Wichita review of 2024 community survey spotlights safety, economy and a new budget framework

City officials and outside consultants presented results of the 2024 Wichita Community Survey and a draft goal framework for the 2025–27 budget during a Jan. 28 workshop, highlighting public concern about safety and the economy and recommending a performance-management approach to align resources with community priorities.

Polco COO Sonia Wittingk said the city’s statistically sampled survey produced 461 completed responses (margin of error 4.6%) and that comparisons were made to national and custom benchmarks; she said the survey found safety and the economy as top priorities and showed improvement in many city service ratings compared with 2023. "461 completed surveys were received from these efforts, which is a great result," Wittingk said.

Council and staff said the survey will guide budget decisions. City Manager Layton framed the workshop as the start of a two-part budget review and said staff will use council feedback on the draft framework to prepare budget recommendations. "We are starting to work on the budget today, and we'll do it in two pieces," Layton said.

Why it matters: The survey and the proposed framework are meant to align the city's operating budgets with resident priorities and to create measurable goals and strategies for departments. Staff and consultants said the framework will…