Council reviews 2026 budget targets, reduction options and sales-tax thought piece at workshop

City staff briefed the Wichita City Council May 27 on strategic pillars, draft tactics and preliminary budget scenarios for 2026'27, forecasting a $2 million shortfall for 2026 under current assumptions and presenting a menu of expenditure reductions and revenue options, including a thought piece on a possible city sales tax.

"We will share with you ... the pillars and the goals and the work that's been done," the city manager said at the start of the workshop, describing a draft implementation plan that now includes time-bound tactics tied to the council's priorities. Finance Director Elizabeth Goltry summarized 46 strategies and about 60 tactics organized under five pillars: Well Run City; Keep Wichita Safe; Grow Our Economy; Build and Maintain Dependable Infrastructure; and Living Well. Goltry said the tactics are intended to guide departmental budgets and implementation.

Staff gave the council a two-scenario budget framework: a base case and a scenario with lower property-tax revenue that requires targeted reductions. For 2026 staff presented a projected deficit of about $2,000,000 and similar pressure in 2027 under current assumptions; staff noted those figures depend on the Sedgwick County assessed valuation notice, due by state statute on June 15. "A month ago we projected a deficit of a million dollars a month ago ... and now we're projecting a deficit of $2,000,000 in May," Goltry said, describing recent adjustments including SAFER grant local-match…