Your voter guide to who is running for Sedgwick County Commission seats

Two of the Sedgwick County Commission’s five seats are up for election this November, with an open seat in the west and an incumbent vying for a second term in the southwest.

District 3 will elect a new commissioner after Republican David Dennis decided not to run for reelection. Democrat Celeste Racette and Republican Stephanie Wise are competing for the open seat. Neither candidate has held public office before.

Sarah Lopez, the lone Democrat on the five-member commission, will defend her District 2 seat in south-central Sedgwick County against Republican former Wichita City Council member Jeff Blubaugh. Lopez is hoping for a repeat of her 2020 victory over embattled incumbent Republican Michael O’Donnell while Blubaugh is hoping to flip the seat back to Republican control.

Commissioners serve four-year terms and are paid a base salary of $101,527 a year. They are responsible for setting policy direction and approving a budget for vital services such as EMS, 911, Comcare, corrections and the sheriff’s office. They also oversee Fire District 1 and serve as the board of health, the board of canvassers of elections, and the hearing panel on tax appeals.

To learn which commission district you are in, visit the Kansas secretary of state’s VoterView website and enter your name and date of birth.

The Eagle asked dozens of area candidates to share basic personal background and answer questions about key issues. Candidate responses have been edited only for clarity.

Check out other parts of our voter guide:

What to know about the congressional race for the U.S. House in Kansas’ District 4

Your guide to Wichita-area races for the state Senate in the Kansas Legislature

Meet the candidates running in Wichita-area seats in the Kansas House

Who’s running for the Kansas Board of Election in south-central Kansas?

What to know about voting: Deadlines, mail voting & Wichita locations

Sedgwick County Commission, District 2

District 2 includes south-central Sedgwick County and is roughly bordered by K-42 to the west and K-15 to the east. It includes south and southwest Wichita, Haysville and Clearwater.

Jeff Blubaugh

Party: Republican

Age: 52

Position: Real Estate Broker

Past position: Wichita City Council 10 years 9 months, Vice Mayor of City of Wichita 2 Terms, Goddard School Board, Cessna/Textron 17 Years Production, Sales, Marketing, Six Sigma Black Belt

Education: Masters & Bachelor of Science Business, Friends University. Growth Leadership Development Certification, The Ohio State University

Phone: 316-640-0656

Email: jeff@jeffblubaugh.com

Website: jeff4sedgwickcounty.com

Why should voters consider you the most qualified candidate? What is your overall vision?

I have proudly served a majority of District 2 for almost eleven years on the Wichita City Council including two terms as the Vice Mayor of Wichita as well as serving the Goddard School Board. My education and experience provide me a great set of tools to address the issues of the County on day one without time for a training curve. Outside of my local Government institutionalized experience I have lived and worked in the District for three decades. My experience of 17 years working for Cessna Aircraft/Textron as well as 22 years as a Real Estate Broker complemented with my Masters and Bachelor degrees from Friends University provide me a strong background to not only understand the issues of the District and to provide common sense solutions.

What is your top priority and what specifically would you do to address it?

On day one I will be addressing real property tax relief and a fair property tax assessment process. The property tax assessment process is broken and needs to be overhauled for both residential and commercial property. If you own a Commercial Property and you appeal your tax assessment value at the municipal court or Board of Tax Appeals you have a less than one percent chance to get your value reduced. County Commissioners took a similar approach as it approved a $563 million budget for next year a 6% increase in spending over the current budget. They did lower the mil levy by about one-third of a mill but to give you context that’s $4.14 a year on a $100,000 home. Total spending is still UP 6% including a 3% pay raise for County Commissioners making over $100,000 a year already.

What, if any, changes should the county make in the services it provides?

We need to ensure 911 Dispatchers receive the necessary training and guidance to lead and prepare our First Responders to address Emergency Situation. We also need to look for more collaboration opportunities with the City of Wichita as well as the other 19 cities in Sedgwick County.

Local property tax revenues have increased each of the last few years. If property values go up again next year, would you support the county capturing more tax money or should the county lower its mill levy?

No; the county needs to look for more cost saving and collaboration opportunities as the public can not handle any additional taxes.

The county is discussing the possibility of funding amenities like cultural attractions and parks through a sales tax rather than property tax. What do you think of this concept and what would you propose or support if you were elected?

I am not in favor of an additional sales tax as we already have a 1 cent county sales tax. We need to focus on spending tax dollars like a business and look at direct ROI vs overall economic impact to the entire area. Right now, you don’t see many non-government subsidized recreational businesses increasing their spending. So, maybe it’s not the best time to be taking on so much new tax dollar spending. Quality of life spending within Sedgwick County has grown significantly within the last 4 years with the addition of new projects and increased tax dollar contributions to non-profit entities. With the high cost of inflation and interest rates this isn’t the time to increase discretionary spending of tax payer dollars.

What role should the county play in the community’s ongoing homeless prevention efforts? Should that role include financial support?

The City and the County need to collaborate more to deal with homelessness. The City used to work a majority of the homeless issues while the county took on mental health. Now you see the City and County both dipping into both areas. We need to ensure we are working together and not duplicating efforts. Many homeowners are upset about homeless in their neighborhoods living in their backyards. We need to respect rights for both homeless as well as the neighborhoods.

What, if any, county operations should be privatized or consolidated with the city of Wichita? Explain.

I think consolidation should start first with the city of Wichita and then look on to opportunities with the other 19 cities in Sedgwick County. I think HR, Parks, maybe even more Fire Consolidation should be looked at more. I don’t believe in privatization efforts that benefit the 3rd party more than the County or the City should be done. I voted against the Parking plan for Downtown Wichita because I believed this was more of a “Cash grab” for the third party then a benefit to the city.

Sedgwick County commissioners are leasing two floors at the Ruffin Building until the end of 2026. Where do you think Sedgwick County’s administrative offices should be located in the long term, and how should it be paid for?

At this time when inflation has been at record highs and interest rates have been higher than normal I think it’s best to stay where the county is at right now. If the County built a new building the interest alone would be higher than the existing lease. I think there is an opportunity for more collaboration with the City of Wichita in this instance.

Are elections in Sedgwick County secure, accessible and accurate? What, if any, changes would you propose?

I have never thought the Sedgwick County elections aren’t secure or accurate. I do believe if we don’t have all ballots counted on election night it can raise concerns.

What would you do to make county government more transparent?

The County is very difficult and costly to get information from in comparison to the city of Wichita. The County needs more of a “Can do” attitude when information is requested vs barriers and expensive cost estimates that detour the public from asking questions.

Sarah Lopez

Party: Democratic

Age: 36

Position: District 2 Sedgwick County Commissioner

Past position: Technical Engineering Analyst at Ascension Technologies

Education: Information Technology and Network Administration Degree from WTI

Phone: 316-871-8122

Email: 316sarahlopez@gmail.com

Website: sarahforsedgwick.com

Why should voters consider you the most qualified candidate? What is your overall vision?

I ran for office to leave our community better than I found it for my kids and their generation. I have valuable experience in healthcare IT working with teams on innovative solutions for complex problems that came in underbudget and on deadline. My skills apply directly to our need to address many of the complex community problems we’ve talked about for decades. I’m relentless about working on real solutions for our community.

From generational investment in mental health services to groundwater infrastructure projects to support for smart manufacturing, I’ve taken active, leading roles in completing or breaking ground soon on major community projects that will bring more than $200 million of new investment and hundreds of new jobs to Sedgwick County, the majority of both in District 2.

What is your top priority and what specifically would you do to address it?

I respect our hardworking taxpayers. Lowering the tax burden for south Sedgwick County families and small businesses without compromising the effectiveness of the vital public safety and infrastructure services we count on is always my top priority. While the county has no control over rising home values, property insurance rates or property valuations regulated by the state, I have voted to cut the county mill levy tax rate two years in a row. We now have the lowest mill levy in nearly 30 years and we have strengthened vital county services.

I believe we cannot afford business as usual in government. To respect Sedgwick County taxpayers, we must prevent duplication and reduce the overall cost of government through functional consolidation of local government services where it makes sense to do so.

What, if any, changes should the county make in the services it provides?

We talk a lot about lowering taxes. I’m one of few in local government to do it and I know it must be done responsibly for all of us who count on safety and infrastructure services and for the people at the county who provide them. I spend time alongside county employees to personally understand what they need to be successful and I know hardworking public employees must be at the heart of functional consolidation of local government services.

Functional consolidation between Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita is a first step in ending business as usual to significantly lower the cost of local government without harming safety and infrastructure services. Streamlining operations, improving customer service and lowering the cost of government is a win for all of us in Sedgwick County.

Local property tax revenues have increased each of the last few years. If property values go up again next year, would you support the county capturing more tax money or should the county lower its mill levy?

I voted to lower the mill levy the last two years in a row. I know local government is a people business. We count on county services to keep us safe and maintain the infrastructure we need to do business and raise our families. When I was elected, Sedgwick County had a severe staffing shortage negatively affecting services with staffing levels averaging at 65% across the board.

During my term, I’ve made responsible decisions to increase pay and benefits for all employees to end the staffing shortage, dramatically improve morale and service quality, AND cut the mill levy to its lowest level in nearly 30 years. I’ll continue my fiscally conservative approach to the budget that has led to financially responsible investments in the county workforce, tax cuts and a rare AAA credit rating.

The county is discussing the possibility of funding amenities like cultural attractions and parks through a sales tax rather than property tax. What do you think of this concept and what would you propose or support if you were elected?

I take tax reform seriously. We saw the state of Kansas make one of the largest tax cuts in history and immediately go into budget crisis and chaos within state services. Ultimately, they had to pass one of the largest tax INCREASES in history. Now the City of Wichita is facing a serious budget deficit with city staff reporting that cuts to public safety services are unavoidable, and they haven’t lowered the mill levy in decades.

I’ll only support reform that lowers the overall tax burden on our hardworking families and small businesses, so I’m skeptical of a sales tax. My focus is on the meaningful consolidation needed to make tax reform sustainable without serious consequences to the public safety and infrastructure services that keep our families safe and our businesses competitive.

What role should the county play in the community’s ongoing homeless prevention efforts? Should that role include financial support?

While the City of Wichita runs the Housing Department and has the lead on resolving the issue of homelessness in our community, Sedgwick County has a role in supporting homelessness prevention as well. We currently provide $1.7 million annually to support housing services through COMCARE and their collaboration with Open Door. These funds are used to provide housing vouchers for individuals with mental health needs among other things. As the City of Wichita starts the new Multi-Agency Center (MAC), we are committed to continued partnership and support for them through COMCARE.

What, if any, county operations should be privatized or consolidated with the city of Wichita? Explain.

It’s essential to explore all opportunities for functional consolidation of public services with Wichita and other cities in the county to avoid duplication, reduce costs and improve the quality of services. I do not believe privatization of public services is a viable option. We have committed public employees working for the county and our cities who deserve our respect and support in doing sometimes thankless work in service to our communities.

We should streamline public services, eliminate duplication and improve customer service and the overall quality of services with the dedicated workforce we have currently. We need to listen to our employees and support them through a transformation in the way government does business so they will be successful in service to you and our community.

Sedgwick County commissioners are leasing two floors at the Ruffin Building until the end of 2026. Where do you think Sedgwick County’s administrative offices should be located in the long term, and how should it be paid for?

There are no cheap options when it comes to this decision, but there could be real differences when it comes to the short versus the long term. While seeking a long-term lease might be cheaper in the short term, it could end up costing us much more over the long run if it ends up only delaying a move to a permanent county facility or becomes an obstacle to functional consolidation with the City of Wichita.

It makes sense to be as close to City Hall as possible to make consolidation efforts easier and that is what we are working towards now. I am focused on the lifetime costs of all options with a preference for the best long-term solution that avoids one short-term measure after another that could be more costly down the road.

Are elections in Sedgwick County secure, accessible and accurate? What, if any, changes would you propose?

Our local elections are secure. Our Sedgwick County Election Commissioner is appointed by the Kansas Secretary of State and she reports to his office. Our Election Commissioner and Secretary of State work every day to ensure free, fair and secure elections and I am fully supportive of their efforts. In my role of County Commissioner, I will continue to provide the funding necessary in the county budget for the County Election Commissioner’s Office to be successful.

What would you do to make county government more transparent?

I have taken real steps for greater transparency, responsiveness and accountability in government. When events shake trust in government, it is up to elected officials to do real work to investigate what happened and make changes to prevent them from happening again. After the tragic death of CJ Lofton, I called for a task force that recommended dozens of changes to city, county and state justice system policies for the largest juvenile justice reform in county history.

Sedgwick County Commission, District 3

District 3 includes much of west Wichita, as well as Andale, Bentley, Cheney, Colwich, Garden Plain, Goddard, Mount Hope and Viola.

Celeste Racette

Party: Democratic

Age: 68

Position: Save Century II Chair, WASC VP, P.E.O. Council, and Wichita Wurltizer Board Member

Past position: FDIC Bank Examiner and Investigations Specialist, Chief Internal Auditor, Manager - Accounting Services, Accounting Officer, Staff Accountant - Sedgwick County Public Works Department, USD 259 Substitute Teacher

Education: MBA, BS Accounting, CUNA Management

Phone: 316-644-5048

Email: celesteforkansas@gmail.com

Website: celesteforkansas.com

Why should voters consider you the most qualified candidate? What is your overall vision?

My 25 year job experience in the banking industry has given me the skills to be a watchdog on behalf of taxpayers. I am concerned about the County finances, especially now that we are spending the last of the $210 million in CARES/ARPA funds the federal government gave us to get through COVID. Property taxes have been rising, and developers have been getting taxpayer funds with limited returns on our investment. My overall vision is to fund essential services, including the new proposed 100-bed mental health hospital and the K-96 expansion to Goddard. The current funding formula for county government needs to be reexamined with the goal of a fair and balanced tax load that doesn’t burden property tax owners.

What is your top priority and what specifically would you do to address it?

My top priority is high-quality government services provided by ethical professional management and funded by a fair and equitable tax structure. This requires the most efficient and waste-free spending. I will lead a public discussion regarding an alternate funding mechanism, such as special purpose sales tax, to relieve the tax burden on property owners. Property assessed valuations increased 7.3% in 2023. Sedgwick County families are reeling from the effects of inflation and increased taxes on their pocketbooks. At the same time, the county must maintain a balanced budget while providing competitive pay and space needs for county government, like administration, public safety and elections.

What, if any, changes should the county make in the services it provides?

The county should partner with the city to minimize duplicated services. This could include consolidating certain functions. Encourage the state legislators to adopt Medicaid expansion to cover the $10,000,000 annual health care expense for the incarcerated. Other changes the county should make in the services it provides would be greater coordination and shared resources to provide greater efficiency. Economic development should not be subsidizing projects that benefit developers, or special interests, at the expense of the taxpayer.

Local property tax revenues have increased each of the last few years. If property values go up again next year, would you support the county capturing more tax money or should the county lower its mill levy?

The county needs to meet is fiscal responsibilities in the face of a looming financial crisis. We are short $5,000,000 in 2025. The county should be extremely cautious about continued reliance on inflationary property tax increases from homeowners. The property tax penalizes homeowners with inflationary valuation increases that can only be recovered if the home is sold. An alternative source of income must be found to remedy this tax burden.

The county is discussing the possibility of funding amenities like cultural attractions and parks through a sales tax rather than property tax. What do you think of this concept and what would you propose or support if you were elected?

The problem with replacing one tax with another is what has changed? The resolution suggested for the sales tax says it will go to pay for “Quality of Life Spending”. I disagree that the quality of life is not considered core government functions. Without county parks, Sedgwick County Zoo, museums, Exploration Place, how are you going to attract people to live in the county? And why is Economic Development not considered Quality of Life Spending? How was the Riverside TIF justified for the upscale homes in that area? Why does the county give subsidies for developers to build luxury homes, and yet taxpayers pay extra sales tax just to take their family to the Zoo? I disagree with the justification for the proposed sales tax. Instead, there are areas where revenues could be found for unfunded county expenditures. And expenses could be reduced. My skills as an auditor and accountant will allow me to evaluate the county’s finances, and to hold discussions with 45 departments and 20 cities. This is the place to begin, not adding taxes to residents.

What role should the county play in the community’s ongoing homeless prevention efforts? Should that role include financial support?

The county should continue to lead the community dialog addressing the homeless problems. We must address all aspects of this situation: mental illness, affordable housing, substance abuse, job training, etc. No one entity can solve the problem, but a combined effort using effective communication and shared strategies gives us our best chance for success. Pattern our efforts after OneRise, a San Antonio, Texas, program that is providing tangible results. Funding for this effort should be shared by all community partners, including the state government. Town hall meetings open to the public are an important way to generate support for proposed solutions.

What, if any, county operations should be privatized or consolidated with the city of Wichita? Explain.

The first step is to prioritize consolidation as a community discussion. Bring in independent expertise to identify the most appropriate opportunities for consolidation. Past efforts have been hindered by self-serving government interests. Tourism spending keeps tax funds away from the county even though expenses to maintain and operate Intrust Arena, Exploration Place, and the Sedgwick County Zoo come out of the county’s funds. Economic development should be consolidated between the City and County. Boeing’s acquisition of Spirit affects our economy, we should be working together to maintain those important aerospace manufacturing jobs. Riverfront Master Legacy plans cost $700,000, and now another $400,000 is being spent. Consolidation may provide more effective fiscal oversight.

Sedgwick County commissioners approved spending $2.1 million in ARPA money to lease two floors at the Ruffin Building until at least July 2025. Where do you think Sedgwick County’s administrative offices should be located in the long term, and how should it be paid for?

Alternative sites should be considered, such as the vacant former public library at 223 S. Main where COVID vaccines were administered. The City of Wichita teamed up with the County to open up this 90,000-square-foot public building, and should do so again. There is no reason why this award-winning building should sit empty and disused. There may be other downtown buildings available to purchase. Long-term solutions should be driven by available funding and not reliant on disappearing federal funds. The decision for offices needs to be sustainable into the future. Short-term leases should only be used on a temporary basis.

Are elections in Sedgwick County secure, accessible and accurate? What, if any, changes would you propose?

Yes, Sedgwick County elections are secure, accessible and accurate. However, continued success relies on adequate funding for elections - poll workers, election office staff, and modern election technology.

What would you do to make county government more transparent?

Citizens don’t understand the mill levy. Make a renewed effort to explain complex funding in a manner that taxpayers can understand. With any proposed sales tax, hold town hall meetings to include discussions on funding alternatives. Revenue neutral is a term that many people do not understand. Break it down in the simplest terms.

Stephanie Wise

Party: Republican

Age: 37

Position: Street Commercial, Vice President/Associate Broker

Past position: Property Manager and Sales & Leasing Agent at Occidental Management

Education: Goddard School District K-12, Attended Friends University and Butler County Community College

Phone: No answer provided

Email: stephanie@wiseforsedgwickcounty.com

Website: www.wiseforsedgwickcounty.com

Why should voters consider you the most qualified candidate? What is your overall vision?

I believe that government’s purpose is to protect our rights as citizens and to maintain core services that keep our community safe and our common infrastructure in good shape. That’s it. I’m running for county commission because I want to keep government limited and focused on its purpose. I also want to fight for taxpayers and property owners who often feel like they don’t have a voice in local government. I believe that my life and business experience, coupled with my conservative governing philosophy, make me a strong candidate to represent District 3 on the commission going forward.

What is your top priority and what specifically would you do to address it?

Property Taxes are top of mind for everyone in our community. The county 2024 budget of $546M is funded by around 45% property tax revenue which means we are far too dependent on property taxes to fund our county government. I believe we should not only be advocates for property tax relief, but we should also be advocating for property tax REFORM. The system is complicated and confusing. Assessment rates, as they stand now, are not conducive to economic growth and send a bad signal to our community. It’s time we look at how we modernize government. I will work collaboratively to find other revenue sources to relieve the dependence on property tax income and focus on functional consolidation where we can improve services and lower cost.

What, if any, changes should the county make in the services it provides?

One of my top priorities will be the functional consolidation of county government and its services. We need to take a detailed inventory of every service to see where there are redundancies and inefficiencies that can be streamlined and updated to better serve our residence. This won’t be done laterally, of course. We will need broad collaboration with county employees, residence, and outlying elected officials to find success.

Local property tax revenues have increased each of the last few years. If property values go up again next year, would you support the county capturing more tax money or should the county lower its mill levy?

Both. I would support any measure that balances capturing a percentage of assessed property values while simultaneously lowering the mill levy. Again, the entire property tax system needs to be reevaluated and reformed to better suit the needs of the residence and businesses of Sedgwick County.

The county is discussing the possibility of funding amenities like cultural attractions and parks through a sales tax rather than property tax. What do you think of this concept and what would you propose or support if you were elected?

As it stands, there are two proposals under consideration that would fund the arts and quality of life line-items via sales tax. To be clear, the sales tax wouldn’t be an additional source of funding; rather it would be an *alternative* source of funding, thus allowing the county to lower the mill-levy (i.e. property taxes). As a matter of principle, I am in favor of moving those line-items of the budget to a sales tax-only funding source. However, I’m not committing to a particular proposal, nor am I committing to a particular timeline, until I’ve had time to study the issues in depth and have conversations with all invested parties. Quality of life is vital for a flourishing community. The Zoo and Exploration Place (to name only two) are two of the county’s greatest attractions and assets. We need to steward the investments we’ve made in those assets well, and ensure that we can put them on a path to financial sustainability. I’m committed to that.

What role should the county play in the community’s ongoing homeless prevention efforts? Should that role include financial support?

County government should play a strong supporting role in the community’s efforts to combat homelessness, but it should not be leading those efforts, as that is not part of its core function. Ensuring COMCARE is operating efficiently and at full strength should be a top priority for the county, and I intend to work with our leaders there to make sure they are supported and have the resources needed to meet the mental heal needs of the people in their care.

What, if any, county operations should be privatized or consolidated with the city of Wichita? Explain.

Environmental resources should be looked at for possible consolidation. For example, the contamination site at 29th and Grove exposed some issues with the county and city partnership that need to be resolved. Another potential area for consolidation and partnership is animal control.

Sedgwick County commissioners approved spending $2.1 million in ARPA money to lease two floors at the Ruffin Building until at least July 2025. Where do you think Sedgwick County’s administrative offices should be located in the long term, and how should it be paid for?

I believe the best location for the County’s Administrative Office is downtown Wichita. It’s important to keep services in the core as we continue to work to increase effectiveness and efficiencies within county services. I understand that there are a couple of great options that they are currently looking at, but I would like to see a complete analysis of what the county needs will be if we continue to work towards functional consolidation for services. As a tenant in the Ruffin Building, the County is managing their office needs at a friendly rate, including utilities and miscellaneous maintenance needs that come up in office buildings. The County needs to stay put until they have a better handle on what the long-term needs will be and to ensure our tax dollars are responsibly spent.

Are elections in Sedgwick County secure, accessible and accurate? What, if any, changes would you propose?

Yes, I believe that elections in Sedgwick County are safe, secure, and accessible. Laura Rainwater and her staff in the county elections office have done an outstanding job making our election system one of the best in the state if not the country.

What would you do to make county government more transparent?

As of now, I think our county government is one of the most transparent institutions in the state. The Sedgwick County Budget Roundtables that began this year to help residents understand the budget are great ways to get people educated and engaged. I would continue to support and strengthen those kinds of efforts if elected to the commission.