Wichita City Council shifts to the left; Tuesday meeting could test mayor’s new power

Wichita’s new City Council members didn’t shy away from talking about the city’s problems Monday night in their first speeches as elected officials.

Mental illness. Drug addiction. Homelessness. Violent crime. A pandemic that has killed more than 1,000 people in the Wichita area.

Those were the top agenda items mentioned by City Council members Maggie Ballard and Mike Hoheisel, along with incumbent Brandon Johnson, who took the oath of office Monday night.

Combined, the three Democrats have delivered to Mayor Brandon Whipple a majority bloc of allied council members for the first time since the beginning of his term in 2020.

The power shift comes as a surge in omicron and delta COVID-19 threatens to overwhelm understaffed hospitals and stretch thin the work forces of many businesses and schools.

The council could take action on the situation Tuesday for the first time since late 2020. County Health Officer Dr. Garold Minns is scheduled to address the council a week after the Sedgwick County Commission took no action after a warning by Minns that the pandemic is hitting the Wichita area harder than ever.

The city took a leading role in the fight against the coronavirus in July 2020 when Whipple called a special meeting to institute a mask mandate before Fourth of July weekend after the County Commission declined to do so. After letting a mask ordinance expire in late 2020, Wichita’s City Council has deferred to the county on all COVID-19 related public health measures. Whipple has said he did not push for additional city measures because he did not have enough votes on the council.

That changes Tuesday.

“We’ve had an incredible amount of death and strife over the last couple of years, and this weighs heavy in my mind,” Hoheisel said. “We’re at a crossroads right now, in our city and our country, and it’s up to us: Are we going to build back better, are we going to come back stronger, or are we going to continue with these petty quarrels we have become obsessed with over the past few years?”

It was unclear from his speech and from an interview after the swearing-in ceremony whether he supports the city instituting another mask mandate or other COVID-related restriction.

“We need to look at it judiciously,” Hoheisel said after the ceremony. “I think that depends on the situation. And it’s kind of a loaded question because you have to focus on what concrete actions we can take in regards to it. We absolutely should be involved in increasing access to test sites, increasing access to treatment, increasing access to vaccination sites as well. So those things we absolutely should be involved in.”

Ballard hinted that the City Council could take action first, followed by the County Commission, on measures meant to fight the COVID surge, depending on Minns’ recommendations.

“Well, our meetings are on Tuesday, and the county’s is on Wednesday. So maybe we’re just the first one in line,” she said.

Apart from COVID, the council is primed for another political fight on Tuesday. Whipple signaled last week that he could replace council members sitting on outside boards with Ballard and Hoheisel. Council members Becky Tuttle and Bryan Frye, both Republicans, questioned whether he has the legal authority to do so.

Long-term goals

Johnson, who was re-elected by a wide margin, has played the role of peacemaker on the council for the past two years, often bridging the divide between the more conservative members of the council and Whipple.

While the incoming council members — much like Whipple — have loudly criticized City Manager Robert Layton and recent decisions by the City Council on the campaign trail, Johnson has touted on the city’s accomplishments and has avoided criticizing City Hall. On Monday, he called for the council to work together.

“Many hands make light work, and more perspectives make for better decisions,” Johnson said. “And the last four years have proven that to be true, both within the walls of City Hall and outside. When we’ve worked together, we’ve achieved great things in our city.”

But Johnson also acknowledged a disconnect between the city’s priorities and the city’s residents.

“We still have a lot of work to do, no matter all of the achievements we have,” Johnson said. “We’re not perfect, but citizen engagement has told me that there are those who don’t see all the achievements that we have. They don’t feel the effects of all the good things that have happened in this community. That’s a guiding principle for me going forward to ensure that each Wichitan feels like they live in an All-American city. All parts of this great city should feel included and heard.”

Ballard said she’s also interested in hearing from residents who feel shut out of City Hall conversations.

“If you have an issue, reach out and I will work to help you,” she said. “Even if you’ve been ignored in the past, please reach out.”

Hoheisel said his primary focus as a council member will be on addressing homelessness, addiction and mental illness. But he said those problems won’t be solved by the city alone.

“This is not something that simply the government can mandate,” Hoheisel said. “This has to come from each and every one of us. We have a culture here in Wichita of caring for people, of being better than just our base animal instincts. And if you go elsewhere around the country, you’ll see there is such a thing as ‘Kansas nice,’ and it’s because we do care for each other.”