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Commission delays MAPD fee increase after builders ask for more analysis
Summary
The Board deferred consideration of a proposed 10% fee increase for Metropolitan Area Planning Department application fees to give builders and stakeholders more time to review fiscal impacts and comparables; commissioners asked staff for a fiscal analysis showing how the increase would change cost recovery.
Sedgwick County commissioners voted Wednesday to defer action on a proposed fee increase for the Metropolitan Area Planning Department (MAPD) after stakeholders asked for more time to review the change and staff briefed the board on funding and cost‑recovery trends.
Scott Weidl of MAPD presented background showing department funding is a mix of city/county contributions and application fees and that the 2024 budget included a contemplated 10% fee increase. He told commissioners inflation between 2018 and 2023 rose nearly 20 percent and that cost recovery for MAPD’s case-processing work is currently about 23 percent. With the proposed 10% fee increase, staff estimated cost recovery could rise to about 28 percent; without the increase, taxpayer subsidy would cover roughly 77 percent of case-processing costs.
During discussion, several commissioners said they support the principle of shifting more costs to users rather than property-tax funding but asked for additional analysis before approving a fee increase. Commissioner Jim Howe said he would vote for the measure if it were before the board but emphasized ongoing concern about regulation and potential impacts on affordable housing. Commissioner Dennis urged that property taxpayers should not subsidize a large portion of MAPD operations and supported shifting some cost burden to users; Commissioner Meitzner requested more information on how MAPD’s fees compare with peer jurisdictions and whether other communities subsidize similar services.
Stakeholder feedback was mixed. Weidl said members of local development groups historically understood the rationale for fee increases but that the Wichita-area builders association (WABA) asked for more time and indicated they were not in support of the increase as presented. Staff said WABA requested a deferral to gather additional 2024 data and that the city of Wichita also must take parallel action for city fees, so an effective date of March 1 was suggested if the board later approves the change.
Chairman Beatty made and commissioners seconded a motion to defer consideration to a later date; the motion passed on a 5–0 roll call. Commissioners asked staff to return with supplemental fiscal analysis showing how the 10% increase would change MAPD cost recovery using recent annual case volumes and clearer comparables with peer jurisdictions.
