UG Issues 2023 State of the Government Report

Published on December 05, 2023

For the second consecutive year, the Unified Government has issued an annual report in concert with the Mayor's State of the Government address. This report provides an overview of the Wyandotte County in 2023 as well as the work underway at the Unified Government.

Explore the report

Here are just a few highlights from this year's report:

• A new community care center is in the works to address the needs of our unhoused community members with a 2024 budget allocation of $3M to help find a location. (Page 5)
• Public safety has improved substantially across our community in 2023. Overall violent crime is down 25% and homicides are down 38% year-to-date. In addition, the KCKPD has taken over 8.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl off the streets. (Page 7)
• The KCMO-KCK levees project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reached several milestones in 2023. The UG worked with state and federal agencies to upgrade KCK's Community Rating Score, reducing flood insurance premiums by 20 percent. (Page 10)
• The UG will pilot a new trash cart system for about 7,000 customers in 2024 at no cost to taxpayers. The goal is to test this system approach to see if it creates efficiencies, improves overall service, and prevent unnecessary litter. (Page 12)
• The UG Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted the PlanKCK update to the 2008 citywide comprehensive plan on November 30, setting a shared vision for community prosperity through the lenses of equity, access, health and regeneration. (Page 13)
• About 44% of our mill levy for property taxes on the city-side is directed to debt service; 25% of our county mill levy for property taxes goes to debt service. Our financial health and future will require a deep dive into our costs and revenues which will be underway in 2024. (Page 14)

Read the full report for a more in-depth view on the state of our government, including goals for 2024 as we pursue excellence in customer service; foster government accountability; and promote equitable economic development.