Risk Management program.
Improve transparency of departments’ implementation of recommendations made by the City Auditor.
Modernize the City’s Code of Ordinances.
Ensure the equity and appropriateness of the City’s tax burden.
Improve accessibility and efficiency of records management and records production (Sunshine Law) processes

Engage in workforce planning including employee recruitment, development, retention, and engagement

Empower City employees, increase productivity, and foster professional growth through updated training plans.
Assist employees in career path development to encourage long-term commitment and advancement with the organization.
Prioritize ongoing market pay analyses to ensure competitive compensation and attract top talent.
Implement Strategies for actively collecting and addressing employee feedback to enhance job satisfaction and organizational effectiveness.
Develop partnerships within the community to effectively recruit the City’s workforce.
Modernize the City’s pay structure, compensation package, and performance management tools.
Create management succession plans for all departments and divisions.

Foster a solutions-oriented, welcoming culture for employees and City Partners

Improve communication between staff and customers by adopting plain language guidelines.
Establish clear standards for response times on internal and external customer service requests.
Improve development project timelines.
Develop operations manuals for City programs to ensure longevity and continuity despite changes in staff.

City Goal – Housing & Healthy Communities

To support the development, maintenance, and revitalization of sustainable, stable, and healthy communities through equitable policies and programs aimed at improving housing, neighborhoods, and health care services in all areas throughout the City.

Departmental Strategic Objectives and Strategies

Utilize planning approaches in neighborhoods to reduce blight, ensure sustainable housing, and improve resident wellbeing and cultural diversity
1. Collaborate and empower neighborhoods through City-community partnerships to address issues related to blight, such as vacant lots, dangerous buildings, illegal dumping, abandoned properties, and others.
2. Actively partner with neighborhoods, community groups, and agencies to support programs, events, and initiatives for healthy and engaged communities.
3. Review and evaluate existing housing assistance and development programs for potential improvements and efficiencies.
4. Improve access to necessary basics such as food, transportation, recreation, and health services.
5. Establish standardized guidelines for area implementation committees based on best practices.
6. Develop a digital equity strategy for all residents to have access to the same information, technology, and resources.
Maintain and increase affordable housing supply to meet the demands of a diverse population
1. Support and promote programs such as the Housing Trust Fund and Low-Income Housing Tax credits.
2. Improve education for prospective developers and align developer incentives with affordable housing goals.
3. Explore opportunities to establish a community land trust.
4. Preserve existing affordable rental and owner-occupied housing units citywide.
5. Utilize Brownfield assistance programs to facilitate and support development of new infill affordable housing in established neighborhoods or on repurposed property.
6. Propose and support legislation and other initiatives to provide the City and local neighborhoods with better control over the future of vacant properties.
Address the various needs of the City’s most vulnerable population by working to reduce disparities
1. Enhance the number of people served by safety net providers that receive health levy funds.
2. Deploy community health navigators to connect individuals to primary care.
3. Institute a “no wrong door approach” to safety net opportunities.
4. Invest in harm-reduction strategies for the city’s vulnerable populations.
Foster an inclusive environment and regional approach to spur innovative solutions to housing challenges
1. Coordinate with external partners to address people experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations.
2. Promote the use of the housing locator tool and other technology to connect people to housing opportunities.
3. Improve access to low-barrier shelter opportunities.
4. Increase the level of supportive housing and treatment services to high-risk populations to help them secure and maintain permanent housing.
5. Explore partnerships between local government, lenders, and the business community to create unique financial products for low-income households.
Ensure all residents have safe, accessible, quality housing by reducing barriers.
1. Promote expansion of energy efficient measures as part of housing preservation and new developments.
2. Partner with utility partners to explore ways to reduce financial barriers that allow low-income payers to reduce monthly bills and improve energy efficiency.
3. Create a range of homeownership assistance programs to remove barriers and encourage residents in all income groups to be homeowners.
4. Develop communication and other strategies to increase compliance with property ordinances, with particular attention to community engagement and collaboration.
5. Proactively assess living spaces to ensure residents have environments in which they can thrive.
Protect and promote healthy, active amenities such as parks and trails, play spaces, and green spaces
1. Update and implement the City's climate action plan.
2. Promote mental and physical wellness through outdoor and indoor recreation opportunities.
3. Ensure the development and redevelopment of parks and recreation facilities reflect the wants and needs of the surrounding community.
4. Work with new housing developments to promote and embrace active and healthy living for residents.
5. Integrate health and social benefits of housing policy with natural resource conservation and restoration.
6. Complete a citywide parks, parkways, and open space network.

City Goal – Inclusive Growth and Development

To strategically and intentionally support development in a comprehensive manner that respects varied needs of the neighborhoods, and, grow the economy through inclusion.

Departmental Strategic Objectives and Strategies

Align the City’s economic development strategies with the objectives of the City Council to ensure attention on areas traditionally underserved by economic development and redevelopment efforts
1. Update economic development plan and policy to recognize City Council goals and objectives.
2. Implement a culturally responsive economic development plan tailored to stakeholder needs within each district.
3. Develop a process to engage the stakeholders in the community to inform the City Council on the unique needs of each district and neighborhood.
4. Identify priority areas for revitalization and target public investment to support community and economic development.
5. Harness existing partnerships to build and empower neighborhoods.
Ensure quality, lasting development of new growth
1. Align neighborhood planning standards with the KC Spirit Playbook’s Global Design Guidelines and Development Form and Context Guidelines.
2. Ensure overlay districts are created with City goals in mind.
3. Explore a comprehensive zoning assessment and design standards that ensure new developments are created with the Playbook goals in mind.
4. Work with the development community to assess the feasibility of requiring a recommissioning and repurposing plan with new agreements.
5. Actively manage development agreements and ensure compliance and accountability with City standards
Increase and support local workforce development and minority, women, and locally owned businesses
1. Engage community partners to develop career paths to sustain post-project workforce.
2. Develop a certified list of service providers and an outreach plan to develop an inclusive local workforce and to connect minority, women, and locally owned businesses with these providers.
3. Strengthen collaboration between CREO and City’s departments and statutory agencies to ensure consistent effort to support local workforce and to ensure access to City contracts for minority, women, and locally owned businesses.
4. Establish a holistic policy vision to support entrepreneurs through considerations of capital access, affordable commercial spaces, and employee attraction and retention efforts
Create a solutions-oriented culture to foster a more welcoming business environment
1. Assess the accessibility of city services to foster a more welcoming business environment.
2. Target public investments strategically and ensure services are delivered sustainably and equitably.
3. Convene business networking groups to encourage positive business relationships and have a dynamic business engagement process.
Leverage existing institutional assets to maintain and grow Kansas City's position as an economic hub in the Central United States
1. Develop a long-term expansion and financing plan to further increase convention exhibit space.
2. Develop long-term capital and deferred maintenance funding strategies for Convention Facilities assets to maintain competitiveness within the peer market.
3. Implement strategies and establish partnerships within the City and with other agencies to continue to reduce violent and property crimes around Convention and Entertainment Facilities.
4. Cultivate Kansas City’s position as an economic hub and major destination for conventions, tradeshows, performing arts and leisure to increase the average number of scheduled air arrival/departures per day.

City Goal – Infrastructure & Accessibility

To apply the lens of equity to all transportation and infrastructure projects while proactively and adequately investing in infrastructure that connects people with job and business centers, neighborhoods, and cultural/health/recreational destinations.

Departmental Strategic Objectives

Engage in thoughtful planning and redesign of existing road networks to ensure safety, access, and mobility of users of all ages and abilities.
1. Expand citywide and implement the Vision Zero action plan.
2. Revise and develop new standards to adequately meet all transportation needs.
3. Improve access to the transportation network.
Enhance the City’s connectivity, resiliency, and equity through a safe, efficient, convenient, inclusive, accessible, sustainable and better connected multi-modal transportation system
1. Change sidewalk standards from 4 ft to 10 ft and implement going forward on collectors and arterials infrastructure to accommodate all users.
2. Develop transit strategy and implement transit lanes of transit corridors.
3. Develop and implement a single comprehensive transportation plan that combines the Major Street plan, Bike KC plan, Walkability Plan, Trails KC Plan, and other transit plans.
4. Continue to plan and develop high-capacity transit systems.
5. Identify funding strategies to support transportation systems in continued partnership with KCATA and the KC Streetcar Authority.
Build on existing strengths while developing a comprehensive transportation plan for the future
1. Continue to plan and develop high-capacity transit systems.
2. Provide oversight of impact fee program by CIP Tech.
3. Establish and maintain a single citywide standard of streets with focus on reduced future maintenance.
4. Create an adaptive transportation plan to allow for innovations in transportation.
5. Allocate resources to provide for expansion of infrastructure networks.
Develop environmentally sustainable infrastructure strategies that improve quality of life and foster economic growth.
1. Update the city’s climate protection plan with new goals for greenhouse gas emissions, reduce incorporate new strategies for climate adaptation, mitigation, resilience, and the long-term removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
2. Collaborate with Evergy to support implementation of the Renewable (non-carbon-based power) direct program.
3. Explore partnerships with private enterprise for environmental sustainability.
4. Provide a robust and accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure for municipal and community use.
5. Develop strategy to improve ridership of mass transit.
6. Identify environmentally preferred infrastructure strategies.
Ensure adequate resources are provided for continued maintenance of existing infrastructure
1. Develop and maintain condition asset rating plans for all infrastructure and public buildings.
2. Provide funding to support maintenance of assets at good or better condition.
3. Continued application for funding assistance through grants and partnerships.
4. Adopt and follow five-year plans that fund highest priority needs.
Focus on delivery of safe connections to schools
1. Create and implement a connection master plan to get kids to schools.
2. Ensure adequate and diversified funding sources to complete safe connections to schools

City Goal – Public Safety

To create a safe and healthy environment for Kansas City residents, visitors, and employees by providing comprehensive, high quality public safety and public health services in a timely manner, including identifying strategies to address the root causes of violence and incorporate public input in public safety initiatives through regular community engagement.

Departmental Strategic Objectives and Strategies

Engage the community and community partners to reimagine the system of public safety with a focus on evidence-based approaches for crime prevention, treatment of mental health, emergency response time, and the criminal justice system.
Focus on violence prevention among all age groups, placing an emphasis on youth.
1. Collaborate across departments to implement a communication strategy with an emphasis on youth and young adults.
2. Expand outreach of the community engagement division (CED) of the KCPD.
3. Seek opportunities to collaborate with existing community-led organizations working on youth violence prevention programs.
Increase fairness, justice, and responsiveness of our municipal criminal justice system to support the best possible outcome for offenders and victims of crime
1. Evaluate opportunities to expand community engagement with the municipal criminal justice system to build trust between the court and the community.
2. Partner with community stakeholders to expand access to the courts
Reduce recidivism through prevention, deterrence, including detention, and re-entry services
1. Collaborate with the Housing Department to expand housing options to criminally justice involved individuals.
2. Create and develop a detention, rehabilitation, and community resource center to provide services to reduce recidivism.
3. Enhance reentry services through staffing improvements and community partnerships.
4. Partner with community health organizations to provide health services to incarcerated people.
Enhance employee recruitment, succession planning, and retention in the police and fire departments with a continued emphasis on diversity.
1. Expand robust wellness programs to decrease burnout among employees.
2. Expand internships/apprenticeship programs for teens and young adults.
3. Expand mentorship program to support career advancement for underrepresented groups.
4. Enhance technology to increase accessibility and expedite the KCPD application and hiring process.
5. Evaluate employee satisfaction to increase understanding of employee experiences.
6. Continue to increase community outreach and visibility at a diverse set of community events and educational institutions.

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Departmental Strategic Objectives

City Goals, Objectives, & Key Performance Indicators

Departmental Strategic Objectives and Strategies

Departmental Strategic Objectives and Strategies

Departmental Strategic Objectives and Strategies

Departmental Strategic Objectives

Departmental Strategic Objectives and Strategies