Crucial local budget debates

The hottest days of summer loom, along with what could be heated debates over local governments’ budget proposals.

Anticipated cuts by Sedgwick County already have generated controversy, but residents of the city of Wichita and USD 259 also will need to pay attention and offer input in the coming weeks – or risk unpleasant surprises later.

▪  The details of the 2016 budget proposal for Sedgwick County won’t be known until 9 a.m. Monday, but letters sent to 15 groups and county commissioners’ comments suggest the county intends to break commitments and significantly cut back or eliminate funding for budget areas including quality of life, community health, social services, workforce training, economic development and regional planning. None of this appears necessary, either, as then-County Manager William Buchanan left commissioners with a workable budget blueprint when he retired last month. The organizations bracing themselves include the Sedgwick County Zoo, which was counting on an extra $388,000 from the county to staff its new Elephants of the Zambezi River Valley exhibit. The county’s 2015 budget is $421.4 million. Citizens can follow the budget process at www.sedgwickcounty.org after the Monday presentation, and also make comments via an online forum. Commissioners also will hold public hearings on the budget at 9 a.m. July 29 and 6 p.m. Aug. 6 in their meeting room at the County Courthouse before adopting the budget Aug. 12.

▪  As City Manager Robert Layton presented his proposed $572.8 million budget for 2016 last week, he was able to identify stopgap funding for the bus system, which had faced a $2 million shortfall and service reductions. While avoiding significant cuts or a mill levy increase, Layton’s balanced budget proposal gives priority to more street maintenance, implementation of body-worn cameras for police officers, increased tree planting and pruning, and countering illegal dumping. The city’s current revised budget is $537.5 million. Layton’s 2016 plan is available at www.wichita.gov. The City Council will hear from the public Aug. 4 and before it votes on the budget Aug. 11.

▪  Monday’s Wichita school board meeting will include an update on planning for what promises to be a tough 2015-16 budget, with a formal presentation and vote expected later. The district’s 2014-15 budget of $683.8 million included a property tax decrease, but last month the school board learned that the district’s property tax mill levy might need to increase 3.3 mills, and that departments were making 10 percent cuts in non-personnel budgets, an after-school adult education would be axed, 14 jobs would remain unfilled, and $3.3 million in district reserves would be tapped. While the state’s two-year block-grant funding means about $6 million more for the district, $5.3 million of it is for teacher pensions, and the district expects $14 million in higher operational and instructional costs. Other concerns: The dysfunctional Legislature left it to Gov. Sam Brownback to cut another $50 million from the state budget – his decisions are pending – and the court fight over K-12 school funding statewide has yet to play out. The school board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at Wichita North High School, as well as July 27 and Aug. 10. For more on the budget process, go to usd259.org.

To be heard during these crucial budget debates, the community must first speak up.

For the editorial board, Rhonda Holman

This story was originally published July 18, 2015 at 7:06 PM with the headline "Crucial local budget debates."