KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser stood on the corner of East 27th Street and Prospect Avenue Wednesday and urged City Council members to pass a budget Thursday with ammended changes.

A year ago at the same corner -- a spot he chose as an example of what he considered to blight in the city -- Funkhouser said he campaigned to improve conditions in the city, in particular on the city’s east side.

He said the budget would fundamentally change Kansas City and that it was a step in the right direction.

It includes staff changes and reduction. It does not allot for an increase in funding for the Kansas City Zoo.

He said the budget doesn’t include as much money for street resurfacing as he recommended and that it’s not enough to maintain our roads.

Funkhouser also wants to increase the city’s police force by 20 officers.

There are pluses in the budget, he said, including an employee pension and insurance and changes to allot for gas price increases.

“We’re on the cusp of making big changes, but it is through the budget that we make those changes,” Funkhouser said. “I think a year ago, we started out here to do this stuff. I think if we pass this budget that we have in front of us tomorrow, it’s a good step.”

The budget was still a work in progress Wednesday, and Funkhouser said he hoped for some last-minute changes for money for street improvements and officers.

Incidentally, ground will soon be broken on the corner of East 27th Street and Prospect Avenue for a new community center.