Aug. 2024

The views expressed by Commissioner Ryan Baty in this newsletter do not necessarily represent the governing body of the Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners or Sedgwick County Government.

Commissioners adopt 2025 budgets


The Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) approved a 2025 budget for Sedgwick County Government that cuts the mill levy for a second consecutive year and establishes the County’s lowest mill levy in 27 years. The spending priorities focus on core services, staffing and compensation improvements - especially in Public Safety. Commissioners also approved a 2025 budget for Fire District 1 with a reduced mill levy.


The 2025 Adopted Budget for Sedgwick County Government is $563,444,425, with an estimated property tax rate of 28.659 mills, and $30,140,800 for Sedgwick County Fire District 1, with an estimated property tax rate of 17.000 mills. Together, the budgets total $593,585,225. To learn more about the budget process, visit Budget Office | Sedgwick County, Kansas.

National Preparedness Month urges families to plan ahead


September is National Preparedness Month, when Sedgwick County Emergency Management (SCEM) encourages residents to:

  • Get a kit with emergency supplies.
  • Make a plan on how to respond in a disaster and then practice it, especially with kids.
  • Stay informed of current conditions through radio and TV, a NOAA weather alert radio and social media.
  • Get involved by volunteering in your community.

SCEM is also practicing its emergency preparedness plans. For the first time this year, Sedgwick County applied for FEMA assistance to conduct a full-scale active shooter exercise on March 11, 2025. The simulation is one of 43 selected across the country that FEMA will support. After the exercise, SCEM will reevaluate its disaster readiness and identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Cardiac arrest survivor meets EMS team that saved him


Neil Sikes and his wife Debbie got the chance to personally thank the EMS paramedics and first responders who brought him back to life May 21 when he stopped breathing and had no pulse. Crews gave him CPR for 50 minutes and shocked his heart with defibrillators five times to revive him. Neil doesn't remember much from that day, but he made a full recovery!

Sedgwick County EMS also took part in the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride Aug. 5, wearing ID tags bearing the names of six EMS personnel who suffered illness, injury or death in the line of duty.

Project Search honored with national award


Sedgwick County’s Project SEARCH – a workforce development program for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities - recently won an award at its annual conference for Project Search teams from around the world. They were recognized for reaching 100% job placement for its interns after graduation last year! They not only met but exceeded their goal of 70% of its interns finding competitive, integrated employment for 16 or more hours per week, paid at the prevailing wage. Congratulations!

Register to vote in the 2024 Presidential Election


Sedgwick County residents must be registered to vote by Oct. 15 to cast a ballot in the Nov. 5 General Election. Voters must be U.S. citizens and 18 years old. Register in person, online or by mail. To learn more, visit Registration | Sedgwick County, Kansas.

Out and About with Commissioners

The Sedgwick County Register of Deeds’ Office helped veterans safeguard their DD-214 discharge papers by electronically filing them for free at the 2024 Veterans Awareness Expo. They also provided military discount cards to use at businesses across Kansas.

The future of aviation in Sedgwick County took center stage at the National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT). Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, Governor Laura Kelly, Sedgwick County Commissioners and other elected officials gathered with industry leaders for a meet-and-greet event and tour of the facility.

Commissioners joined the celebration for the first five fellows of the KU School of Medicine-Wichita Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program. This new two-year program is not just about training exceptional psychiatrists but shaping compassionate healers who will revolutionize the way we approach mental healthcare for Kansas children and families.

Contact Commissioner Ryan Baty

316-660-9300

Ryan.Baty@sedgwick.gov

100 N. Broadway, Ste. 660, Wichita, KS 67202
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