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Sedgwick County commissioners plan to advance 2% firefighter pay-scale increase to 2025
Summary
Commissioners discussed advancing a scheduled 2% step for Fire District No. 1 from 2026 to 2025 to remain competitive with peer departments; the county CFO said the shift is financially feasible and would leave an estimated $200,000 surplus in 2025. A motion is expected on Aug. 21.
The Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners, sitting as the governing body for Fire District No. 1, discussed a proposal to move a planned plus-2% pay-scale adjustment for firefighters from 2026 to 2025 and said a formal motion will be offered on Budget Adoption Day, Aug. 21.
Chairman Beatty, who introduced the item at the start of the district meeting, framed the measure as a competitiveness step. He said starting pay for firefighters has increased in recent years — from $14.60 to $18.36 — but that peer departments remain higher. “Wichita Fire Department, their starting wage in 2025 will be $19.61,” Beatty said, and Derby’s starting wage will be $18.90. Beatty argued advancing the 2% adjustment would help keep the district competitive.
CFO Lindsay Perusso told commissioners she had circulated a document with four scenarios requested by the Fire Steering Council and that “for now, just focusing on 2025, it is certainly financially feasible.” Perusso said the fire district experienced about 9.5% assessed value growth, which allowed the recommended budget to target a 17-mill levy, and that the 2% structure adjustment would leave roughly a $200,000 surplus in 2025. Budget Director Lorraine Showalter confirmed she was comfortable with that assessment.
Commissioner Howe/Howell disclosed that a family member works for the fire district and asked County Counselor Justin Weidner if that created a conflict; Weidner said he did not see a conflict under applicable state statutes. Howell also walked through an annualized calculation of the $18.36 starting hourly rate, saying that, based on the fire schedule he described, the figure equates to about $53,611.20 annually and that a 2% adjustment would raise that to about $54,683.42; those figures were presented by Howell as his calculation for transparency and context.
Beatty asked Perusso to share supporting documentation with commissioners this week ahead of the Aug. 21 motion; he also said the Fire Chief has endorsed moving the timing of the adjustment. The commission did not vote on the proposal at this meeting; the motion will be considered during final budget actions on Aug. 21.
