KC Can't Get No Satisfaction

City Auditor Mark Funkhauser released an audit yesterday on citizen's satisfaction levels with basic city services. No surprise the levels never reached "average" among the 44 topics measured. I have to admit a little bias when it comes to Mr. Funkhauser's work because he lives in my neighborhood so he gets a little home court advantage with me. Besides, all he does is make objective observations about important City functions. What's wrong with that? Plenty if you look at the history of how the various City departments and pseudo-public agencies have dealt with his audits. They usually dispute his conclusions, or ignore them. Some of the lower levels of satisfaction among Kansas City respondents were the things I've been emphasizing in this campaign. Percentage of respondents who rated their satisfaction as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale. City stormwater and runoff system? 32% Maintenance of City sidewalks? 18% Maintenance of City streets? 20% I'm surprised the stormwater results were even that high. I guess some of the residents polled don't live along the watershed known as Brookside Boulevard. Prime your sump pumps. It could be a wet spring!