2025 budget for the city of Wichita is approved

After 8 months of work, the city of Wichita has a balanced budget for 2025.

By a 6-1 vote, the Wichita City Council approved the $764 million budget, which prioritizes crime prevention, pavement maintenance, and also supports economic development and housing insecurity.

Mayor Lily Wu thanked staff for all their work but said she wanted more options for balancing the budget. She voted no, citing a need to protect taxpayer dollars.

Prior to the budget vote, the council approved exceeding the revenue neutral rate. Failure to do that would have meant a roughly $12.4 million shortfall next year.

During the budget talks, the council approved some adjustments and cuts in 2025 in an aim to reduce a projected $3.6 million budget deficit in 2026.

Changes are coming to the public agenda portion of Wichita City Council meetings.

The council voted to shorten the total amount of time allowed for the public to talk in front of the council prior to the meeting, from 30 to 25 minutes.

Another change: speakers can now submit a written request to address the council one business day in advance of the meeting. Each speaker still has a five-minute limit in which to talk.

If the overall 25-minute limit for the Public Agenda is not reached, unscheduled speakers would have the opportunity to talk.

Speakers are still limited to addressing the council once every four meetings.

This change does not affect public comments allowed during agenda and zoning items.

Finally, the city of Wichita will soon have more storage available for road salt.

The council approved $1.2 million to construct a new salt storage facility located at the city’s Northeast Substation, near K-96 and Hillside.

The additional facility would restore and enhance the Public Works & Utilities’ total emergency salt reserve to an estimated 20,000 tons.