USE THIS LINK TO Comment AND VIEW COMMENTS

BY GREG WALTERS

Bowen Apartment
Residents voice
complaints to the
Mayor and Board
of Aldermen

At last Tuesday night’s regular meeting of the Raytown Board of Aldermen a group of approximately 30 individuals gave testimony supporting their complaints regarding living conditions at Bowen Apartments. 

Raytown City Administrator Diane Egger gave the Board a report outlining what steps they have taken through the City Codes Enforcement Department to address the situation. 

Three Bowen Apartment residents shared their testimony in written form regarding living conditions at the Apartments. The following letters are their complaints now formally filed with Raytown City Hall.

MR. JOE MOUNT WROTE:

My name is Joe Mount and I live at Bowen Tower Apartments in Raytown. I am one of the leaders of the Bowen Tower Tenant Union. Bowen Tower has been my home for seven years. I joined with my neighbors on October 1^st to launch a rent strike after living with unsafe conditions for many years. 

Every time I think about our decision to go on rent strike, I think about my neighbor Paul.

We are friends. He always calls me Army and I call him Navy because we are both veterans.

Our landlord illegally evicted Paul for protesting about flooding and mold in his apartment that almost killed Paul’s wife.

Our rent strike is not just about unjustified rent increases and unsafe conditions. It is about dignity. My neighbors and I are prepared to end our strike at any time. We just need the landlord, Charles Hill to meet with us.

Bowen Tower owner Charles Hill of Alta/CGHS Real Estate is an out-of-state landlord from Los Angeles, California. On August 1^st he committed to negotiate with the Bowen Tower Tenant Union. But he has since refused to follow through on that commitment.

Instead of negotiating, Hill responded by mass filing of eviction notices of 27 tenants of Bowen Apartments. He has also issued five lease non-renewals. This California landlord wants to force tenants like me from our home for his own profit. As a retired truck driver and veteran, I get by each month on social security and my veterans benefits. Where are veterans like me supposed to go? Would you allow your parents to be treated this way?

I ask the Mayor and members of the Board of Aldermen to stand with us.

Our union has requested a meeting with the Mayor and Board. A meeting they have not yet agreed to take. We are here to ask you to meet with us and publicly call on our landlord Charles Hill to fulfill his commitment to negotiate with our union.

ELIJAH BRINK WROTE:

I am here tonight to ask the Mayor and Board of Aldermen to support our “Bowen Tower Tenant Union” at Bowen Tower. My father and I own the Raytown Pool Hall, a local business that has been in my family for over 50 years. We are hardworking people who care about our neighbors, our community, and our city.

My neighbors and I at Bowen Towner made the decision to go on rent strike October 1^st after our California-based landlord, Charles Hill of Alta/CGHS Real Estate failed to follow through on his commitment to meet and negotiate with our union.

We have been forced to endure broken elevators, flooding, bed bug infestations, mold and the loss of hot water, heat, air conditioning and gas. Mr. Hill raised our rent this past year by 15%. We simply want what everyone wants – a safe, healthy, and affordable place to call home.

Bowen Tower is my home. Raytown is my home. It is where I grew up. It is where I want to continue my family’s legacy at the Raytown Pool Hall.

We are here tonight to call on the Mayor and Board of Aldermen to stand with us. We ask ask you to meet with our union and agree to send a letter to Charles Hill demanding to do what he promised . . . Come to the table and negotiate with our union.

DOROTHY COLLINS WROTE:

My name is Dorothy Collins and I am a leader of the Bowen Tower Tenant Union.

I am here tonight to ask your help to bring our landlord, Charles Hill of Alta/CGMS Real Estate to the table to meet with us at Bowen Tower.

We have endured unlivable conditions at Bowen Tower. I have mold, no heat, water leaking into my apartment from the ceiling, bed bugs, an air conditioner and an oven that do not work.

My apartment flooded and left mold throughout my unit.

My son and I are sick from these conditions. We deserve to have a safe and healthy home. I ask you to do inspections at Bowen Tower and call on our landlord, Charles Hill, to meet and negotiate with our union.

We encourage our readers to view the following video of last night’s meeting of the Raytown Board of Aldermen.
USE THIS LINK TO VIEW Bowen Apartment Meeting                         

USE THIS LINK TO Comment AND VIEW COMMENTS

BY GREG WALTERS

A Solution to
Neighborhood
Speeding.

On the night of June 9th at 2:00 a.m. in the morning 100 cars slowly drove into Colman Park located at 59th Street and Lane Street. At 2:00 a.m. occupants of the vehicles pulled out their weapons and began firing weapons from pistols, shotguns and  to high powered rifles (some with "bump" stocks) into the night sky. 

The salvo continued for ten minutes. It ended when the Raytown Police arrived. Those firing their weapons fled immediately.

At this point you may be wondering what does this have to do with "Neighborhood Speeding"?

The answer is simple.

The solution engineered by Park Board Director Dave Turner and set into motion by the Raytown Park Board has ended the dangerously lawless behavior at Colman Park in the wake of what took place on June 9th.

Three sets of speed bumps were installed on Lane Street, which stretches the length of the 13 acres that comprise Colman Park.

ONE OF THREE SPEED "BUMPS" INSTALLED AT COLMAN PARK

What happened next has proven to be a pleasant surprise.

It turns out those who like to speed through residential parks in their favorite toy, in this case their cars, do not like speed bumps. Here is why speed bumps make it impossible to hold drag races on Lane Street through Colman Park.Speed bumps shorten the unimpeded driving space to an area too small to conduct "side shows". Driving over the speed bumps at high speeds can literally destroy the front steering of a motor vehicle. Riding a motorcycle at high speed over speed bumps is not a good idea either. More import there has been a return of young families, walkers with and without their dogs on the walking trails in the park. The number of people playing pickle ball, tennis and softball has increased.Which begs the question . . . if speed bumps can have such a positive effect at a city park. Can the same speed bumps speed bumps (or humps) be used to slow down speeders on our neighborhood streets?

Our answer is Yes

All Raytown need do is follow the lead of surrounding cities like Lee's Summit and Kansas City to see how successful such a Traffic Calming Program can be.

First, a distinction needs to be made as what we are talking about.

A proposal I intend to bring to the Board of Alderman at City Hall would be to offer neighborhoods a program of installing "speed humps" in residential areas plagued by speeding and dangerous driving practices. 

Colman Park uses "speed bumps", which works perfectly for the problems the Park had.

Speed humps (as the pictures below show) have a less radical incline for residential streets than the speed bumps used at Colman Park. 

Speed humps have a "calming" effect on traffic. This "traffic calming" works at slowing down speeders. It works in Lee's Summit. It works in Kansas City.

The genius of speed humps is that they work ALL THE TIME. You do not need police personnel to enforce the speeding because speed humps are self-enforcing. They literally teach drivers with an ongoing experience to slow down and follow traffic laws.

USE THIS LINK TO Comment AND VIEW COMMENTS

Paul’s Rant! BY PAUL LIVIUS

An interesting exchange between two Aldermen at the last meeting of the Board deserves some attention. So without any further ado, we will get straight to the chase!

Park Board Director Dave Turner had just finished a report on the construction of a new skate board park at Kenagy Park. The current skate board park is over 20 years old has reached that point of "it can't be repaired any longer".

In his report, Turner said the cost of the project is under budget. But, since it is a grant, the city is not required to return the extra funds.

Ward 1 Alderman Greg Walters suggested a good use of the funds would be to install fencing on the southern most tennis court at Colman Park with fencing for Pickle Ball use. The Park Department has already striped the tennis courts for Pickle Ball.

Walters said, "The balls used in Pickle Ball are made of hard plastic. Though light in weight, they are very sturdy.

When a ball leaves a court into an adjacent court it could create a trip hazard for a player in another game on a different court. 

Pickle Ball is not a "contact sport". However, it most certainly is competitive. As in most sports, the players are concentrating on the game. A ball rolling from one court to another could be the prelude to a disaster."

After Walters finished his comments Alderwoman Bonnaye Mims asked for the floor. She said, "I am confused, I thought we were talking about a skate board park, not pickleball".

To which Greg replied . . . "We were talking about both".

Well said, Mr. Walters!

SPEED HUMP IN KANSAS CITY ONE
HALF A CITY BLOCK EAST OF
62ND TERRACE AND WOODSON ROAD

On another topic

I did some digging on the topic of speed humps and came up with some interesting facts. 

Kansas City has gone big into using speed humps to slow down speeders in many residential neighborhoods. This year the City of Kansas City is on track to install and additional 120 speed humps on residential streets. Since beginning the program five years ago Kansas City has installed close to 500 speed humps in residential neighborhoods in their city.

And that number does not include areas like Brookside, a residential neighborhood just south of the Country Club Plaza. Kansas City installed speed humps as long ago as the turn of the century (25 years ago!). 

Lee's Summit has also embraced a policy of installing speed humps in both new and established neighborhoods throughout their city.

The reason this path has been taken is because speed humps work. The Board of Aldermen would be wise to take a serious look at starting a program for Raytown.

This illustrates that speed humps are effective and popular. There is not a valid reason for not using this same traffic calming method in Raytown. 

THE PHOTO ABOVE IS OF THE FOURTH
 SPEED BUMP ON THE TWO MILE STRETCH
THAT BEGINS AT 62ND TERRACE AND
 WOODSON ROAD AND ENDS AT
LITTLE BLUE ROAD.

If you run into one of your elected officials do you and your neighbors a favor. Ask them to please support any initiative that would bring the safety of speed humps to our neighborhoods.

By the way, anyone wanting to check out some speed humps near Raytown can view them just east of Woodson Road and 62nd Terrrace. Just take a left turn on 63rd and Woodson. Then a right turn on 62nd Terrace. You will be entering Kansas City almost immediately. The street is approximately two miles long and has four speed humps on it. 

USE THIS LINK TO Comment AND VIEW COMMENTS

An Open Letter to our Readers . . . 

BY GREG WALTERS

TUESDAY IS ELECTION DAY.

There is only one issue on the ballot. Voters will decide whether or not to Recall Jackson County Executive Frank White from office.

 

Following is the official ballot language

provided by Jackson County Election Board

Notice is hereby given to the registered qualified voters of Jackson County, Missouri, that the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri, issued an order on August 4, 2025, in Case Number 2516-CV21560, to conduct a Special Election to be held in Jackson County on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. The polls will be open between the hours of 6:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. The official ballot will be substantially in the following form.

QUESTION # 1: Shall Frank White, Jr. be recalled from the office of County Executive in Jackson County, Missouri?

Our Recommendation:

The Raytown Report recommends that Frank White be recalled from office. We base this recommendation on the following:

• SKYROCKETING PROPERTY TAXES . . . Increases 2x, 3x, even 400% higher were unfairly assessed to property owners in Jackson County. Taxpayers in Raytown were especially hit hard by the reassessment process. The assessments were done under Frank White's watch during his term in office as Jackson County Executive. Mr. White  appointed the Assessor who ran the Assessment Department when all of these outrageous tax increases were created. 

• UP TO 200,000 HOMEOWNERS AND BUSINESSES ARE VICTIMS OF WHITE'S SEVERELY FLAWED TAX ASSESSMENTS . . . More than 70,000 appeals have been filed against Jackson County by taxpayers. An alarming number of homes are being auctioned off because owners (especially senior citizens) can no longer afford to pay the increases brought to them by Frank White's Administration.

• KC CHIEFS AND ROYALS IN JEOPARDY OF LEAVING JACKSON COUNTY . . . Due to Frank White's personal vendetta with the Royals. If either of those teams leave it will have a major negative impact on the City of Raytown in the form of lost sales tax revenue.

• $70.4 MILLION IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA) FUNDS SIT IN LIMBO . . and are at risk of being taken back by the federal government because of White's stonewalling and foot-dragging.

VOTE YES
to recall Frank White

from the Office of
Jackson County County Executive
on September 30th

USE THIS LINK TO Comment AND VIEW COMMENTS

BY PAUL LIVIUS

   Paul's Rant!

            Public Speakers at Aldermen meetings

            should be allowed to speak without interruption

The Second Agenda item at Raytown Board of Aldermen meetings is named “Public Comments”. This is a time when members of the public may address the Board of Aldermen about Raytown governmental concerns.

Click on the following link to view what two private citizens had to say at the last Board of Aldermen meeting during Public Comments. The speakers were Mr. Jim DeLong and Mr. Morris Melloy. Both are Raytown citizens speaking on matters of public interest during Public Comments.

Use the following link to hear what Mr. DeLong and Mr. Melloy had to say during Public Comments . . .  

USE THIS LINK  Public Comments by Jim DeLong and Morris Melloy

Jim DeLong is a local businessowner, and a certified Lead Carpenter who has runs his business in the Kansas City area for over 50 years.

Jim and his wife have lived in Raytown for 47 years. They raised their son and sent him to Raytown Schools. Jim was a Boy Scout leader for Troop 145 in Raytown. Both are still active in Boy Scout area programs.

Jim’s wife was awarded the prestigious “Silver Beaver Award” for her role as the Heart of America Council Day Camp Director.

Jim and his wife were co-directors of there Church's High School Missouri Mission Trips for ten years.

I watched the meeting on my television. Here is what I saw transpire.

At about 2.5 minutes into the five minutes allotted Mr. DeLong for his presentation to the Board of Aldermen, the Mayor repeatedly attempted to interrupt him.

The Mayor's conduct was contrary to the rules set up for Public Comments when a guest speaker is peaking. Even worse, his conduct was extremely rude.

It is a tactic often seen in public debates. By interrupting someone who is speaking you break their train of thought.

A public speaker at a Raytown Board of Aldermen is allotted only five minutes speak. Each time the Mayor interrupted Mr. DeLong or pounded his gavel he was literally stealing Mr. DeLong’s speaking time.

It was clear to me the Mayor was attempting to disrupt Delong’s train of thought as well. Unless you are used to being heckled when you speak, it can be very difficult to continue giving a smooth delivery on your message.

The Mayor's attempt did not work. 

Mr. DeLong's message was clear and precise.

Most interesting was the Mayor’s complaint that DeLong should take this up with the Police Department. What most readers are not aware of is that Chief of Police Jim Kuehl was in the audience when DeLong was speaking.

So, in fact, Mr. DeLong was bringing his message to the Chief of Police.

Taking it to the Board of Aldermen during a business meeting of the Board was and still is the proper way to bring a grievance to the public’s attention.

The point is the Public Forum is for the people to have their say. Mr. DeLong did not break any rules of decorum.

From Mr. DeLong's point of view, the Mayor's tactics were that of a bully.

Morris Melloy was the third speaker during Public Comments. He pointed out to the Mayor the following:

“Mr. Mayor you should not be interrupting Citizens when they are using their five minutes. They do not interrupt you. You should show the same courtesy to them.”

Melloy continued, “Your rude and inconsiderate practice of interrupting Public Speakers is the reason so few people out of a population of nearly 30,000 rarely come to City Hall to speak their mind. I ask you to be a gentleman and hear what Public Guests have to say without interruption.”

Go back and check out the video. You will find that at this point the Mayor began interrupting Mr. Melloy . . . Just as he did when he interrupted Mr. DeLong.

A NOTE FROM ALDERMAN GREG WALTERS

This week’s Raytown Report is re-publishing a story originally published on September 2^nd 2025 in a web-based newsletter serving the Kansas City metropolitan area. The story is re-published here in entirely unedited version.

Why a Raytown alderman was removed from office during a private meeting with the mayor

Latrice Thomas

Latrice Thomas was removed from her position on the Raytown Board of Aldermen after an investigation into her taxes. Two months later, the city still has not publicly addressed her removal.

by Josh Merchant, Local government reporter josh@thebeacon.media

Latrice Thomas won her election to the Board of Aldermen in April. She attended six meetings and voted in five before she was removed from office during a one-on-one meeting with the mayor.

A former alderman in Raytown believes that she was improperly removed from office in June during a private meeting with Mayor Mike McDonough.

Latrice Thomas had been elected on April 8 to represent the northernmost neighborhoods in Raytown on the Board of Aldermen — Raytown’s equivalent to a city council. 

She works as a medical assistant at KU Medical Center and founded a nonprofit that provides sexual health education for young people.

Thomas won her election narrowly — by just five votes — and unseated incumbent Ryan Myers, who had held that position for eight years.

“I was asleep, and my daughter must have literally kicked the door in and said, ‘Mama, you won!’” she said. “I’m telling you, the text messages were coming in, coming in, coming in — ‘Congratulations, you did it, girl!’”

Thomas was sworn in on April 22 and began attending and voting at biweekly meetings. She traveled to a training conference for elected officials in mid-June, where she networked with other leaders from across the state.

But her victory came crashing down just two weeks after she got home. She got a call from McDonough on June 26 asking her to meet with him in his office.

McDonough showed her a letter from the Missouri Department of Revenue stating that she did not meet statutory requirements to be a candidate after an investigation found that she had been delinquent on her taxes at the time of her election.

The mayor then showed her another letter, signed by himself and the city clerk, saying that effective immediately, she was not qualified to serve as an alderman in Raytown.

Since then, Raytown has removed her name from the city’s list of elected officials on its website but has not acknowledged her removal in any press releases or on the city’s Facebook page.

Raytown Alderman Greg Walters said he does not remember Thomas’ removal ever being addressed at a public meeting of the Board of Aldermen.

In response to an interview request from The Beacon, City Clerk Teresa Henry shared the letter from the Department of Revenue that said Thomas did not meet requirements for candidacy and the Raytown letter addressed to Thomas that said she would be removed from office. The city declined to comment further. 

Thomas believes she should never have been removed. She says that she’s not delinquent on her taxes and that she was removed without due process.

“I want to return to my seat that I rightfully won,” she said. “It was a unilateral misuse of power. It was wrongful, it was incorrect, it was out of order.”

Why was Latrice Thomas
removed from office?

When someone files paperwork in Missouri to become a candidate for office, one of the documents they’re required to submit is an affidavit which says that, to the candidate’s knowledge, they are not delinquent on any taxes. 

If the Department of Revenue learns that a candidate is tax delinquent, it sends a letter to the candidate notifying them that they have 30 days to resolve the issues. If they don’t, the department notifies the city or election board to say the candidate doesn’t meet the tax requirements.

From that point, the city or election board disqualifies the candidate and bars them from re-filing for an entire election cycle.

That’s almost what happened to Thomas. Except in her case, the Department of Revenue received the complaint on April 23 — the day after she was sworn in as an alderman.

According to a letter the city of Raytown shared with The Beacon, the department sent her a letter at that time, but she didn’t resolve her tax delinquency.

Thomas said she didn’t get the letter. But as soon as she learned of the issue during her meeting with the mayor, she called the Department of Revenue.

The department ran her Social Security number and didn’t see any outstanding taxes, she said. But when they ran her husband’s information, they found that he had some state income taxes that were in dispute. 

A dispute is when the taxpayer and the tax collector disagree on how much money is actually owed. Disputed taxes are not considered a tax delinquency when filing for candidacy.

JoDonn Chaney, a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Revenue, confirmed that the department found in its investigation that Thomas was not compliant with the requirements under the Missouri statute.

Due to the private nature of tax records, he could not share any other information about why the department determined Thomas to be delinquent or whether her husband’s taxes were in dispute, but he said in an email that the department was not responsible for any decision to remove her from office.

“The department regularly receives compliance complaints regarding candidacy,” he wrote. “The department reviews these complaints, but we are not an election authority, and therefore cannot make determination regarding eligibility. In this specific case, that would be a matter to be determined by the city, according to state statute.”

Chaney also could not say who submitted the initial complaint to the department.

Thomas believes she
was removed improperly

It’s not uncommon for someone’s candidacy to be challenged because of an alleged tax delinquency. But in this case, the Department of Revenue did not receive the complaint until after the winner was sworn in to office.

Brad Constance, a lawyer who represents the Jackson County Election Board, did not comment on this specific case. But he said that in the past, a candidate being disqualified from an election has resulted in their removal from office.

In 2011, a man named Herschel Young was elected to be Cass County presiding commissioner. It was later discovered after he was sworn in that he had pleaded guilty to a felony nearly 20 years prior — which would have disqualified him as a candidate.

The Missouri Supreme Court, in its opinion, said that “one of the requisites to being qualified to hold office is that the person seeking office be a valid candidate and comply with statutory provisions regarding candidacy.”

In that case, Young was removed when the prosecuting attorney filed a petition to oust him.

But there is not any court filing associated with Thomas’ removal. The mayor sent her a letter declaring her unqualified, and Thomas has been absent from the dais since then.

Thomas believes that the mayor can’t remove her unilaterally. She is no longer a candidate, she said, and she thinks it’s wrong for the mayor to remove her from office without hearing out the facts of her case.

“I’m serving in my capacity,” she said. “Sworn in, signed, sealed and delivered … At this point, I’m a representative, liaison, all of that for Ward III constituents. So I want to be treated as such. I want that due process of doing it the correct way.”

If Thomas isn’t eligible to hold office, it’s unclear whether McDonough removed her in a valid way or whether it should have happened through an impeachment process, a petition filed by the Jackson County prosecuting attorney or another means.

The process of potentially replacing Thomas is outlined in another Missouri statute. If a position on the Board of Aldermen becomes vacant, the mayor nominates a replacement at a special meeting, who then must be confirmed by a majority vote of the board. This has not happened yet.

The Beacon asked Henry, the Raytown city clerk, whether that law would guarantee Thomas an impeachment hearing, whether the Board of Aldermen intended to replace her and whether the city knows who submitted the initial complaint to the Department of Revenue.

“At this time, the matter has been referred to the Attorney General’s Office,” she wrote in response. “We have no further comment.”

The attorney general’s office did not respond to a list of questions by email.

Raytown appears not to have addressed the removal of an elected official in any press release or statement to the public over the past two months. Henry also declined to say whether that was true.

Thomas said her removal has a negative impact not only on her, but also the people who voted for her.

“It’s hard enough for people to get out and vote,” Thomas said.

“We’re already out begging people to vote … It’s a huge letdown, a huge disappointment. And I hated for that to be confirmation for why they don’t vote."

The Paul Livius Report BY PAUL LIVIUS

One of our regular readers sent us an email asking the following question: 

Do we really need to spend over $34,000 or do we take other cities policies and use them to save our taxpayers money? 

No doubt, the question was spurred by the adoption of a contract by a majority of the Board of Aldermen to spend $34,000 to hire a consultant to advise the city on how to implement Traffic Calming Policies in Raytown.

TRAFFIC CALMING is the practice of designing streets to literally encourage (if not force) motorists to slow down the speed of their vehicles on city streets. 

It is a serious problem in Raytown. The city has an abundance of four lane street structures that encourage speeding. Residential streets that stretch over a quarter mile in distance also encourage speeding. 

Ward 1 Alderman Greg Walters asked the Board to carry the item over two weeks so Raytown city officials could  consult with Kansas City and Lee’s Summit to see how they have managed traffic calming in their cities. 

None of the members of the Board of Aldermen spoke against the need for traffic calming in Raytown. 

However three members of the Board voted against the spending of $34,000 to conduct the study. Some members on the Board indicated they saw merit in checking how surrounding cities are conducting their improvements. 

HOW THEY VOTED:

$34,000: Fundng for a Traffic Study Program.

YES:             HAYDEN, MIMS, KRIZEK, GARZA, MORALES, TUSH

NO:               EMERSON, WALTERS, AZIERE

ABSENT:      THOMAS

Walters pointed out that Kansas City has already installed 100 speed humps in residential neighborhoods. Plans are for another 120 to be installed by the end of 2025 are in place.

Mayor Mike McDonough was the only elected official to speak against the use of speed humps to slow speeders down on residential streets. His comments were a message of “”Speed humps don’t work."

When asked about the Mayor's opposition to speed humps, Walters replied, “I know the Mayor does not believe speed humps are effective. But he is so wrong. If he wants proof he should visit Colman Park on any evening. The speed bumps installed at Colman have been a success story.  

Tonight is a Sunday evening. Typically it is the most crowded night at Colman Park. It used to be the noisiest, with neighborhoods bombarded by over-amplified music, screeching tires and the sounds of vehicles speeding through the park, and sad to say, gunfire as well. This evening the only sound from the park is laughter and the noise you would expect coming from a park as families and friends gather to have a good time.

We can thank the Park Board for stepping up and creating an environment that does not allow car races, sideshows and reckless driving at Colman Park. 

OUR VIEW: 

Watching the news this morning I saw an interesting statistic. A list of the highest crime areas in America was shown. Kansas City was ranked as the 5th highest city suffering from violent crime in America. 

This does not bode well for Raytown. Our city is surrounded by Kansas City. 

In response to dangerous driving habits a number of the cities  surrounding Raytown have adopted Traffic Calming Programs. Most notably are the cities of Lee's Summit and Kansas City. 

A major part of the programs adopted by other cities include the use of Speed Humps to slow down speeders in their respective cities. 

As Colman Park in Raytown has shown, this simple traffic calming method works well. 

The important take-away on the change is that the Park Department made the change without spending $34,000 to have an out of town consultant explain how the program works!

In our view, the $34,000 would be much better spent installing Traffic Calming methods as now used at Colman Park.

What's your opinion? Use the following link to leave a comment.

USE THIS LINK TO Comment AND VIEW COMMENTS

 Raytown’s new Dog Park is now open to the Public.

Terry Copeland Park is a new dog park located at 5330 Raytown Road. It is open daily to the public from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 pm.

The park has been built on the grounds of what used to be Raytown SuperSplash.

SuperSplash was closed in September of 2016. Competition from newer area Splash Parks and an operating cost exceeding $200,000 annually made the water park unsustainable.

Demolition of the old water park and construction of the dog park was funded by a $2 million dollar federal grant through HUD and an additional $1 million matching grant through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Land/Water Conservation Fund.

The Park is being built in two phases:

PHASE 1 of the project is complete. Phase one included demolition of the old SuperSplash Waterpark and construction of two separate dog parks, as splash pad, an all-inclusive play ground and a pavilion/shelter house.

One of the dog parks is for dogs under 30lbs.

One of the dog parks is for dogs over 30lbs.

PHASE 2 of the project is paid for by a grant of $2 million and is anticipated to be completed by the end of summer in 2026. When completed Phase 2 will include:

Splash pad and all an all inclusive playground.

A pavilion shelter house and more. 

Operating hours of the park are 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Raytown
Police Report

Weekly Summary    July 21st, 2025

 

On July 21st, at approx. 5:50 pm, officers were called to an apartment complex in the 8600 block of Utopia reference a shooting. The victim reported that he had been in a physical altercation with his younger brother earlier in the day. The brother showed up again at the victim’s residence with a few friends and the group engaged in another physical altercation. As the brother and his friends were leaving, they shot at ground near the victim’s feet, and he was struck by either a bullet or shrapnel in the ankle. The suspects all left the scene before police were called. The investigation is ongoing.

July 27th, at approx. 8:50 pm, officers were called to a fast-food restaurant (Wendy's) in the 9700 block of 63rd Street regarding a shooting. The victim had been shot in the arm and had arterial bleeding, but officers applied a tourniquet; he was transported to the hospital a short time later by EMS. The investigation revealed that the shooting was the result of a road rage incident that occurred near the restaurant and the victim sought help inside, but it did not involve the store. The suspect was located a short time later and arrested and the gun recovered. The investigation is ongoing.

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VOTE Tuesday, August 5th

THERE IS ONLY ONE ISSUE ON THE BALLOT

QUESTION 1:  Shall the City of Raytown, Missouri continue to impose a sales tax for the purpose of funding Local Parks/Storm Water Control within the City but at an increased rate of one fourth (1/4) of one percent for a term of seven (7) years? The monies received from the Local Parks/Storm Water Control sales tax shall be distributed with Local Parks receiving eighty percent (80%) and Storm Water Control receiving twenty percent (20%) for their respective functions.

OFFICIAL  BALLOT LANGUAGESHOWN ABOVE

CONSIDER THESE FACTS BEFORE YOU VOTE

City Hall says this is a "renewal" of a current tax. The fact is it is NOT a "renewal". A "renewal" implies it is the same amount and length of term. This tax is neither.

The current tax is for a term.............................. of (5) years.

The proposed tax is for a term.......................... of (7) years.

If the tax is approved the
Local Parks/Storm Water Control Tax 
WILL DOUBLE!

VOTE TUESDAY, AUGUST 5TH

TRUTH WATCH RETURNS!

TRUTH WATCH COMMENTED:

I will be voting NO.

1) This tax is DOUBLING from 1/8 to 1/4.

2) The split was changed from 50/50 to 80% Parks and 20% Storm water. Having a nice park does nothing for flooded basements and on-going road issues.

3) IN my opinion this is a money shell game. A $7.2 million storm water bond was passed in 2024. Now we have another $20 million in storm water projects. Once again, no documentation from the city, just give me the money.

4) The city states everyone that shops in Raytown will pay this – Yes that is an accurate statement however, the potential revenue generated NOT by Raytown residents has never been projected.

5) Known security issues at existing parks – CCTV security was not included in the new dog-park. I am concerned that this location will become a haven from the un-housed. In 2025 most cities included CCTV in all new construction. This park should be no different.

6) At least two of these three taxes will come up for renewal within the next two years. I The Transportation Sales Tax ½ cent, the Capital Sales Tax 3/8 cent, Public Safety Sales Tax ½ cent. These taxes are more beneficial to Raytown Residents.
7) Playing political games. Raytown excels at this. The August ballot was chosen specifically due to know low voter turnout. Raytown residents are paying to hold yet another special election. Unknown actual cost – Was it budgeted???

8) Four the first 3 or 4 years the ¼ cents sales tax was collected ALL of the revenue was allocated to the Parks department. One strong-willed Alderwomen made the public aware of this and fought hard to correct the distribution to what the citizens voted on.

From tax rate . org

9)The Raytown, Missouri sales tax is 8.35% , consisting of 4.23% Missouri state sales tax and 4.13% Raytown local sales taxes. The local sales tax consists of a 1.25% county sales tax, a 2.75% city sales tax and a 0.13% special district sales tax (used to fund transportation districts, local attractions, etc.).

 Raytown collects a 4.125% local sales tax, the maximum local sales tax allowed under Missouri law

 Raytown has a higher sales tax than 82.8% of Missouri's other cities and counties.

Raytown
Police Report

Weekly Summary    July 21st, 2025

Period of Review: July 14th-20th, 2025

• Number of calls for service: 458

• Number of Reports: 55

• Number of Arrests Booked into Raytown Jail: 13

Summary of Notable Events:

• On July 14th, at approx. 9:40 am, officers were called to an apartment complex in the 8600 block of Utopia reference a robbery. The victim reported that several subjects had broken into her apartment and tried to steal several items. Her adult son attempted to stop them and one of the suspects tried to stab him. The suspects fled the scene before police arrived; no one was injured. The investigation is ongoing.

• On July 17th, at approx. 10:00 am, officers took a report of a stolen car from an Amazon delivery driver in the 8000 block of 87th Street. The suspect(s) stole the car while he was at a house delivering packages. Several hours later, Cpl. Shroyer observed the car in the parking lot of a gas station at 6903 Blue Ridge Blvd and conducted a car stop. 3 adult males were arrested, and several stolen Amazon packages were recovered. Officers also recovered a gun that had been reported

stolen out of Kansas City in 2022. The investigation is ongoing.

• On July 20th at approx. 8:00 pm, officers were called to a residence in the 8800 block of 59 Terrace reference the sound of shots fired. The investigation determined that two neighbors had been in a verbal dispute and the suspect fired a gun into a tree in his own front yard several times. The suspect was arrested for unlawful use of a handgun.

• We took one report of a sex crime this week. The investigation is ongoing.

Spent Bullet found on

driveway near Colman Park

The photo above is a spent bullet found on a driveway near Colman Park. The bullet is believed to have been 9 mil Jacketed Hollow Point. The point of the bullet struck the ground and flattened the business end of the bullet. The top of the photo is of the firing end of the bullet. When fired in the air such bullets can be deadly. If you hear gunshots in your neighborhood the best defense is to get inside to protect from a bullet speeding back to Earth. Report the incident to the Police immediately.

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BY GREG WALTERS

Something to Ponder 

City Hall has known for a long time that the renewal of the Parks/Storm Sewer Sales Tax was set to expire in less than a year.

Last April the City was required by State Law to hold and election for one-half of the Board of Aldermen.

The State reserves the first Tuesday in April as the time to hold elections of local governmental bodies.

By holding all the elections on the same date the Jackson County Election Board can economize on the cost of the elections. By doing so cities like Raytown cans save a substantial cost to holding elections.

Consider the following:

On Tuesday, April 1, 2025 Raytown conducted a city election. So did 22 other governmental bodies located in the Eastern Jackson County Election Board’s jurisdiction. Since there were so many elections held at the same time, Raytown’s share of the cost of holding the election came to (approximately) $35,000.00*.

On August 6, 2025, Raytown, and, a school District located in Oak Grove, Missouri are the ONLY two governmental bodies holding an election in the Jackson County Election Board jurisdiction.

Since there are only two governmental units holding an election on August 6th, Raytown’s share of the cost of the elections goes up to approximately $80,000.00.*

Had the upcoming tax election on August 6^th been held on April 1^st the city would have saved approximately $45,000.00.**

*Cost figures are based on the cost of Raytown’s last election held on April 1^st. The August election cost is an estimate based on historical data of voter turnout in the Raytown and Oak Grove School District when single issue elections are held in August.

Our View . . . The above figures show that the city, with just a little planning, can make a big difference.

Raytown City Hall dropped the ball on planning the August 6^th Election. We made inquiries as to why the election was not held in April, which would have freed up $45,000.00 that could be used for street improvements.

We never received an answer. Our best guess is the city did not put the item on the ballot because of fears it might hurt incumbent(s) chances for re-election.

We doubt that excuse as viable.

Still the damage is done. If City Hall wants to enjoy the trust of the voters in Raytown, they must practice more accountability in their decisions. A harder look at the bottom line on spending practices would be a good starting point. Taxpayers expect better decisions on the management of their tax dollars at City Hall. 

BY PAUL LIVIUS

The Rest
of the Story . . .

On June 18, 2025 the Raytown Board of Aldermen met in public session. At the beginning of the meeting Ward 1 Alderman Greg Walters gave a report about a Public Meeting the Park Board held the previous night.

The meeting was attended by approximately 30 Raytowners who live in the neighborhoods surrounding Colman Park. Residents were given the opportunity to voice their opinion to the Park Board regarding rampant gunfire at Coleman Park at 2:00 a.m. on Monday, June 9, 2025.

Walters report to the Board of Aldermen outlined improvements the Park Board has decided to make. Those improvements include the construction of Speed Bumps, increased private security measures and increased patrols by the Raytown Police. Also included was a means to better monitor the amount of noise coming from Park Shelter Houses when amplifiers are in use.

Towards the end of Walters’ report the Mayor interrupted him and said you are finished. Alderman Walters pointed out that he had the floor and that under Roberts Rules of Order, he is allowed to continue until he finishes his comments.

This caused a short exchange between the Ward 1 Alderman and the Mayor in which the Mayor started pounding his gavel.

The Mayor then loudly announced words to the effect of “I am calling a three minute recess.”

Walters told the Mayor that if he wants to discuss the matter, we can hold this discussion in public during the meeting.

To which the Mayor replied “That’s it . . . in my office now!

To which the Ward 1 Alderman laughed and replied “I am not going to your office”.

The Mayor then stomped out of the room and (we assume) went to his office where he spent three minutes all by himself.

Three minutes later he returned to his seat at the dias.

When we were preparing this story we followed our usual procedure of using the video tape available to all Raytowners of the meeting. Much to our surprise we learned that (approximately) 5 to 15 minutes of the video had been cut from the public video posted on the city’s website page. 

We are also aware that they could easily fix the “so-called” oversight once they read this story. All the same to us.

The important thing is . . .

Now you know the Rest of the Story.

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BY PAUL LIVIUS

Paul’s Rant! 

Reports of a homeless camp has been re-established near the Raytown Emergency Assistance Program (REAP) headquarters located on 75^th Street.  This is the second time a homeless camp has been established at the location.

A few years ago a similar camp was shut down by the Raytown Police Department with assistance from the City of Independence.

• Another area of concern has been an uptick of the number of panhandlers who seem to be increasing at major Raytown intersections. Restrictions on such activity are very clear. It is illegal for motorists to be approached on a public street in traffic to ask for donations. Such activity is dangerous to both the motorist and solicitor. Streets are made for one ton vehicles and up to travel on. Sidewalks are for people If you witness this dangerous  activity you are urged to call 911.

• Mark your calendars for AUGUST 5, 2025! There has hardly been any talk on the internet about it, but the voters of Raytown have a Sales Tax Increase on the Raytown Ballot in the near future. The sales tax question will be voted on August 5^th. Here is the official language of the ballot”

SPECIAL ELECTION CITY OF RAYTOWN
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2025

Notice is hereby given to the registered qualified voters of the City of Raytown, Missouri, that the Board of Aldermen of said City has called a Special Election to be held on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. The polls will be open between the hours of 6:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. The official ballot will be substantially in the following form.

QUESTION 1: Shall the City of Raytown, Missouri continue to impose a sales tax for the purpose of funding Local Parks/Storm Water Control within the City but at an increased rate of one fourth (1/4) of one percent for a term of seven (7) years? The monies received from the Local Parks/Storm Water Control sales tax shall be distributed with Local Parks receiving eighty percent (80%) and Storm Water Control receiving twenty percent (20%) for their respective functions.

There is only 16 days until Election Day. The lack of any publicity on the election has left some in Raytown wondering why the campaign is being kept so tightly under wraps.

Some information voters should know before they cast their vote on August 16^th.

Make no mistake about it. The “whole tax” of the “Storm Sewer and Park Tax” is being doubled.

The question voters must consider – is it worth it? This is question every voter should ask themselves before casting their vote on Tuesday, August 2, 2025.

There are some valid reasons for the tax to be increased for the Parks Department. The cost of security at the parks has increased. Some of those costs are one time costs. Others are ongoing.

The Storm Sewer portion of this proposed tax has been lowered because voters approved a Storm Sewer Water Bond Issue a couple of years ago. This does call into question why the tax is being continued when the bond issue already pays for storm sewer improvements. 

There is also the question of the “Sunset Clause” of the question. Past elections have set the tax for a period of five years. This tax question increases the sunset Parks and Storm Sewer Sales Tax to a seven year life.

City Hall is also looking at other sales taxes that may be up for consideration in the next year. One is the renewal of a Transportation Sales Tax which is supposed to be used to pay for street repair. Another is a Public Safety Tax which helps fund the Raytown Police Department. 

All of these sales taxes are charged on retail sales in Raytown. When added up the following shows the total amount you pay on purchases in Raytown.

The minimum sales tax rate in Raytown is 8.48%. Most retail sales are currently at this rate.

The maximum sales tax rate is 9.48%. This second figure is charged on sales tax that part of pay down TIF debt owed by the City on major projects, such as Walmart, Sutherland Lumber, Aldi, etc.

The Parks / Storm Sewer Sales tax increase will push Raytown's sales tax very near, or over the 10% Raytown shoppers will spend on all purchases.

We will keep you informed as these issues come up at City Hall.

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Take me out to the Ballgame!
BY GREG WALTERS        PHOTO CREDIT: MECEE WALTERS

Last Friday night Mecee and I thought it would be a good night to see how well the Kansas City Royals are doing this year. I am a fan of the game. Mecee is a "Super Fan" of the game.

So we decided, the hell with what the weather guessers are saying about rain . . . "Let's go take in the game". 

At 7:10 on the dot the skies opened up and drenched the field with about half an hour of rain. 

The game finally go under way at 8:30. the picture above is the back side of the storm that dumped all the water on Royals Stadium. The unusual view of the "back side of the storm", illuminated by the the setting sun from the west, as you can see, was  amazing.

Photo of a line of cars entering Colman Park in Raytown, Missouri on June 9th.
Over one hundred shots were fired into the air. the quick reaction of neighbors immediately calling the police is credited with the park being emptied of curfew violators. Thankfully, there were not any injuries from the rapid fire shot from
moving vehicles as the drove through the park.

BY PAUL LIVIUS

Surrounding Community Leaders take a strong stand against Celebratory Gunfire

Firing a gun into the air has always been illegal in Kansas City. But under Blair’s Law the indiscriminate firing of a weapon into the air is now illegal in ALL cities in Missouri.

The law is named after a Blair Shanahan Lane, who died instantly when a bullet fired nearly a mile away struck her spinal cord and instantly killed her. She was waiting in line to get her sparkler lit to celebrate the Fourth of July at a gathering of friends.

Another celebratory gunfire event has been reported of a Kansas City Police officer who was struck by a bullet as he left City Hall. The shooter was eventually discovered. He had fired his handgun into the air to celebrate a football game win by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Police Department credits a tree that altered the trajectory and slow down the bullet as it fell back to Earth.

Mayor Quinton Lucas On Wednesday, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson highlighted the consequences of firing guns into the air and urged safety in firing a weapon and disregarding where the bullet will go.

“Don’t shoot your gun, don’t shoot them into the air,” said Mayor Lucas. “You will be investigated, you will be charged, and you will be prosecuted.”

A reporter from KCTV 5 

Under Blair’s Law the following penalties apply to recklessly firing a weapon into the air:

FIRST OFFENSE:(misdemeanor) Up to one year in jail or a $2,000 fine.

SECOND OFFENSE: (felony) Up to four years in jail.

According to Jackson Prosecutor, Melesa Johnson, 23 people have been arrested in Jackson County under Blair’s Law. She asked all the metropolitan community help in keeping our communities safe.

If you see or hear what may be the firing of a gun into the air call the police at 911.

MYTHS about Celebratory Gunfire:

Bullets shot upwards simply vanish into space. No, we know better now. The bullets do most definitely come back down to Earth and fall on something, the ground, a car, a building, or a person. Celebratory gunfire is harmless. Firing random bullets may result in death and injury. It is a potentially fatal activity, which regularly results in the deaths of bystanders.

We don’t know why. But we do. Bullets fired at angles less than vertical are more dangerous, as the bullet maintains its angular ballistic trajectory, is far less likely to engage in tumbling motion, and so travels at speeds much higher than a bullet in free fall.

1 Firearms expert Julian Hatcher studied falling bullets in the 1920s and his study showed that 30 caliber rounds can reach terminal velocities of 300 feet per second as they fall. Injury from random gunfire isn’t really serious. More recent research has indicated that 200 feet per second is enough to penetrate the skull.

Examples of fatalities due to celebratory gunfire abound. A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 80% of celebratory gunfire-related injuries are to the head, feet, and shoulders.

Injury from celebratory gunfire is rare.

That is because those hit by falling bullets, the chance of the wound being fatal was far higher than a typical shooting.

The hospital put deaths from regular shootings between 2% and 6%, while for those struck by falling bullets the death rate was close to one third.

The reason is simple – those unlucky enough to be hit by falling shells were more likely to be struck on the head, and while the bullets were travelling slower after being shot into the sky, they were still capable of smashing skulls.

Doesn’t happen anymore though. It’s still happening. On January 1, 2015, a 43-year-old man, Javier Suarez Rivera, was struck in his head and killed while watching fireworks with his family in SE Houston.4  

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