Wichita city manager Robert Layton will present a recommended 2021 budget of $630 million to city council members Tuesday. He will also present a ten-year, $2 billion capital improvement program.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy has resulted in lower revenue forecasts for sales taxes, interest earnings and other types of revenue. Reductions were made in order to develop a balanced budget for 2021. Several projects will be delayed because of the expected impact, and that will include delays for library improvements, splash pad maintenance and snow removal equipment.
The proposed budget will keep the city’s mill levy rate unchanged.
Key elements of the budget include privatizing the operations of the Century II Convention Center in order to reduce the annual subsidy from the city’s Tourism and Convention Fund. The budget will also provide funding for Phase II of the Police Staffing Study, and 26 new positions will be added in a revised budget for this year. The budget will have just over $101 million for public safety, including $36.7 million to replace fire trucks and $34 million for the replacement of three police stations and three fire stations.
The budget also includes $30.5 million for projects in the downtown area, including improvements for Douglas Avenue from Main to Washington and 2nd Street from Main to St. Francis. There will also be a total of $154 million for street maintenance efforts in the ten-year capital improvement program. The annual funding for street maintenance will go up from $11 million in 2021 to $20 million by 2030.
