Note from Commissioner Blubaugh: | | This month, I sat down to speak with Deputy Chief Financial Officer Brent Shelton. We discussed how the different departments within the Financial Division work together to keep Sedgwick County's finances on a firm foundation. This was a bittersweet conversation ahead of Brent's retirement in late September after more than 33 years of public service with Sedgwick County. He spent his career serving the County in roles with the Clerk's Office, Treasurer's Office, Public Works and Finance. He even served as interim appraiser in 2025 and has paved the way for many economic development and tax projects in Sedgwick County. Thanks for your dedication and service, Brent! | | |
We had a great celebration of Brent's service with his family and friends in attendance. This officially marks the end of his work at Sedgwick County and the start of his time as director of Camp Grumpy with his beautiful grandchildren!
Elsewhere in Sedgwick County this month, we made some important decisions that will help guide us into the remainder of 2026. The Commission agreed to an extension of the interim development control on data centers through Dec. 24, 2026. Advance Plans presented draft regulations in late September. Staff will continue revising and working with us ahead of more discussion and potential action, whether it's a vote on regulations or another extension, before the end of the year.
We also agreed to an increased tag office transaction fee that will help us continue to turn this into an office that isn't reliant on property taxes, but is instead fee-funded by its visitors. The Treasurer came to the Commissioners seeking an increase of $4.50 from the $5 charge that already existed, and we instead voted on an increase of $2.75 to a total of $7.75. This estimate will give the Treasurer funds to hire additional staff and improve technology to make scheduling appointments easier with the goal of providing residents the best service possible.
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The Wichita Chamber's leadership lunch provided a chance to speak about updates to the Sedgwick County budget and key issues facing our community.
During our discussion, property tax valuations came up, and nobody felt their residential or business property was currently valued between 90% and 110% of true market value. For tax year 2026, only 69% of sales values were used, while 31% of sales were considered invalid. This likely makes up the under-$200,000 market. We need to examine why we're using the cost approach 70% of the time, yet throwing out 31% of sales. While Sedgwick County only accounts for a little over 20% of your total tax bill, the Appraiser’s Office is responsible for setting those underlying valuations. Moving forward, my goal is clear: I will keep pushing for a valuation formula driven directly by real market data — not rely on a cost approach to build new values.
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It was exciting to see old coworkers from my Cessna days continue to grow and build great things right here in Wichita! Teresa and Kirby Ortega, and the entire Ortega Aviation team, held a groundbreaking for their new Turboprop Training Solutions facility at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport- another celebration of growth in Wichita aviation. Our aviation heritage runs deep, and it’s exciting to see the next generation of aviation training taking shape right here in the Air Capital. Congratulations, Teresa and Kirby!
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It was exciting to see Joby Aviation’s Electric Skies tour here in the Air Capital of the World and to see the Cessna Caravan paired with autonomous technology that could help shape the future of flight. Even more special was reconnecting with some of my former colleagues from my Cessna days. So many great memories — and it’s exciting to see how the aviation industry continues to evolve. I'm proud to see innovative aviation technology making a stop right here in Wichita!
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I was honored to speak at Globe Engineering's celebration of 80 amazing years. From building children’s furniture to producing aircraft parts flying around the world, what an incredible journey of innovation, craftsmanship, and growth by this long-standing company.
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I was proud to watch our incredible Clearwater FFA students give an outstanding presentation at this month's school board meeting! Each student stepped up to the mic and shared how FFA has shaped their growth in leadership, public speaking and building valuable professional networks. Standing in front of the board isn't easy, but every single one of them represented our chapter with confidence, poise, and true Clearwater pride.
We are so proud of these future leaders and can’t wait to see where their FFA journey takes them next.
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Friends University also provided me the opportunity to speak to a class about county government and the important role it plays in our community. A special shout-out to Dr. Russell Fox for the invitation. It’s always great to return to my alma mater and connect with students about local government and public service.
| | What a great night of fun and weather it was for Sedgwick County Zoo's Zoobilee. This event is the Zoo’s largest fundraiser and one of Wichita’s favorite annual traditions. We are so fortunate to have such an incredible community treasure right here in Sedgwick County. | | I was also happy to have great discussions with local elected officials at a number of other events. At the Third-Quarter Quad County Planning Forum, we discussed the fight for property tax relief and the ongoing conversation of data centers with representatives from Reno, Harvey and Butler Counties. Leaders also gathered at the September meeting for the Sedgwick County Association of Cities (SCAC) to provide updates. My colleagues and I also attended the Wichita Society of Professional Engineers Legislative Breakfast to hear about their priorities and concerns and meet with other elected officials. We ended the month by hosting the South Central Kansas Legislative Delegation to tackle a number of topics that are important to Sedgwick County residents, address shared priorities, express pressures facing the County and identify areas to collaborate in the best interest of taxpayers. | | The views expressed by Commissioner Jeff Blubaugh in this newsletter do not necessarily represent the governing body of the Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners or Sedgwick County Government. | | Never miss a City, County or School District meeting again! | | |
It's now easier than EVER to stay connected in your community and engage with local leaders. We have created a place that provides access to all available meetings for municipalities and school districts in Sedgwick County. It includes the meeting frequency, days and times, and links to the site if the meeting is streamed. Click Sedgwick County meetings to check it out!
| | Gearing up for the General Election | |
Voting in the 2026 General Election begins in just a matter of weeks. The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 13, with distribution of advance ballots by mail taking place Oct. 14. Make sure to check or update your voter registration.
Check your polling location and more voting information at the Sedgwick County Election Office website.
Here are other important dates for the General election:
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Wednesday, Oct. 14 - First day to begin sending all other mail ballots
Monday, Oct. 19 - Early in-person voting begins at 3 locations in Sedgwick County
Friday, Oct. 23 - Public pre-test of tabulation equipment
Tuesday, Oct. 27 - Early in-person voting opens at all 20 sites in Sedgwick County
Tuesday, Nov. 3 - 2026 General Election
Thursday, Nov. 12 - Opening meeting of the canvass board
Monday, Nov. 16 - Final meeting of the canvass board to certify the election
Tuesday Nov. 17 - Public post-test of tabulation equipment
| | Emergency Preparedness and Safety Expo | | What a great turn out we had at the Sedgwick County Emergency Preparedness and Safety Expo on Sept. 26. Sedgwick County departments had a fantastic time meeting with so many people and providing them with resources and supplies to be prepared for a variety of emergencies. Thank you to everyone who came out. | |
Practicing our preparedness | |
We know how important it is to stay prepared in case of a real-world emergency. Today, Sedgwick County public safety departments participated in a full-scale emergency preparedness exercise at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport to test response plans are coordinated efforts between local, state and federal partners. We're thankful for these opportunities and partnerships.
| Sign-ups underway for final CERT weekend | |
Learn how to help yourself and your community in the face of a disaster by signing up for Sedgwick County Emergency Management’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training Weekend. The class will take place from Oct. 16-18, 2026, at Sedgwick County Park.
Participants will learn:
- Disaster preparedness
- Fire safety and utility controls
- Disaster medical operations
- Search and rescue
- Disaster psychology
This is the last CERT class of 2026. Don't miss out and sign up today at this link.
| | Have you been negatively impacted by the ongoing drought? If so, you may be eligible for a Drought Disaster Loan from the Small Business Administration. This is a working capital loan designed to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. Applications are open now and available until March 10, 2027. Apply today at https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/emergency-management/drought-disaster-loans/. | | Connect with Sedgwick County | | | | |
