Kansas Highway Patrol seeks headquarters consolidation, troop relocations and equipment upgrades; governor backs portions
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Summary
KHP officials told the committee the agency supports consolidating headquarters into the Curtis State Office Building, seeks troop relocations and scale‑house and aircraft replacements, and noted some enhancements were deleted by the special committee and would require affirmative action to restore.
Kyle Anderson, who opened the Kansas Highway Patrol presentation, and Merle Bridal, KHP chief of staff, summarized KHP's FY26 and FY27 budget requests and the governor's recommendations for several enhancements.
Anderson said the FY27 request is roughly $177.9 million with several enhancement requests including a Salina campus relocation that would move troop C and troop S into a new West Salina facility, an Olathe South scale house replacement, procurement for air support and a technology modernization package.
Merle Bridal told the committee KHP identified space on the first level of the Curtis State Office Building as a less costly option for headquarters consolidation than a previously proposed new headquarters. "We actually withdrew request of $48,300,000 to build a new general headquarters," Bridal said, and "space became available at the Curtis State Office Building ... that will meet all of our needs" for an estimated $4.0 million spread across FY26–27.
On relocations, the agency requested $28.8 million to relocate troop C and troop S; the governor recommended $26.8 million (a $2.0 million reduction related to a KBI regional office component). Bridal described operational benefits of moving troop facilities near I‑70 and I‑135 for better highway access, and said new troop facilities would add secure storage, evidence processing and canine training areas.
Committee members raised a question about a displayed FY27 operating fund shortfall (about $11 million) in the materials. Bridal clarified that the table in question did not reflect transfers from the State Highway Fund — a form of revenue that typically funds KHP operations — and therefore the figure would not be negative in practice.
Other FY27 items discussed included a $4.7 million request to replace the South Olathe scale house (part of an eight‑station phased replacement plan), $4.0 million for a new Cessna 206 outfitted for law enforcement, $3.2 million for equipment and technology modernization (including phasing in a new taser platform), and a $250,000 comprehensive wellness program.
Bridal noted the legislature's special committee had deleted enhancements; restoring them would require affirmative action by this committee. The hearing concluded with committee discussion of recruitment successes and aviation maintenance procedures.