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Budget proposal presented to Wichita city council

Budget proposal presented to Wichita city council

Budget proposal presented to Wichita city council

The city of Wichita will have a budget of just over $624.5 million for 2020 under a plan presented Tuesday by city manager Robert Layton.

The budget will continue funding for a police department staffing program and seven grant-funded positions for enforcement along the Broadway corridor will be moved to the general fund to continue after the grants expire.   Layton said funding for the fire department has been increased to deal with overtime issues and make sure shifts are properly staffed.

The budget also includes funding for the aquatics master plan that will provide for renovations of six swimming pools while converting six others into splash pads.  The plan calls for a longer season and increased hours of operation in the summer of 2020.

The budget maintains a $3 million fund for street maintenance and there will be increased funding in the capital improvement program to deal with maintenance issues for residential areas and arterial streets.

The 2020 budget also continues current funding for library branches to implement a master plan for library operations.

Layton said the city will have a balanced budget in 2020, but a deficit of $1.5 million is projected for 2021.  He said there is also uncertainty over the economy in 2021 and beyond and some economists have talked about a possible recession, so his staff will be looking at steps to take if there is a downturn.

The city council will have a public hearing on August 6th, and a vote to adopt a 2020 budget will be held at the August 13th council meeting.

The council voted to approve the budget ordinances which will set the maximum amount for the budget and the city’s property tax levy.  Layton said if the council decides to increase funding in a certain area of the budget, that will have to be offset in other parts of the budget.

 

 

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