Mayor talks about leadership with students from Central High School

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – The possible leaders of tomorrow got an up-close look at what it means to be a leader Kansas Mayor Quinton Lucas spoke to the black student association on Center High School.

Lucas asked the 30 or so students to identify some of the biggest problems facing the city.

They identified crime, access to employment and education, citing education as the most important thing for the city.

“When I ran for mayor, we did a poll for the first time,” Lucas said. “Five percent of people said access to housing and tackling homelessness was the most important thing, 20 percent of people said education was important… 50 percent of people said we want you to fix the roads.”

Black student union president Caila Bringham thought infrastructure was an odd priority that voters would recognize.

“I’m not a driver, I walk most places, but I feel like there’s a bigger problem we need to address besides the pothole at your house. Like, people are dying,” Bringham said.

Lucas went on to say that the city’s current budget is $2.3 billion.

“For $2.3 billion you could probably buy the Royals, you could buy half of the Chiefs,” Lucas said. “What we spend it on: salaries and background costs that have already been spent.”

Lucas said the purpose of the question-and-answer interview, which lasted just over an hour, was to give them insight into public service and the responsibilities that come with it, and to possibly inspire some students to take up the as a career path.