Ranzau chairmanship will turn commission hard right

Congratulations to Richard Ranzau, who became chairman of the Sedgwick County Commission Wednesday with the help of a vote from new Commissioner Jim Howell. That officially turns the commission hard right in its leadership and likely its agenda, potentially putting in jeopardy some existing county programs and longtime funding priorities. Any county department that has relied on federal grants – a particular target of Ranzau in the past – should be assessing its options. So should the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, which can no longer count on county support of economic development deals. – Rhonda Holman

This story was originally published January 14, 2015 at 6:05 PM.