Local Leadership
I am grateful to serve our community.
We are in a pivotal season for Sedgwick County. We need leadership to help improve our position economically while working to bridge the divide relationally. This community is our home. I want to do all that I can to make sure we are improving and fostering the best quality of life for everyone in Sedgwick County.
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.
Development of the Northwest Expressway
Connecting K-96 to Kellogg through west Sedgwick County has been a discussion for 30+ years. This would spur incredible economic development, but the conversation had stalled as had cooperation amongst key stakeholders. I have worked to re-engage the project with KDOT, Maize, Goddard and the City of Wichita as well as helping to reestablish the NW Expressway Coalition. We now have more momentum in the project than what has been seen in over a decade.
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.
The District 4 Citizen’s Advisory Board meets this evening at 5:30pm today — Ruffin Building at 100 N. Broadway. We meet in the 6th Floor Conference Room.
We are excited to host the Sedgwick County Appraiser for a great discussion around property valuations and methods used in mass appraisals in Kansas. This will be a very informative presentation.
Our CAB is open to the public and we also entertain public comment for those that would like to share insight or feedback.
Come learn more! … See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Let’s implement a flat federal income tax rate of 15%, exempt the first $50,000 of EVERY household’s income, and do away with all the deductions, exemptions and work arounds.
Those making less than $50k have no federal income tax. ✔️
Those making $75k only pay 15% on the $25k of income above the exemption base. ✔️
Flat, fair and easily understood. ✔️
There… I fixed it. Now back to my emails on data centers. Happy Monday friends! … See MoreSee Less
109 CommentsComment on Facebook
There is a lot of complexity to the homeless situation in our community. Here is a current snapshot ⬇️
Local providers put the estimate of those facing homelessness to be approximately 2,000 individuals.
For 80%, the episode of homelessness is brief and non reoccurring. The system of supports is able to assist in getting and maintaining housing stability.
For 10% there are additional supports needed, including temporary shelter, transitional or subsidized housing, and other wrap around services. This is a more complicated subset of the population that Second Light is created to serve.
Then there is an estimated 10% of the homeless population that we simply call “Hardest to Engage.” These are individuals that have conditions like severe and persistent mental illness or an intellectual/developmental disability. Traditional homeless services and approaches are not working effectively and this subset of the population is growing. To be honest, we have no clear approach or path to addressing this incredibly complex challenge — and there are a lot of ongoing discussions about what viable strategies need to be pursued as a community? In my view, our long term community success regarding homelessness is contingent on our ability to find a solution to those that are hardest to serve.
Happy to share more details if there are questions… particularly related to Second Light?! … See MoreSee Less
32 CommentsComment on Facebook
Good riddance. ✌️
Hello Sunshine, March Madness and Baseball! 🙌Today is the last day of winter, but it’s going to feel like the last day of spring! ✌️ … See MoreSee Less
5 CommentsComment on Facebook
My first job after retiring from baseball was at the Robert J Dole Institute of Politics. I spent an entire year reading Senator Dole’s work and studying his life.
In 1995, as Senate Majority Leader, he led an effort to introduce a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. After passing the House, it famously failed by one vote in the Senate. Most believed 3/4 of the states would have signed on to ratify.
ONE VOTE!
Dole argued that a constitutional requirement was the only way to provide "backbone" to lawmakers who would otherwise never stop spending. Could you imagine our financial position if a balanced budget was Constitutionally required?
We keep swinging and missing even today.
⬇️⬇️ … See MoreSee Less
15 CommentsComment on Facebook
WELP indeed! What a let down after the perfect weather yesterday….
😵💫😵💫😵💫WELP, here comes the cold…Colder air behind the front is now arriving in Wichita. Also watching a band of showers & possibly some snow across Western KAKEland. Precip chances aren’t overly impressive; big story is the cold & wind! … See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Grateful for the 600+ people that showed up at our town hall to discuss potential data center development in Sedgwick County.
We listened to very productive feedback that will help guide decisions on policy. We also met Abby, a 6th grader, who bravely stood up and shared her own feedback — “I asked my dad if I can speak and he said of course because this is America….” 🇺🇸
Keep using your voice, Abby. I promise you are heard.
We will soon announce details on an upcoming roundtable discussion with community members, Commissioners and industry experts. A second town hall information session is scheduled for March 31st. … See MoreSee Less
20 CommentsComment on Facebook
Hmmmmmm…… 🤔
⬇️⬇️ … See MoreSee Less
27 CommentsComment on Facebook
Maize Eagle Athletics and Activities vs Wichita Heights High School in State Quarterfinal game — A Battle of the Birds. 🦅
And… two schools in my Commission district!
Who ya got?! … See MoreSee Less
15 CommentsComment on Facebook