KCTV 5James defends delay in filling boards, commissions

Kansas City Mayor Sly James says he is doing the right thing by taking his time in making appointments to boards and commissions.

James named former mayoral rival Deb Hermann to oversee the city's pivotal Public Improvement Advisory Committee. He didn't name his parks board appointments until last week. Former Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser said the parks board was the most powerful city appointment.

James points to the criticism that Funkhouser drew in his appointments, some of which were made hastily.

"I could have done it [made appointments] the day after [his May 1 swearing in]," he told KCTV5's Stacey Cameron. "I could have gone down the list of people who contributed to my campaign and appointed every single one of them to something. And that would have solved the problem, and then the boards would have been filled."

But James said that would not have been in Kansas City's best interests.

"You know there is something to be said for taking your time and trying to do it right," James said. "It's 60 days, not six years... Speed is not the issue here. Competency is, quality is and sometimes quality takes a little longer."

Jobs and preventing violent crime are issues on residents' minds and James' mind. He says he hopes to develop a plan to help solve and prevent homicides.

"We are in the process of trying to assemble those people necessary to put a plan together.  But, I think that, you know, there's this myth that the police are going to stop murder.  But what the reality is, particularly in murders that have happened here recently is, three or four people get into an argument, guns come out and somebody gets shot and killed.  Unless the police officer is standing there between them there is no way to prevent that. "

Instead, the problem begins "in the home," the mayor says.

"That type of problem starts in the home.  That type of problem starts in the neighborhoods.  That type of problem starts with the inability to solve problems or to deal with conflict resolution in a mature and non-violent way," he said. "It starts with anger management.  So yeah there's a plan, and the plan is one that is going to take us a lot of time to fully implement and realize.  And in the short run we have to get tougher on the prosecution of violent acts."

James says Kansas City needs a downtown convention hotel, but the only question is how to pay for it.

But he also says Kansas City needs to set a course for its future.

"The discussion that we need to have in this city, first and foremost, is one that we have not had. And that discussion is, who are we, and what do we want to be when we grow up? Are we going to be a city of arts? Are we going to be a city of transportation? Are we going to be a convention center? What are we gonna be?"

The city is working with developers and hoteliers to see if it's possible to build a new hotel without general obligation bonds or other financial means secured by the city's general revenue funds, James said.

"That's a tough, tough trick right now, but we're still working on it," James said. "And you won't hear us coming out with a plan until we know how to answer that question."

On Wednesday, Cameron has an interview with James about labor union issues, President Barack Obama and whether the mayor's honeymoon period is coming to a close.

"I think frankly if you allow every criticism to stop you from acting then we would still be living in huts and lighting fires by rubbing sticks and stones together," James said.