The Charter of the City of Independence, Section 1.2, empowers the City Council to determine the policies of the City of Independence. The Council established a vision statement and strategic goals by the passage of Resolution No. 4017 on June 6, 1994, amended the strategic goals by Resolution No. 4937 on October 31, 2002; amended the strategic goals by Resolution No. 5879 on January 6, 2014; adopted a new strategic plan, Independence for All 2017-2021, by Resolution No. 6186 on February 6, 2017; and amended the strategic plan, Independence for All 2022-2026, by Resolution No., 6647 on March 1st, 2022.
The Independence City Council now wishes to develop their newest set of strategic priorities to guide future policy and funding decisions. Considerable effort has been made to develop a strategic plan that includes a purpose, purpose statements, and action items that are based on input from a wide cross-section of the community. Following months of collaborative discussions, the City Council is ready to adopt the "2023-2024 City of Independence Action Plan".
Purpose
Independence is a safe, inclusive community fostering civic engagement and creativity, with a thriving and diversified economy, a strong and proud history, and a high quality of life as our community grows and adapts.
Purpose Statements
1. An Engaged Community. We foster a culture of engagement and civic leadership based on innovation and best practices involving community members of all backgrounds and perspectives.
2. An Innovative Economy. We grow a diversified and innovative economy leveraging our community amenities, skilled and creative people, and educational resources to generate economic opportunities.
3. A Safe, Welcoming Community. We embrace a safe, healthy, welcoming and inclusive community.
4. A Well-Planned City. We consistently improve our community’s appearance and quality of life as it grows and changes, honoring our unique history and sense of place as we plan for a livable, affordable, more connected city.
5. A Financially Sustainable Organization. We create long-term financial stability by using equitable and sustainable sources of funding for City services, and we deliver them in a lean and efficient manner.
6. A High-Performance Organization. We operate as an ethical, high performance organization anticipating future needs, utilizing best practices, and striving for continuous improvement.
To ensure the full realization of each purpose statement, City staff has developed 105 individual strategies. These strategies will guide the work of staff, the development of the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Submitted Budget, and help frame the discussion at City Council Study Sessions.
Amended during the 2/20 City Council Meeting