Wichita, Kansas
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Wichita is the largest city in Kansas with a population of 361,420. Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County.
[edit] Website evaluation
Last rated on Jan. 10, 2012
[edit] The good
- Budgets are posted.[1]
- Audits are posted.[2]
- Information on how to make public records requests is posted.[3]
- Bid opportunities are posted.[4]
- Bids and contracts are posted.[5]
- A city directory is posted.[6]
- The city posts its American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects.[7]
- City council members are listed with contact information.[8]
- Meeting agendas and minutes are posted.[9]
- Zoning information is posted.[10]
- Building permits are available online.[11]
- Interactive GIS maps are posted.[12]
- Property tax rates are posted in the budget.[13]
- The communications department is responsible for intergovernmental lobbying.[14]
[edit] The bad
- The amount spent on Taxpayer-funded lobbying is not provided.
To compare Wichita with other Kansas cities, see Evaluation of Kansas city websites.
[edit] Public employees
[edit] City council
According to the official Wichita, Kansas website, the mission of the city council is to "provide policy direction for the City of Wichita in developing, implementing, and maintaining services to the citizens of Wichita. The Council establishes policy direction for the City by enacting ordinances, laws, policies, adopting the budget, levying taxes, and appointing members to citizen advisory boards and commissions."[15]
The council is made up of 7 members that are elected to four-year terms on a nonpartisan basis with staggered terms of office. Six Council members are elected by district, and the mayor is elected at-large.[15]
In addition to regular meetings, the city council holds monthly public city council workshops where the members have the opportunity to review and discuss important issues, staff projects and future Council meeting agenda items. The City Manager and staff attend to present topics for discussion and to answer Council questions. Citizens may also be asked by the Council to provide input. The City Council does not take official action during workshop sessions; therefore, audience comments on agenda items are made only at the request of the Mayor or Council Members.
| Name | District |
|---|---|
| Lavonta Williams (Vice mayor) | 1st |
| Pete Meitzner | 2nd |
| James Clendenin | 3rd |
| Michael O'Donnell II | 4th |
| Jeff Longwell | 5th |
| Janet Miller | 6th |
The city council are working on meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water Act. Council member Michael O'Donnell called for the city and state to "make the EPA as inconsequential as possible" in order to help the city and its economic development.[16]
[edit] Mayor
Wichita's mayor is Carl Brewer.[17]
[edit] City manager
Wichita's city manager is Robert Layton.[18]
[edit] Budget
| Source | Revenues | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Property tax | $105,134,617 | 19% |
| Sales tax | $50,824,974 | 9% |
| Franchise fees | $40,061,706 | 7% |
| Appropriated balances | $49,162,818 | 9% |
| Special assessments | $36,701,774 | 7% |
| Other fund balances | $18,209,962 | 3% |
| Charges for service | $158,407,792 | 29% |
| Other sources | $90,810,139 | 17% |
| Total Revenues | $549,313,783 | 100% |
| Category | Expenditures | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Salaries and Benefits | $200,373,276 | 36% |
| Contractuals | $77,894,464 | 14% |
| Commodities | $22,104,439 | 4% |
| Capital Outlay | $4,219,120 | 1% |
| Other | $37,273,583 | 7% |
| Debt Service | $158,286,082 | 29% |
| Appropriated Reserves | $49,162,818 | 9% |
| Total Expenditures | $549,313,783 | 100% |
[edit] Retirement costs
[edit] Pensions
Wichita has two defined-benefit pension systems: Wichita Employees' Retirement System (WERS) and the Wichita Police and Fire Retirement System (WPFRS).[19]
For WERS, Wichita contributed $4,529,765 to the system in 2010 and has $24,128,000 in unfunded liabilities. The city contributed $13,119,984 into the WPFRS system and has accrued $38,982,000 in unfunded liabilities.[19]
[edit] OPEBs
The city of Wichita's other post-employment benefits are 0% funded and have $30,038,441 in unfunded liabilities.[19]
[edit] Taxes
[edit] Sales tax
The city gets a cut of a countywide 1% sales tax.[13]
[edit] Property tax
For 2012, Wichita's total property tax rate is 32.272.[13]
[edit] Transparency efforts
[edit] How to make public records requests
The City of Wichita maintains a page titled A Guide to Open Records which help citizens make records requests. A page titled Records Custodians gives the names and email addresses of records custodians for various departments of the city.
[edit] Citizen records requests
Recently Bob Weeks of the Voice For Liberty in Wichita made records requests from quasi-governmental agencies in Wichita that perform governmental functions and are funded wholly or substantially by tax funds. Each of the three agencies (Wichita Downtown Development Corporation, Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition, and the Go Wichita Conventions and Visitors Bureau) refused to comply with the records requests on the basis that they are not subject to the Kansas Open Records Act.[20][21] Currently the Sedgwick County District Attorney is investigating these cases.
[edit] Citizen aptitude
The Wichita website offers a "Citizens Academy" for educating citizens on the workings of local government. It is an eight-week interactive program divided by sessions like "Local Government 101." [22]
[edit] Federal funding
[edit] Stimulus funds
| Project Area | Stimulus Funds |
|---|---|
| Infrastructure | $16,094,635 |
| Transit | $6,629,186 |
| Housing and Neighborhoods | $4,934,046 |
| Energy and Environment | $4,257,500 |
| Safety | $1,559,048 |
| Airport | $329,910 |
| Total | 33,804,325 |
[edit] Housing and urban development funds
Wichita will receive slightly more than $2 million in funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.[23] This is in addition to any funds the city will be receiving through the 2009 federal stimulus package.
[edit] Economic development
City council members and other political and union leaders are trying to convince Boeing not to close its Wichita operations.[24]
Wichita's city council approved a $1 million incentive to Bombardier Learjet to expand in Wichita. Sedgwick County is matching with its own $1 million grant.[25]
[edit] External links
- Wichita official website
- Wichita municipal code
- Wichita Chamber of Commerce website
- History of the city of Wichita
- Wichita Comprehensive Plan and Development Activity
[edit] References
- ↑ Wichita, KS "Budget Documents," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita, KS "CAFRs," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita, KS "Guide to Open Records," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita, KS "Purchasing," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita, KS "Board of Bids and Contracts Minutes," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita, KS "City Directory," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wichita, KS "ARRA Stimulus Funds & Local Projects," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Wichita, KS "City Council," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita, KS "Minutes and Agendas," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita, KS "Metropolitan Area Planning Department," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita, KS "EPermits," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita, KS "GIS," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Wichita, KS "2012-13 Budget," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita, KS "Communications," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Wichita city council page
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle "Wichita City Council seeks to meet bare minimum for clean water," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita, KS "Mayor," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita, KS "City Manager," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Wichita, KS "2010 CAFR," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ Wichita Downtown Development Corporation and City of Wichita refuse to follow Kansas Open Records Act
- ↑ Wichita’s open records policy is contrary to the interests of citizens
- ↑ City of Wichita - Citizens Academy
- ↑ Wichita Receives HUD Homeless Funds, 23 Feb 2009
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle "No contract binds Boeing to local jobs," Accessed November 23, 2011
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle "Wichita City Council signs off on $1 million grant for Bombardier expansion," Accessed November 23, 2011
