Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell reviewed the county's budget and property-tax mechanics and described a 1.4‑mill reduction in the county mill levy adopted for the coming year. Howell outlined how assessed value, the mill levy and the revenue-neutral-rate notice work together and explained how the countywide 1% sales tax has been used to lower property taxes since the tax's adoption in 1985.

Why this matters

The county's explanations affect how residents understand who pays for services and how distribution of county sales-tax revenue affects cities and the county. Howell said changes under consideration could shift hundreds of millions of dollars between jurisdictions if the state revises distribution formulas or if the county pursues ballot measures to reallocate revenue.

Key points from the briefing

- Mill-levy change and budget growth: Howell said the county adopted a budget increase of roughly 4.5% this year and reduced the county mill levy by about 1.4 mills. He described the relationship among assessed value, the mill levy and tax dollars and said the county captured less than half of assessed-value growth, returning more growth to taxpayers.

- County revenue and tax numbers: Howell said the county's property-tax levy this year would be about $209,000,000 compared with roughly $200,000,000 the prior year. He gave an example citizen cost: a $100,000 home pays about $27.78 per month in county taxes, with roughly $15.60 of that going to public safety.

- Countywide 1% sales tax: Howell said the countywide 1% sales tax generated about $140,000,000 last year; Wichita received approximately $90,000,000 of that distribution, and Derby received about $6,000,000. Howell characterized the 1% sales tax as having reduced local property taxes and said its distribution formula divides half the revenue by population and half by a tax-levy calculation (the county receives credit only for unincorporated population on the population piece).

- Proposal to alter distribution formula: Howell described a proposed state change that would allocate the second half of the 1% sales-tax pool by assessed value instead of by tax levy. He said Sedgwick County would likely gain revenue under that change while some cities (Derby was cited as an example) would lose millions. "If you lower the mill levy, you should be rewarded for lowering the mill levy," Howell said; he argued the existing distribution disincentivizes jurisdictions from lowering levies.

- Ballot proposal for culture/recreation tax: Howell described a county proposal to replace some property-tax revenue with a dedicated 0.25% sales tax to fund culture, recreation and community programs (Sedgwick County Zoo, Exploration Place, park operations, project access, child advocacy center and similar programs were cited). Howell said a 0.25% sales tax could generate roughly $35,000,000 annually and that the county would lower property taxes (Howell suggested about a 4.5‑mill reduction as an example). He said any countywide, dedicated sales tax would require legislative permission to appear on the ballot and that the measure would include a sunset/revote provision (Howell discussed a required revote in 2030).

Discussion and next steps

Howell said he had drafted a resolution to begin a formal county discussion and to seek legislative permission for a ballot measure. He said the legislature's short session timeline makes comprehensive statewide property-tax reform this year unlikely, but he urged continued discussion about revenue-neutral-rate rules and other alternatives such as a tax lid or splitting the tax bill between state and local payments to increase clarity for taxpayers.

Quotes

"We lowered the mill levy about 1.4 mills this year," Commissioner Jim Howell said. "If assessed value goes up, you either lower the mill levy to avoid taking in too many dollars or you capture some of that growth in your budget."

Ending

Howell said the county will continue to refine proposals and seek legislative authority if the commission pursues a ballot measure. He encouraged residents to follow future commission discussion and review the county's published budget documents for details.