KANSAS CITY, Mo. —At a City Council meeting this afternoon, Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick recognized the City of Kansas City as Missouri’s first local government to offer payroll deductions for MO ABLE accounts to its employees.
“As a parent and as Treasurer, I am committed to increasing inclusion and opportunity for individuals with disabilities. Payroll deductions for MO ABLE accounts help do this for employees with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities,” Treasurer Fitzpatrick said. “As we continue to raise awareness about this valuable program and how it helps make it easier for individuals with disabilities to save for the future, I am grateful to those who are providing this opportunity for employees. I thank Councilwoman Hall and the City of Kansas City for their leadership on this and I hope other municipal and county governments across the state will follow their example.”
“I am thrilled to work with City Manager Brian Platt, Human Resources Director Teri Casey, and Marleen Leonce, a City Employee and mother of a child with special needs who has already opened a MO ABLE Account for the benefit of her child, to offer MO ABLE Accounts for all city employees who have children with special needs,” City of Kansas City Councilwoman Heather Hall said. “The City needs to offer equity in savings plans for all our employees for the benefit of their children. Thank you to Treasurer Fitzpatrick and his staff for promoting this important savings vehicle so all families in Missouri may provide for our children’s future.”
The Treasurer also presented City of Kansas City Human Resources Director Teri Casey with a Best of Missouri Award for her work implementing the new benefit for employees in time for open enrollment this year. Best of MO Awards recognize Missourians who are working to make their communities better places to live.
Today’s announcement is the result of the Treasurer’s effort to increase inclusion and equity for employees with disabilities by encouraging employers across the state to add payroll deductions for MO ABLE accounts. The City of Kansas City joins employers across the state including CoxHealth, Truman State University, the University of Central Missouri, Missouri State University, and Central Bank in adding payroll deductions for MO ABLE accounts to their benefits packages for employees.
Launched in 2017, MO ABLE allows individuals with disabilities and their families to save up to $15,000 per year, tax-free, without losing federal benefits like Medicaid and SSI. For more information about the MO ABLE program and to take an eligibility quiz, visit moable.com.
MO ABLE currently has 2,109 accounts and over $16 million in assets under management, making it one of the largest ABLE programs in the country.
