Kansas City, Missouri’s new city manager is committed to transparency and trust.

“Public information is vital,” Mario Vasquez said during a wide-ranging interview Tuesday morning.

The city council appointed Vasquez city manager on May 8 . He replaced Brian Platt, who the city council fired in March , after a jury determined he suggested staff lie to the media and demoted an employee who disagreed.

The city paid $1.4 million to the whistle-blowing employee and his attorneys as a result of the lawsuit.

“Being transparent is paramount,” said Vasquez. “There are two ways I intend to emphasize communication from this building: what is going on and what we’re doing well.”

Vasquez’s immediate top priorities are to meet more people, both city staff members and community leaders. He wants to reorganize the city manager’s office so there’s better communication between departments. And he plans to keep Kansas City’s momentum going in the right direction.

“Think of Kansas City as the first place to do anything that they want to do. Start a job, get married, go to school, buy a house, invest, start a business,” Vasquez explained.

The city manager oversees most of the day-to-day operations of the city and carries out directions from the mayor and city council.

Vasquez has worked for the city for 28 years. He started with an entry-level position in the planning department. He said he’s been a “propellor” for much of his career.

“There’s captains on the ship and there’s propellors,” he explained. “I’ve been a propellor for a long time. Underwater, doing all the hard work.”

He’s worked for five city managers over his career. Vasquez said he’s learned from each of them.

“There’s an impression in me that I think is going to allow me to forge my own way which is a combination of all that,” Vasquez said.

He is proud of the work he did as planning department director to create a customer service approach. Last year, he implemented a concierge/troubleshooter position to help permit applicants through the process.

“Making sure the people who come through the door walk away with a feeling they have been assisted,” he said.

He has targeted several beautification and other tasks to prepare the city to host the World Cup in 2026. As for the Chiefs and Royals potentially moving their stadiums, Vasquez said he is ready to work with both teams once they decide their next moves.

Vasquez is the first Hispanic city manager. He grew up in Bolivia and moved to Wisconsin at age 16.

He and his wife live near the South Plaza neighborhood. They have two adult children.