Finding new sources of revenue

By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post In the current round of budgeting there appears to be a serious shortfall. Most estimates I've seen come in around $78 million. It's obvious that when you're short on revenue you have to spend less. The city council faces some tough decisions on where cuts are to be made. What strikes me the most is in all this talk about the budget, everyone is proposing cuts, but nobody is looking at the problem from the other side. What about increasing revenue? Of course it's not just a simple matter of "finding" a few extra dollars from new sources, but when tackling finance issues it's important to take a complete approach. There are many opportunities to squeeze a few more dollars into the city coffers. You just have to be creative. Many times I have been told that city government partnering with private interests is a non-starter. Issues of partiality, conflict of interest and many other "why we can't do it" excuses arise. Yet our own Public Works Department has launched a progressive recycling project that offers advertising space on the side of receptacles located throughout downtown. The walls of the KCI terminals are lined with advertisements. I'm sure creative minds can think of other opportunities to offset program costs by offering sponsorships. What about the Clean Sweep program? Every year the amount of dumpsters available to neighborhoods becomes fewer and fewer due to budget constraints. Why not sell advertising space on the side of the dumpsters? Playground equipment is another possibility. In a quick unscientific poll of neighbors with children, there was no opposition to an ad or two on the playground. In fact, the general reaction was one of goodwill towards any corporation who would buck up for a nice swing set or slide. Obviously selling a few ads is not going to balance the budget. We must look to other sources. Each year millions of dollars in federal grants are distributed across the country. Municipalities obtain these grants through a process of applications, establishment of need and ability to meet various guidelines. Most municipalities acknowledge the value of these programs by retaining a development department. Kansas City is one of the few major cities that does not have even one full-time grant writer, let alone an entire department. Obtaining grants is a complicated bureacracy and asking city employees to secure grants in addition to their regular responsibilities puts Kansas City at a competitive disadvantage. It may seem counter-intuitive to add employees in a time of budget shortfall, but a grant writer position pays for itself many times over. Municipal budgets are complicated. Prioritizing spending takes no small amount of political courage. But finding new sources of revenue will be time and effort well spent.