Police board sues Kansas City, mayor over budget plans

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners is suing the City Council and mayor over plans to change how a portion of the police department's budget will be spent.

The board voted 4-1 Friday to file the lawsuit, with Mayor Quinton Lucas the only dissenting vote.

The lawsuit was filed a day after the City Council passed two ordinances that would move about $42.3 million from the police budget to a new fund that would support mental health and community engagement programs aimed at addressing some root causes of violent crime.

The board says state laws gives it sole authority over the police department's operations and budget.