Mayor Lucas comments on KC2026 resignations from Holland, Platt
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City collective of local leaders equipped to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has two empty chairs in their committee.
Executive Director Katherine Holland and Kansas City City Manager Brian Platt both handed in letters of resignation from their seats on the KC2026 committee on Tuesday.
Mayor Quinton Lucas declined to give reasons for their resignations.
“I think it’s clear that there are some things that need to be figured out, transportation being one of them,” Lucas said.
“Fan Fest, all that work that relates to it, and then, of course, public safety. So Kansas City Government will work very closely with the World Cup Governing Board, which again, is not the city, it’s a different group.”
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The public funds have been promised to the board for the World Cup: $50 million from the state of Missouri, $28 million from the state of Kansas, $15 million from Kansas City, Missouri, and $1.5 million from Johnson County, along with other public and private funds.
“Kansas City is going to deliver an exceptional World Cup,” Lucas said.
“We want to make sure that the private fundraising steps up in connection with that as well. And we look forward to seeing all that important work get done, but I care about accountability as much as anybody. I’ll be working with this board to make sure that we have it.”
Lucas does not have the power to appoint two new members of the board, that is up to the votes of the 15 members on the board.
“We’ll make sure those two board seats are filled, are important, are vital and valuable. But beyond that, we’ll look to work with the board and making sure we figure it all out,” he said.
Lucas referenced a Kansas City Star article where half of the board members voiced concerns over the resignations and the committee’s direction.
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“You don’t always get that much kind of talk,” he said.
“What that tells me is there are probably a set of people who say, maybe we’ve got issues, maybe we have concerns, but more than anything, there are things we want to make sure we know. I’ll look to the board, I’ll look to future leadership to make sure that there’s a lot more known not just for the board of directors, but broadly for the people of this entire region.
“The last two years, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about how big the event will be and that’s great, and that is exciting for Kansas City. I think it’s time that we have more conversation about how we’re going to pull it off. And how’s it going to be a lasting impact in all of our communities, particularly communities too often left out.”
The 2026 World Cup is set to begin on June 11. That gives Kansas City and KC2026 less than two years to remedy the questions that they currently possess.
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