Mayor walks back budget proposal to close libraries, gut CityArts

Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell on Thursday said he doesn’t think the City Council will adopt a budget proposal that would result in the closure of two libraries and significantly cut CityArts.

On Tuesday, City Manager Robert Layton presented a proposed 2019 budget that included drastic cuts to offset an increase in police spending and street maintenance operations.

Among the specific recommendations in the budget proposal: closing the Linwood and Evergreen branch libraries and privatizing operations at CityArts and Old Cowtown Museum over the next two years. The budget also calls for reducing spending on economic development.

“We just don’t believe the plan that was presented by the manager was the right course of action to take,” Longwell said. “We are looking at a different approach that won’t involve incredibly deep cuts.”

Two Wichita libraries closing?

Layton’s proposed budget calls for the closure of the Linwood branch library, 1901 S. Kansas, in 2019 — and the potential closure of the Evergreen branch, 2601 N. Arkansas, in 2020.

That drew an angry statement from an unlikely quarter, former Mayor Carl Brewer, now a Democratic candidate for governor.

The proposals for closing branches come fast on the heels of the opening of the new $38 million Advanced Learning Library at Second and McLean. Brewer said the plan was never to shut down branches.

“I was mayor when we studied, discussed and began work towards building that new library,” he said. “Closing other libraries that serve neighborhoods across the city was never the vision I had when we voted for the new library, and it shouldn’t even be a consideration today.”

A “Save Evergreen Library” group has been formed since the release of the budget on Tuesday.

According to a study by Wichita State University last year, Linwood serves primarily blue-collar labor and service workers making $30,000 a year or less, with a high school education. Evergreen serves a high number of Latino residents and retirees, the study said.

“Eliminating libraries is not what Wichita needs,” Brewer said. “This flies in the face of the ongoing conversations happening across the city from the research done by James Chung that shows that now, more than ever, Wichita needs to invest in itself and especially the institutions that promote education, as well as provide support for our diverse neighborhoods and residents.”

Longwell said council members had reservations about Layton’s recommendations before they were ever presented to the public.

“We are going to have to come up with a long-term solution for quality-of-life amenities, especially as we’re trying to find more dollars for police … but we didn’t need to shut the tap off as quickly as we did,” Longwell said.

CityArts

The proposed $290,598 cut to CityArts’ funding would result in the elimination of five out of the six full-time staff positions at the Old Town center, which is a regular Final Friday stop and a local hub for art classes.

The gallery and boutique at CityArts would be privatized somehow, operated either by the Arts Council or another entity.

The city would continue to administer art classes at CityArts under the proposed budget.

“That’s the problem with just shutting the tap off — we don’t know what that would look like,” Longwell said. “I think we can go to the Arts Council and say, ‘Let’s look at some potential solutions … to help solidify long-term for the gallery operations,’ but let’s not tell them we’re shutting it down tomorrow.”

Reaction in the local art scene has been strong, as various artists have taken to Facebook, encouraging people to email and call council members and oppose the changes.

The gallery, which averages about 600 guests every Final Friday, just celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year.

All upcoming exhibits and events at CityArts will continue as scheduled — at least for now.

“We have no intentions of shutting CityArts down,” Longwell said.

Public hearings on the budget have been scheduled at the City Council meetings on Aug. 7 and Aug. 14.

This story was originally published July 19, 2018 at 5:59 PM.