Commission staff to present legislative platform for adoption; items include aging funding and election changes

Tanya, who led the legislative platform briefing, walked commissioners through proposed edits to the county's platform ahead of the commission vote scheduled for the next day. She noted two late additions from the aging services stakeholder: a request to add $5,000,000 to senior care base funding and $3,000,000 to nutrition services for older adults. Tanya also noted that Sedgwick County funded the appraiser and election offices at $12.3 million in 2024 and that she had included that fiscal note in the draft for context rather than as a specific new ask.

On elections policy, Tanya said the elections office suggested limiting special-question elections to the first Tuesday in March, August or November to consolidate dates; commissioners indicated support for the clarification. Tanya also said staff would follow up with a requested dollar amount for juvenile crisis intervention capital matching funds and that she would bring joint-platform items and stakeholder updates to the first meeting in January.

Commissioners asked for small edits (for example, adding years in parentheses after cited bills) and discussed whether Sedgwick County should craft legislation to highlight how local government funds functions the state historically covered. Tanya said draft bill testimony is prepared and that staff will present the clean and redlined versions at the commission meeting.