Sedgwick County commissioners approve letter to Kansas Department of Corrections over new funding formula

Sedgwick County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 25 approved a letter to the governor, legislative leaders and the Kansas Department of Corrections asking for review and corrective action after state officials finalized a new adult community corrections funding formula that county staff say would cut Sedgwick County's funding by roughly 38'39% over three years. The board motion to approve the letter, including attachments and edits made at the meeting, passed by roll call vote (Bluebaugh, Wise, Nel, Meitzner and Chairman Beatty voted aye).

The letter and discussion summarize a timeline that county officials say began when KDOC staff discussed a draft formula with community corrections directors in December 2024, posted formula tables to directors by email on Jan. 6, 2025, and sent a final table on Sept. 8, 2025 with an implementation date of July 1, 2026. Rusty Leeds, assistant county manager, said Sedgwick County's share would fall by almost $2.1 million over three years and that the county is slated to lose about 51.7% of the mental-health/behavioral-health portion of the funds.

The letter asks for legislative oversight, an independent review (the county suggested an independent…