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Wichita city‑manager finalists outline housing‑first homelessness plans, police transparency and budget trade‑offs at public forum
Summary
Three finalists for Wichita city manager told a public forum they favor housing‑first responses to homelessness, stronger community engagement with police and clearer ties between the strategic plan and the budget; candidates gave timelines and concrete examples, including an emergency winter shelter and a navigation center project.
Three finalists for Wichita’s city‑manager position answered community questions on homelessness, police accountability, interdepartmental coordination, transportation and libraries during a public forum hosted by the city.
Mark Freytag, Dennis Marstel and Dante Martin each emphasized partnerships with nonprofits, county and regional agencies while offering different operational examples and timelines. Freytag and Marstel both described navigation centers and outreach teams used in prior cities; Martin, a 25‑year Wichita staffer, cited local efforts and implementation milestones, including an emergency winter shelter opening Dec. 1 and a planned navigation/resource site (referred to as “Second Light” in the forum) expected by spring 2026.
Why it matters: Wichita’s mayor and council will select a manager who sets day‑to‑day priorities, proposes the annual budget and coordinates city departments. The candidates’ plans indicate how the city might prioritize shelter capacity, policing reforms, capital investments and community engagement if selected.
What the candidates said
• Homelessness and sheltering: Freytag pointed to outreach teams, hotel vouchers and nonprofit networks he used in Janesville and Westminster, stressing local navigation centers that provide shelter plus programming to move people into housing. Marstel described a housing‑first orientation tied to United Way partnerships and a multi‑agency center, saying, “How can you get people stabilized with housing and then you focus on the root causes” (paraphrased from forum remarks). Martin said city partners are already working on short‑term and longer‑term responses and reported concrete schedules: an emergency winter shelter will open Dec. 1 and the navigation/resource site is expected in spring 2026.
• Police trust and oversight: Candidates agreed on outside review for serious incidents and on community engagement to build trust. Martin pointed to a public dashboard on wichita.gov tracking police‑reform recommendations and said the city is about 87% complete on implementation of an outside assessment. Freytag described chief advisory groups and outside investigations for major incidents; Marstel advocated ride‑alongs, district tours and visible neighborhood presence.
• Budget priorities and transparency: All three urged linking spending to the city strategic plan so residents can see trade‑offs. Freytag and Marstel said routine reporting and pie‑chart displays of budget shares help residents judge whether allocations match priorities; Martin emphasized community engagement earlier in the budget cycle so resident input can affect proposals.
• Departments and delivery: Each candidate proposed regular cross‑department meetings and clearer operating metrics to reduce silos, with Freytag recommending weekly director meetings, Marstel proposing division‑level collaboration and Martin urging an engagement blueprint and measurable KPIs tied to contracts and economic deals.
• Libraries, mobility and housing costs: Candidates called libraries essential for literacy and workforce development and suggested mobile outreach, digital services or partnerships to extend reach. On bikeability and transit they urged executing existing plans, adding bike lanes during resurfacing and improving bus stops. On rising home prices, they suggested studying market causes with developers and universities and considering housing trust funds or down‑payment assistance rather than immediate ordinance changes.
Audience participation and next steps
The event solicited audience questions via cards and QR codes and accepted more than 110 online questions; the forum host asked attendees to submit candidate ratings by 8 a.m. Thursday. The finalists also offered brief one‑on‑one periods for follow‑up with residents after the formal forum.
The city council and mayor will continue the hiring process; the forum provided residents an opportunity to compare operational approaches and timelines for homelessness services, police‑oversight implementation and budget transparency.
