The Wichita City Council has set a proposed budget for 2022, slated at just over $670 million dollars, along with the proposed 10-year capital improvement program.
City Manager Robert Layton outlined the city's budgetary goals of keeping the city safe, growing the economy, building and maintaining infrastructure and providing conditions for living well.
Some of the budget highlights would:
• Fund the Fire response optimization initiative
• Retain 12 grant-funded firefighters
• Fund four new Patrol stations, partially with the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding
• Enhance Police support services, including two community support specialists
• Replace six Fire stations over 10 years, using ARPA funding for one
• Fund the violence interrupter initiative
• Add seven Police Officers – concluding Phase II of the staffing study
• Fund the small business portal
• Conclude the Gilbert & Mosley TIF (successfully protecting property values)
• Fund improvements to West Street Corridor and to the North Junction
• Increase Street Maintenance to $163 million over 10 years
• Fund a new sewage treatment plant to provide compliant treatment capacity for the future
• Include over $37 million over 10 years to maintain City facilities
• Restore previous reductions to library materials, tree trimming and tree planting
• Merge Cultural Arts services with Park and Recreation to enhance service
• Fund South Lakes improvements, Phase I of the LW Clapp Master Plan, and McAdams facility
• Propose outsourcing Golf system management to enhance the customer experience and generate funds for capital improvements
• Include $12 million for public art on capital projects
An anticipated mill levy of 32.749 would bring an estimated $129,165,203 in taxes to the city.
The council will hold another hearing on the evening of August 5, along with one at their regular council meeting on August 17. The fourth and final hearing takes place on August 24, prior to budget adoption.
In other news, the council approved design agreements for 14 street and water projects across the city.
Street improvements include the West Street corridor south of I-235, along with rehabilitation or replacement of the Amidon Street Bridge at 18th Street North over the Arkansas River. The city will complete this work between 2022 and 2025.
The city also looks to replace several water mains, along with connecting water mains in the western part of the city that come to a dead end. The projects will be finished by 2027 and will not affect customer water rates.
Total price tag for all of this work, once the designs are complete, is $28 million.