She was elected mayor on November 8, 2005, after previously serving since 1997 as the vice-mayor under the late Robert Jones. McKinney was mayor at the time that the Kalamazoo Promise was announced, and was also mayor when Kalamazoo's Intermodal Center was dedicated. The current mayor, Bobby J. Hopewell, was elected November 13, 2007, edging McKinney by just 54 votes.
McKinney was chosen as the mayor on November 8, 2005, after previously holding the position of deputy-mayor since 1997 under the late Robert Jones. She held office at the time when the Kalamazoo Promise was introduced and also during the dedication of Kalamazoo's Intermodal Center. The current mayor, Bobby J. Hopewell, took office on November 13, 2007, beating McKinney by a margin of just 54 votes.