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Wichita council splits over whether to delay March 3 sales‑tax special election; motion to call emergency meeting fails
Summary
New information on higher election costs and changed polling sites prompted a heated debate over delaying a March 3 special sales‑tax election. Legal staff said council can repeal the ordinance but timing is tight; a motion to convene a special meeting to vote on a delay failed 4–3, and the council later recessed to executive session.
Members of the Wichita City Council publicly debated whether to delay a March 3 special election that would ask voters to approve a sales‑tax measure funding CIP priorities.
Mayor Wu raised the issue after Friday’s notice that the special election cost had increased and that roughly 26,000 voters would not be able to vote at their usual polling places. City Attorney Jennifer McGong told the council an ordinance setting the March date could be repealed by the council, but timing and practical constraints matter: notices and mail ballots are already being prepared and the county’s mailing schedule was said to be imminent.
Council members split on whether to delay. Supporters of delay — citing transparency, last‑minute polling changes and potential voter disenfranchisement — pressed for a special meeting to consider moving the election to the August primary. Opponents warned that delaying would waste campaign funds already raised by proponents and opponents, risk losing current schedule momentum for housing and public‑safety projects funded by the measure, and create uncertainty for city planning.
After discussion, the council voted on a motion to hold a special meeting on short notice to consider delaying the election; the motion did not carry (4–3). The record shows multiple members said the council could instead hold public comment at a regular meeting scheduled Jan. 27; legal staff also said the election commissioner could be invited to a meeting to explain polling‑site decisions.
No repeal or delay of the election occurred in this session; the council later recessed into executive session on an unrelated real‑property matter.
