Sedgwick County adopts $591 million 2026 budget, lowers mill levy and funds 9-1-1 expansion

Commissioner Ryan Beatty said the Sedgwick County Commission on Aug. 20 finalized and adopted the county's 2026 budget, a package he said totals $591,000,000 for county government operations and $31,000,000 for the Fire District and funds staffing and equipment for the county's emergency communications center.

Beatty said the commission reduced the county mill levy to its lowest rate in more than 30 years and used 4.3% of available assessed value growth to fund the budget. He said the county had 8.6% assessed value growth available, and the county manager had proposed taking 5.5% of that growth before the commission's final adjustments.

The budget's significance, Beatty said, rests partly on tax stewardship. "Property taxes are only about 40% of our total revenues," he said, and the county portion typically comprises about 20% to 25% of a property owner's overall tax bill, with the remainder made up by state and local taxing jurisdictions. In the budget discussion, Beatty emphasized balancing tax relief with continued support for county services.

Beatty highlighted staffing and public safety as priorities. He said the county is "upwards of 90% staffed across the board," and that measures such as call-answer and emergency-response times have improved. On 9-1-1, Beatty described the planned investments as a "legacy building" multi-year effort: the budget funds 20 new full-time employees, separates call taker and dispatcher roles, creates discipline-specific dispatchers for distinct public-safety sectors, and provides new equipment. He said the county's emergency communications center receives more than 1,200 calls daily and that the planned upgrades aim to modernize the operation and pursue national accreditation.

Beatty framed the 9-1-1 investments as both operational and long-term, saying they will "outlive my time in elected office." He also noted the budget supports about 46 county departments and nearly 3,000 employees across functions including public safety, public health and public works, and said the budget process began in February.

The commissioner invited residents to contact his office with questions or feedback.

Votes at a glance

- 2026 Sedgwick County budget (county operations: $591,000,000; Fire District: $31,000,000): adopted Aug. 20. The transcript records that the commission "finalized and adopted" the budget on that date; movers, seconds and roll-call vote tallies were not specified in the recorded remarks.