Almost a month into new job, City Manager Mario Vasquez talks about what’s ahead

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - As Kansas City’s newly appointed city manager, Mario Vasquez has had to hit the ground running.

He’s been on the job for nearly a month now.

“The demands of my time have been more than I ever imagined,” said Vasquez. But he adds, that’s good, “because I like to be busy.”

Vasquez previously served as assistant city manager and planning and development. He’s now in charge of most of the city’s day-to-day operations, overseeing a $2.5 billion budget and nearly 5,000 employees.

“I got a lot of reassurance from people telling me, ‘You’ve got the temperament, the experience. You can do this,’” said Vasquez. “More than anything else, all those conversations got me thinking that I had the one thing that was important and that is trust. People had the trust and belief in me that I could do this job.”

Vasquez is no stranger to the workings of city hall—he’s been at it 28 years. He’s worked under five city managers, the most recent being Brian Platt, who was fired after whistleblower lawsuit that accused him of lying to the media.

“My hiring is way to let people know this office is an office working in the best interest of the city in a way that’s transparent and open,” said Vasquez

Public perception and rebuilding trust is high on his “to do” list—and it’s a very long list. Of course, there’s that big event happening in Kansas City next year—the World Cup.

But there are many other ongoing projects demanding attention:

• Reconstruction of Barney Allis Plaza
• Redevelopment of the West Bottoms
• Redevelopment of Independence and Hardesty in the Northeast
• Capping Interstate 670 downtown.
• Work on the 18th and Vine District

“Over the next 24-36 months, we’re expecting to have about $400 million worth of public and private investments to bring housing, retail and parking and other amenities that are going to accentuate the importance of (18th and Vine) to the city,” said Vasquez.

Vasquez is confident in his ability to lead the city through whatever lies ahead and is grateful for having a good team working with him.

Vasquez got a little emotional when he was interviewing for the job. He talked about the opportunity given to him when he was first hired by the city. He appreciates the opportunity over the years to grow.

“I think my being here demonstrates to anybody that comes to work for us that they have the ability to grow,” said Vasquez. “I’m just proud of what this city has given to me. It isn’t just a career. It’s more than that. It’s given me a life.”

Vasquez and his wife have two children. When he’s not at city hall, he enjoys being active playing golf and tennis.

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