I feel some of the City Council has lost the concept that they are the employer and the city manager is the employee.

The concept that the employer is going to take care of things is clearly going by the wayside. We've largely shifted to a defined-contribution approach to pensions. With health care, that's clearly the direction we're heading, for the same reasons.

This is a hard time for the city, a hard time for the council and a hard time for the mayor. I'd much rather be mayor when I was than right now.

up close when I was in the City Council.

The master plan concept developed for the City of Kansas City, Mo., calls for the construction of a large, municipally owned telecommunications network in conjunction with current underground utility construction in the Kansas City Live Entertainment District, helping to minimize disruption to the area.

I've been here, in the council, for eight years. I feel that I know what is going on in the city. I have the relationships with people that will help me to make sure these programs continue.