Here are highlights of Wichita’s proposed 2027 budget

Wichita’s proposed 2027 budget has grown to more than $800 million.

That’s driven mostly by wage increases and added expenses to the city’s budget, including getting the Northwest Water Treatment and Biological Nutrient Removal plant online and adding firefighters for a new fire station, the city said.

Last year’s approved budget by the City Council was about $776 million.

While the proposed budget has grown, it’s based off of a stable mill levy rate.

This is City Manager Dennis Marstall’s first proposed budget since becoming the city’s new manager earlier this year.

“This is my first opportunity to get deep into the weeds of the city of Wichita budget,” Marstall told the council Tuesday.

The council will have additional hearings on the budget, including on Aug. 4 and 18, as well as on Aug. 25 during its evening meeting.

Here is what else is in the city’s budget:

Funding for Second Light

The budget includes $5 million in one-time funding for Second Light, the city’s homeless shelter.

The funding will come from the city’s reserves, or its rainy day fund.

Second Light said the funding was vital in ensuring that the shelter can continue to operate when American Rescue Plan Act funds run out this fall.

“The proposed $5 million allocation to Second Light would allow Second Light to continue to serve our most vulnerable neighbors,” Second Light executive director Dan Clifford said in an earlier statement to the Eagle.

Second Light previously asked the city for the $5 million in funding to help continue its operations for the next three years.

Some increased funding for the library

Following calls by the library board and city council members, the city has increased the library’s budget by $375,000.

However, the board previously said $1.4 million in increased funding was needed to help with staffing at the city’s libraries to accommodate its growing number of cardholders.

Council members pushed the city manager to add even more funding for the library.

“I’m going to push a little bit more and say, ‘Is there any way we can get a little bit more than 375 for that when we look at the cost of not investing in libraries and the implications that it has on the back end?’” Council member Joseph Shepard said.

Library board member Susie Ternes spoke during public comment, saying investing in the library now could pay off for the city in future years.

“A well-funded library is . . . unglamorous crime prevention. It’s cheaper than policing, and it addresses root causes instead of just consequences,” Ternes said.

Police and Fire are bulk of city budget

The police and fire departments make up 67% of the city’s proposed budget.

An increase in their portion includes adding a number of positions in each department, including five positions for the police department’s Real Time Information Center and 14 firefighters for a station set to open in southwest Wichita.

Those expenditures come out to more than $2 million.

Other new expenses for the police department include adding cameras to 50 police vehicles.

City employees get salary increases, tuition reimbursement

Included in this year’s budget are salary increases for its employees.

That includes a 2.5% step increase for eligible employees and an additional 2.5% for all city employees.

The city has also added a tuition reimbursement program to its employee benefits. Details were not immediately available about the program, but the city has earmarked $300,000 for it in its first year.

The budget also noted that the city was exploring expanded parental leave programs for city employees.

“During the planning period, a review of benefit programs will occur as well as implementation of a supervisory development program,” budget documents read.