At Wednesday's Sedgwick County Commission meeting, Deputy Chief Financial Officer Brent Shelton presented the county's first and second quarter financial report for 2021.
Mr. Shelton said the county's fiscal condition is in sound shape, pointing to healthy fund balances, improved tax collections, a strong real estate market and strong growth in retail sales and use taxes.
Despite the rosy picture, Shelton pointed to some challenges ahead for the county, related to what he deemed a hard insurance market. While the county renewed its property insurance premiums with their current carrier, he said many other companies and commercial clients have been unable to do so. He said increasingly expensive weather claims, social unrest, and the ongoing pandemic are the main reasons for that difficulty.
In other news, Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stolz commissioners that local health officer Dr. Garold Minns is watching the increase in the county's COVID-19 cases. He added that Dr. Minns will be consulting with area physicians and would release guidance to the community within the next few days.
Between last Friday and Monday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county increased by 229. The rolling 14-day average of positive tests is up to 8.1 percent. As of Monday, 112 people are in area hospitals with COVID, 30 of them are in ICU.
