Sedgwick County opens 2026 budget hearings with $6 million shortfall; departments press for pay, technology and operational funding

Sedgwick County managers and department leaders opened the first day of 2026 budget hearings with projections, staffing requests and several department decision packages that commissioners will consider before a recommended budget is published July 9 and formally adopted August 20.

County manager Tom Stoltz told the Board of County Commissioners the "budget is the soul of the organization," and outlined an intentional, multi‑layered public process that includes department presentations, a WSU budget simulator for residents and at least two public hearings before adoption.

The countyfinance team presented a five‑year forecast that assumes a stable mill levy of 28.701 mills and 5% assessed‑value growth in 2026 through 2030. The forecast shows an initial $6,000,000 deficit entering 2026, a recommended compensation pool and a suite of decision packages and reductions that could alter the final numbers. The countyrequested budget in the materials reviewed is $585,452,474, including $10.9 million in decision‑package requests representing 56.25 full‑time equivalents; the Department of Corrections submitted one revenue package request for $89,661 and alternative reductions totaling $410,129.

Compensation and pay pools were a central theme. Finance staff built a 5% total pay pool into the forecast for 2026; commissioners and department heads clarified that the topline 5% is a planning construct and that the pool is implemented through different components (steps, scale adjustments and general pay adjustments). The staff…