Howell, McIntosh offer plans for bolstering Sedgwick County workforce amid shortage

Republican Jim Howell and Democrat John McIntosh both have ideas to address Sedgwick County government’s struggle to staff departments.

McIntosh, a former Derby City Council and Chamber of Commerce member who also serves on the Sedgwick County Association of Cities, says recent pay hikes for county employees haven’t gone far enough.

Howell, the longest-serving member on the commission, says improving staff retention has more to do with addressing internal department issues.

The two are facing off for the District 5 seat on the county commission. District 5 includes southeast Wichita, McConnell Air Force Base, Mulvane and Derby.

Commissioners make up the governing body for Sedgwick County and are paid $98,304 a year. Their responsibilities include setting policy direction and approving a budget for vital services such as EMS, 911, Comcare, corrections and the sheriff’s office.

McIntosh, said staffing shortages across county departments are the result of years of neglect from leadership.

“There’s a fine line between being fiscally responsible and being cheap, and the commission over the years has gone cheap,” McIntosh said.

Howell, who also lives in Derby and served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2010 to 2015 before being elected to the commission, said that’s not a fair assessment.

“We’ve pumped $30 million of increases in wages in the last two years,” Howell said. “That is unbelievable but that’s something we had to do to get our staff stabilized.

“We’re assuming that we have a salary problem when in fact maybe there’s other things going on in the workplace that need to be addressed.”

The 2021 ouster of the county EMS director exemplifies how toxic supervision can create department upheaval, Howell said. He said the county is working to implement an internal survey system that will give employees an opportunity to speak candidly about workplace culture without fear of retribution.

Hiring and retention

Even with a recent 30% increase in pay for Comcare workers, the county’s mental health service provider still has roughly 200 positions to fill. Serious shortages have plagued 911 and the department of corrections, and staffing issues recently forced the county to temporarily close a south Wichita office of the Women, Infants and Children program.

McIntosh wants to implement a three-year job-review process to evaluate the workforce and ensure the county is offering competitive wages and benefits.

“First year, we’ll say it’s public safety. Second year could be public works. Third year, administration,” McIntosh said.

Howell said retention is just as important as hiring. He said the county should implement an “open door policy” that encourages employees to speak up when they’re dealing with workplace issues.

“If an employee wants to talk to a county commissioner, there’s a lot of effort I think by staff to stop that conversation,” Howell said. “I would like to invite the employees to come and speak to me on any issue, and then what I do is investigate.”

Howell was involved in two hours-long meetings last year where Sedgwick County EMS employees demanded the removal of EMS Director John Gallagher, citing a toxic culture in the department. Gallagher was later fired after a Wichita Eagle investigation revealed EMS response times had become dangerously slow under his leadership.

“Employees have to know that they’re going to be heard and if they have concerns, it’s going to be taken seriously,” Howell said. “If there is toxic supervision out there, they’re not going to survive. We just have to have a professional organization.”

Hostility on the board

McIntosh said the county commission has failed to lead by example in terms of professionalism. Too often, he said, meetings are dominated by personal hostility and political attacks.

“If you watch a county commission meeting, it’s like watching a reality show of a dysfunctional family,” McIntosh said. “It’s ridiculous. It’s upstaging each other. It’s being uncivil, unprofessional. They’re grandstanding, bullying — it’s embarrassing.

“If there’s a personality problem between two people, it needs to be in the back room, not in front of everybody.”

Howell said unfiltered conversations, even when they become contentious, are part of transparent government.

“Some people don’t understand KOMA (Kansas Open Meetings Act). They think we should work out our differences before we come out — that’s not good government,” Howell said. “You don’t really want that to happen. I want it to be organic, and our actual first conversation about something should happen in front of the public.”

McIntosh said political infighting on the board could scare away potential investment opportunities.

“If you were a large corporation and you were looking to relocate your business somewhere and you came to Wichita and happened to come across one of those meetings, what would you think?” McIntosh said.

“There’s a cultural issue with Sedgwick County.”

Howell defended his own conduct, saying he doesn’t believe he’s been part of the problem.

“I don’t think I’ve been the one that’s been ugly at all,” Howell said. “I think I’ve maintained my professionalism and my decorum.”

Senior services

Howell and McIntosh propose different ideas for improving the county’s approach to serving a growing senior population. The distribution of county funds across districts and providing support for senior centers have become contentious issues in recent years.

Each sitting commissioner appoints three members to the 15-person aging advisory council, which meets monthly and is charged with identifying service gaps, providing feedback and making recommendations to improve quality of life for older residents.

McIntosh said those meetings usually amount to council members listening to county staff without taking meaningful action.

“It doesn’t work. I know a couple of people on that board and they’re in their 90s. They can’t make meetings,” McIntosh said. “We’ve got to get smarter.

“I want at least one member of one of the local senior centers on there. I want some professionals from the community on programs that deal with the disabled and seniors.”

Howell said putting providers on the advisory council would create conflicts of interest. His alternative for activating the council is to let members make their own funding decisions for senior services rather than relying on county staff.

“They’re disengaging because they’re not being utilized,” Howell said.

“The aging advisory council needs to understand there’s the bucket of money. They should make recommendations in how that money should be used in the community. And if they value senior centers, they should have the right to earmark money for senior centers.”

The District 5 race is one of three County Commission contests on the Nov. 8 ballot. Early in-person voting in Sedgwick County runs from Oct. 24 through Nov. 7.

This story was originally published October 21, 2022 at 5:27 AM.