Local Leadership
Decision made: I am seeking re-election in 2026.
Four years ago, I expressed very specific goals that I wanted to accomplish in our community, and since the day I took my oath of office, I have never forgotten who it is I work for, the citizens of my district and the people of Sedgwick County. As I ask for your support, again, it’s important that I demonstrate how I have worked to deliver on the things I pledged to do in my first term.
Common Sense Podcast
On this episode of “Common Sense” host Ryan Baty sits down with youth advocate, mentor, and community leader Adan Grimaldo for an eye-opening discussion on the realities facing vulnerable youth in Sedgwick County. Drawing from Adan Grimaldo’s personal journey from gang involvement and behavioral health struggles to powerful transformation, the conversation dives deep into the root causes of youth violence, the foster care crisis, and the community’s role in reversing dangerous trends among local kids.
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Change for the Better
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Issues
Staffing Stability for Sedgwick County Government
With nearly 3,000 employees across 46 departments, the work being done by our employees is vital to the quality of life we experience in the community. Upon my arrival on the Commission, we were experiencing significant staffing shortages – particularly in public safety and public health. Aggressive and strategic adjustments in compensation plans returned increased employee morale and staffing stability. Today, we have staffing levels above 90% and our performance goals are all being accomplished. Strategic workforce investments have provided more effective and efficient services to the 525k people of Sedgwick County.
Homelessness, Foster Care and Behavioral Health
Every policy decision must find a connecting link to healthier families. Our community has made significant progress in several large scale community challenges. In homelessness, we continue to develop a long-term community plan with a focus on shelter, services, and affordable housing. We have worked collaboratively to reduce the negative impacts of a foster care system that is failing our most vulnerable kids. We have also invested into a new COMCARE CRISIS center that will increase services such as mobile mental health, 988 suicide line, medical detox beds as well as other strategic initiatives to help meet the growing needs of our community.
Responsible Growth
Healthy communities are growing communities, and when we consider growth throughout a county that is becoming more urbanized, we need to implement smart policy around issues like rural water, roads and prioritizing infill development. We also need to look at our future workforce and how we best partner with our school districts and our area colleges to leverage what we do at the County and support their efforts in preparing the next generation of stakeholders in our economy. Sedgwick County deserves leadership that understands where we are today, but also prepares us for our future.
Property Tax Reform
Increasing property taxes has become a painful challenge for many families and businesses. With nearly 50% of our county revenues being generated through property taxes, we aim to reduce the county’s dependency on this revenue source and provide relief to our community. In each of my budgets, we have found ways to reduce the property tax mill levy while also stabilizing core county services. As my #1 priority in 2025 and 2026, we will continue to reduce property tax burden through a series of strategic reforms and initiatives.
Modernizing Local Government
The cost of government continues to increase, and reform is needed to counteract the increasing costs. As we look across the county and our 20 city partners, I will advance plans to eliminate redundancies via more shared services, strategic partnerships, and functional department consolidations. It is time to modernize the local government model and in doing so we will find reduced costs and improved efficiencies. I will continue leading the conversation and building collaborative relationships.
“The government closest to the people, serves its people best”
– Thomas Jefferson
Success is Local
Success requires leadership that listens to the pulse of the community. Local government needs to be shaped by civility and collaboration in order to maximize the potential of our people.
As a business owner & pastor, I am excited to communicate our vision for Sedgwick County and demonstrate a plan that enhances quality of life in our community. These conversations will be focused on our economy, quality of life investment and the appropriate function of our local government.
Work in the Community
Here are a few ways we give back to our community with links for you to join in!
Love Schools
The heart of this organization is to pair local businesses with local schools in order to meet strategic needs and supply resources.
Foster Care Advocate
I have worked with selective organizations to help raise awareness of the foster care crisis in our community.
Firm Foundation Ministries
This organization provides transitional housing and reintegration skills training for individuals leaving correctional facilities.
The Mattress hub
We have strategically partnered with local schools and organizations to donate beds to children in need.
Spoke to a roundtable of business executives to provide an update from the County. During Q&A the question was asked:
“What’s the biggest frustration you’ve experienced running a private organization compared to a government organization?”
It’s easy and obvious — The speed of adaptation.
Entrepreneurs are always looking to adapt in order to find greater efficiencies and cost savings while improving the front end product.
For a variety of reasons, government simply can’t (or won’t) operate at the same pace and urgency. Many of our local government models are old, tired and archaic…. And when you throw gasoline on old models all you get is increased costs to the end user. In this case, it’s the taxpayers.
I won’t stop talking about the urgency of reform and I won’t let politics or a lack of courage stand in the way of making REAL progress.
Our citizens deserve the conversation. … See MoreSee Less
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I spent my morning in Valley Center celebrating with their community as they cut ribbons at both The Supplemental Learning Center and Valley Park Elementary School.
These new facilities are incredibly impressive and were packed full of excited kids, teachers and community members.
Families are flocking to Valley Center Public Schools, USD 262 for the quality of their schools and City leaders from Valley Center, Park City and Kechi were side by side with School Board Members to honor the occasion.
Congratulations on an incredibly special day! … See MoreSee Less
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From a wet June to a dry July we all know Kansas is going to do Kansas things….
…. which is exactly why we need to be proponents of RESPONSIBLE growth in rural parts of our County. These water conversations go beyond the borders of the City.
We need more housing. That’s a fact! But urban scale housing developments in rural areas that are dependent on domestic wells, not municipal water sources, requires a much different approach.
The discussions around rural development and how we best protect our water resources are heating up!
⬇️⬇️ … See MoreSee Less
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Took the family to celebrate the opening of the new Hawaiian Bros restaurant at 37th and Maize Road!
Service is excellent and the food is delicious.
Proud of this local franchise group for their second restaurant in Wichita and #8 in the region — and many more on the horizon.
Local entrepreneurs thriving! 👏 … See MoreSee Less
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People have asked why I have become so passionate around the challenges for our children in foster care. This breaking story is one of many reasons — a 2 year old, at no fault of their own, caught up in brokenness and living in a deadly situation.
The purpose of the system should be to remove the child, place them in a safe and caring home, then a system of supports will come in to help the parent(s) stabilize and get right. The goal should always be to find a path that restores and reunite families. Sometimes that’s possible, sometimes it’s not… which is why a community of loving families is needed to give a forever home to kids that need one.
I aim to be shaped by the things that move my God’s heart — the orphan, the widow and the poor. 1500+ kids in our county sit in foster care today. We have less than 700 foster homes available. Brokenness all around us and our kids are caught up in the middle of it all.
Please pray for this sweet baby. 🙏
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Thankful for the 0.5” of rain at our home after a super dry July. Looking SE over Wichita and Derby — it appears you guys had a nice storm!
Morning rain soothes the soul! 🙌 … See MoreSee Less
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Just got home from an 11 hour County Commission meeting — more on that tomorrow.
My little guy waited up to meet me at the door with some love. A long, hard day finishing in perfect peace thanks to our 2-year old.
Shorts and boots… his style is from his dad. ❤️ … See MoreSee Less
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VOTE! ✅
Special thanks to the 725 elections staff spanning across 109 polling sites. Grateful for each of you!
If you need to verify your polling place, please do so here ➡️ myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView
Questions? Happy to help! … See MoreSee Less
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Dodge City Rodeo! Always fun to head west and spend a weekend with family. 🇺🇸
And that bull ride was a Goddard Cowboy named Jackson Ward — the top score of the night. Pulling for him to win the championship belt buckle! 👏 … See MoreSee Less
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