The Wichita City Council voted 5-2 to establish the city's proposed 2026 annual operating budget and 2026-2035 capital improvement program.
The certified total budget is just over $1 billion dollars. While the city intends to exceed the revenue neutral rate, the proposed budget would drop the mill levy for the first time in over 30 years, by half a mill to 32.316 mills. It will be supported by $175 million in property taxes.
Outgoing Council member Brandon Johnson made two motions, both of which failed. The first was to raise the mill levy by one mill, while the second was to keep it flat with 2025.
There are 3 more opportunities for the public to comment on the budget. An evening meeting on August 7, the morning meetings on August 19 and August 26, the latter prior to budget adoption.
The council also approved a resolution authorizing City Manager Robert Layton to take administrative action to ensure compliance with new federal grant requirements.
The city must comply with new policies on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. If the city doesn't remove DEI language and policy, they could lose $100 million in federal grant money, for areas like transit and housing.
The city’s Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights Advisory Board cancelled their Tuesday meeting.
A north Wichita intersection will be reconstructed.
The council approved $3 million in funding for the 29th Street N. and Broadway intersection. The project will modify the lane configuration to include dedicated left turn lanes, something it currently lacks. It will also replace the existing traffic signals.
Construction is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2026 and be completed by the summer of 2027.