![\"Kansas](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_6842.jpeg\" "\\"Kansas")
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Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas on Wednesday vowed to strike a downtown stadium deal with the Kansas City Royals during his annual State of the City address<\/p>\n
Kacen Bayless<\/p>\n
kbayless@kcstar.com<\/p>\n
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas on Tuesday pressed for city officials to have more say over how money is spent on homelessness prevention programs after The Star reported<\/a> on a pair of allegations leveled against a local nonprofit leader tied to a federal criminal probe.<\/p>\n Lucas, during a lengthy budget hearing inside City Hall, offered an amendment<\/a> that would have given the city\u2019s housing director and City Council members more oversight over how the city provides funding to homelessness prevention services.<\/p>\n \u201cI read a newspaper piece today about homelessness prevention services and some of the ambiguities. I would like to have a cleaner understanding of just how much we\u2019re spending in the services,\u201d Lucas said during the hearing. \u201cIf somebody asked, \u2018how much are we spending on homelessness prevention, homelessness services,\u2019 I don\u2019t know what the answer is right now.\u201d<\/p>\n The comments from Lucas came just hours after The Star reported new details about a federal grand jury subpoena<\/a> sent to Kansas City last year that sought records related to Anton Washington, a local nonprofit leader. As City Hall contracted with Washington\u2019s organization, emails detailing allegations of inappropriate behavior followed, The Star found.<\/p>\n The Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained a copy of one of those emails as part of a sweeping probe that has upended Kansas City politics<\/a>, The Star reported. But the full extent of the investigation, and its exact target, remains unclear.<\/p>\n From 2021 through 2024, city officials signed into seven contracts \u2014 and one contract amendment \u2014 with Washington\u2019s organization, totaling roughly $287,000. Financial records obtained by The Star, however, show the organization received additional funding in 2025, a discrepancy that made it unclear whether the city is still working with his organization.<\/p>\n Lucas\u2019 amendment marked the mayor\u2019s first formal maneuver in response to the federal criminal investigation that has roiled City Hall over the past year. Lucas has said that he was unaware of the federal grand jury subpoena until it was revealed in the media last month.<\/p>\n After Lucas offered the amendment, council member Kevin O\u2019Neill, who represents the northern tip of Kansas City, told his colleagues that he was concerned about The Star\u2019s findings.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I read the same article,\u201d O\u2019Neill said. \u201cI\u2019m concerned about our vetting process on anything homeless and how we\u2019re doling out contracts. I just want to make sure that we are aligned with a vetting process that actually shows that we are trying to do the best we can with the money we\u2019re allotting to the people in need.\u201d<\/p>\n But the actual mechanics and immediate ramifications of Lucas\u2019 plan were not immediately clear. After comments from Council member Johnathan Duncan, who represents Kansas City\u2019s southwestern edge, and city staff, Lucas ultimately pulled the amendment from the budget discussion.<\/p>\n Duncan, for his part, questioned the logistics of the amendment, suggesting that the plan \u2014 which dealt with Kansas City\u2019s $1 million Housing Gateway Program \u2014 was unrelated to The Star\u2019s report about money allocated to Washington\u2019s organization.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is apples and oranges,\u201d Duncan said.<\/p>\n Lucas did not indicate on Tuesday whether he would resurrect the plan during future budget discussions.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Kansas City Star<\/p>\n