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Commissioners say WSU mill‑levy contract and bonding complicate quick changes; staff to study options
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Summary
County counselor briefed the board on a 1987 interlocal agreement that expands a Wichita mill levy countywide and explained a May 1 notice deadline and bond-related constraints; commissioners asked staff to analyze options, including statute changes or indexing assessed value, for the 2027 budget.
Commission counsel told the Board of County Commissioners on April 22 that the Wichita State University mill-levy arrangement rests on an interlocal agreement dating to 1987 and is governed by state statute, creating procedural and bond-related hurdles to rapid changes.
Justin Wagner, county counselor, explained that the interlocal agreement originally broadened a citywide levy and that the contract contains a May 1 notification deadline for changes to take effect in the next budget year. He cautioned that the county and city have outstanding bonded projects (including the Bartow Center and Cessna Stadium) tied to that levy, and substantial changes could carry risk for bond counsel and the county’s credit profile. Wagner also noted that some statutory changes could be simpler to pursue through the legislature than amendments to interlocal agreements.
Commissioner commentary split between urgency and caution: some commissioners said recent state-level proposals signaled impending change and urged staff to pursue options quickly so the county could apply assessed-value limits or indexing for Wichita State assessments in the 2027 budget cycle; others cautioned about timing and legal risk during an active budgeting and bonding period.
The board directed staff to analyze policy options, identify legal and fiscal risks and, if appropriate, add a legislative item for modifying statute or the interlocal arrangement. No formal action to amend the interlocal agreement was taken on April 22.
