The first public hearing for the city of Wichita's proposed 2025 budget was held Thursday night at City Hall.
It totals nearly $764 million and prioritizes crime prevention, pavement maintenance, and also supports economic development and housing insecurity.
Stephanie Hager spoke to the council. With the recent death of Wichita Firefighter Ty Voth, she pleaded with the council to spend more on the fire department.
The 2025 budget is balanced but a $3.6 million deficit is forecast for 2026, with further increases in later years.
There are two more public hearings on the budget: Tuesday, August 13th and one week later, on August 20th, when the budget will be finalized.
While the budget took up most of the evening's meeting, the Council did have other business to discuss.
The city will begin building a Real-time information center on the 5th floor of City Hall. Federal grants will cover phase 1 of the project with Constant Technologies, Inc., to the tune of roughly $826 thousand. The city says an annual service agreement will cost $18 thousand and another $300 thousand annually to staff the center.
The council also approved a 2-year agreement with the Service Employees International Union, which will run from December 21, 2024, through December 18, 2026. Eligible employees will receive merit-based step increases of 2.5% and general pay adjustments of 6 percent in both 2025 and 2026.
Finally, the city will improve traffic signals at I-235 and K-42 in southwest Wichita, after the council approved $1 million for its 2024 Traffic Improvements and Signalization Program.
