Sedgwick County, Kansas
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Contents |
[edit] Website evaluation
- Main article: Evaluation of Kansas county websites
This website was most recently reviewed on 13 Jan 2011.
[edit] The good
- Tax rates are posted,[1] and taxes are payable online.[2]
- An interactive GIS map is posted.[3]
- Information and a form are provided for public records requests.[4]
- Elected officials are posted with contact information.[5]
- Meeting minutes and agendas are posted.[6]
- Bid opportunities are posted.[7]
- The county posts its checkbook register online.[8]
- Zoning information is posted.[9]
- The building permit application is posted.[10]
- A county directory is available.[11]
- Budgets and audits are posted.[12]
- According to the county's checkbook register, Sedgwick has not spent any money on contracted services for Taxpayer-funded lobbying from 2009-2011. The communications department has put forth legislative platforms for the past several years, however, and the county website does not say how much money was spent for this.[13]
[edit] The bad
- The amount of money spent on Taxpayer-funded lobbying is not posted.
[edit] Public employees
[edit] County commission
| Name | District | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Dave Unruh | 1st | Chair |
| Tim Norton | 2nd | Chair Pro Tem |
| Karl Peterjohn | 3rd | Member |
| Richard Ranzau | 4th | Member |
| James Skelton | 5th | Member |
Commissioner Richard Ranzau opposes the county's forgivable loans program, through which local businesses don't have to pay back loans to the county if they meet certain job-creation goals.[14]
[edit] County manager
Sedgwick County's manager is William Buchanan.[15]
[edit] Personnel
Sedgwick County has 3,084.19 full-time equivalent employees.[16]
[edit] Budget
For 2012, Sedgwick has a budget deficit of $38,928,284.[16]
| Source | Revenue |
|---|---|
| Property tax | $136,077,587 |
| Motor vehicle tax | $16, 191,905 |
| Local sales & use tax | $25,165,199 |
| Other taxes/spec. assessment | $5,446,263 |
| Intergovernmental | $46,695,992 |
| Charges for service | $118,226,500 |
| Uses of money & property | $4,374,393 |
| Other revenues | $15,113,468 |
| Transfers | $5,663,819 |
| Total Revenue | $372,955,126 |
| Function | Expenditures |
|---|---|
| General government | $117,666,213 |
| Bond & interest | $21,581,554 |
| Employee compensation pool | -- |
| Public safety | $140,452,782 |
| Public works | $28,228,665 |
| Health & welfare | $78,540,950 |
| Culture & recreation | $12,077,688 |
| Community development | $13,335,558 |
| Total Expenditures | $411,883,410 |
[edit] Retirement costs
[edit] Pensions
Most Sedgwick employees are in the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS), a defined-benefit pension plan. Sedgwick police and firefighters are in the Kansas Police & Firemen's Retirement System (KP&F), also a defined-benefit plan.[17]
In 2010, the county paid $6,848,410 into KPERS and $4,110,524 into KP&F.
[edit] OPEBs
The county has $28.5 million in unfunded liabilities for its other post-employment benefits other than pensions (OPEBs).[17]
[edit] Service consolidation
Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita consolidate certain services to save costs and increase efficiency. They share a planning department and are considering consolidating building code enforcement.[18]
[edit] Lobbying
The county is budgeting for a Director of Government Relations in the 2012 budget, where it hasn't for the two prior years.[19]
The county has had legislative platforms for the past several years, and it has fallen under the Government Relations role of the Communications department.[13]
[edit] Taxes
The 2010 county and state tax rate was 49.195, down from 49.815 in 2009.[20]
[edit] Economic development
[edit] Bombardier deal
In 2011, Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita both gave $1 million in incentives to convince Bombardier Learjet to expand in the area.[18]
[edit] Unemployment rate
The county has seen a large spike in unemployment due to the recession, losing 5.8 percent of its workforce in the first quarter of 2010, the second highest in the nation.[21]
[edit] External links
- Sedgwick County official website
- Sedgwick County employee payroll, Kansas Watchdog
- Sedgwick County Appraiser's Website
- Sedgwick County on Epodunk
[edit] References
- ↑ Sedgwick County "Tax Levies," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Sedgwick County "Tax Department," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Sedgwick County "GIS," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Sedgwick County "KORA," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sedgwick County "Board of Commissioners," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Sedgwick County "Meetings," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Sedgwick County "Requests for Bids and Proposals," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Sedgwick County "County Checkbook," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ MASD "Zoning," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Sedgwick County "Building Permit Application," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Sedgwick County "Directory," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Sedgwick County "Budget Office," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Sedgwick County "Government Relations," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ KAKE "County commissioner fights to end forgivable loans," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Sedgwick County "Manager," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Sedgwick County "2012 Budget Executive Summary," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Sedgwick County "2010 CAFR," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Wichita Eagle "Managers: Wichita, Sedgwick County should merge services only when it makes sense," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Sedgwick County "2012 Budget -- County Manager," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Sedgwick County "2010 Tax Levies," Accessed November 21, 2011
- ↑ Watchdog, Nine-out-of-ten largest counties lost jobs in first quarter, Oct. 19, 2010
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