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. | | Citizens Urged to Attend Final Public Budget Hearing | | |
Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stolz has presented his 2026 Recommended Budget, and the final public budget hearing is set for Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the Board of County Commissioners 9 a.m. meeting. This is YOUR chance to provide feedback directly to Commissioners about the 2026 budget before they vote on it.
If you cannot attend these meetings in person, watch the live stream on Sedgwick County Government's Facebook and YouTube pages and submit budget comments online.
| | Aug. 26 Deadline for Flood Damage Report & Loan Applications | | |
Flood victims still have until Aug. 26 to apply for financial assistance for physical and economic losses from the severe storms and flooding that occurred June 3-7, 2025. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest federal disaster loans to small businesses, private nonprofits and residents in the Kansas counties of Butler, Chase, Cowley, Elk, Greenwood, Harvey, Marion, Sedgwick and Sumner.
- Businesses and nonprofits may borrow up to $2 million to replace or repair real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.
- Homeowners and Renters are eligible for home and personal property loans up to $100,000 (renters) or $500,000 (homeowners).
- Resources are available to assist with business operating expenses associated with the disaster.
- Funding is available for future mitigation projects as well.
- There is no obligation to take a loan after applying.
Even though the SBA has closed its Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOC) in Sedgwick and Butler Counties, applications can be accepted online at https://lending.sba.gov.
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Flood victims are encouraged to report their damages through the Public Damage Reporting Survey. Simply scan this QR code to access the survey, which is available through Aug. 26, 2025. Resources for flood victims are available at Flood and Water Damage Resources | Sedgwick County, Kansas.
| | Emergency Management Director Wins National Award | | |
Kudos to Sedgwick County Emergency Management (SCEM) Director Julie Stimson (on the right)! She was recently named the Emergency Manager of the Year for Region 7 by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). Region 7 includes Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.
Also in July, SCEM conducted joint training with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the South Central Kansas Healthcare Coalition to practice setting up the Coalition’s disaster tent. This mobile shelter can be heated or cooled and deployed statewide to serve a variety of purposes during an emergency. Cooperation and training between multiple agencies are key factors to staying prepared for any disaster.
| | EMS Employees Earn Promotions & Stork Coins | | |
Congratulations to 19 Sedgwick County EMS employees (above) who received well-deserved promotions
Paramedics Madison Loos and Brandon Rudick (left) earned a different kind of recognition - pink stork coins for their assistance in delivering a healthy baby girl!
| | Meet K9 Violet, Sedgwick County's New Team Member | | K9 Violet made her public debut this week! The 15-month-old highly trained Belgian Malinois is training to join the Sedgwick County Fire District 1 search and rescue operations. Once she’s certified, she will help track down missing or trapped people during emergencies. Watch her in action in the video above, as she finds a “live victim” trapped in a culvert during a demonstration with her handler, SCFD1 Firefighter Joshua Smith. | | Cast Your Ballot in the 2025 Primary Election | | The 2025 Primary Election is tomorrow - Tuesday, Aug. 5! Polls in Sedgwick County are open from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Contests on the ballot include Wichita City Council District 1, USD 259 Wichita Districts 1 and 5, and a special local sales tax election for the City of Maize. For more voting information, visit Election Office | Sedgwick County, Kansas. | | Appraiser Honored for Three Decades of Service | | Appraiser Mark Clark is retiring after more than 30 years with Sedgwick County. At the July 16 meeting, Commissioners thanked him for his hard work and dedication and held a reception in his honor. | | COMCARE Videos Dispel Myths about Mental Healthcare | | Sedgwick County COMCARE created a series of videos to end the misinformation and stigma surrounding mental illness. Watch the video below to learn about the effectiveness of mental health treatments. | | Sedgwick County Employees named Hometown Heroes | | |
The Wichita Wind Surge and KAKE-TV honored several Sedgwick County employees in July as Hometown Heroes.
- Retired Sheriff's Lieutenant Mary Mattingly (not pictured) was recognized for her work since the 1990's with the Leaders, Achievers and Winners (LAW) Camp for kids ages 10-14. Through fun activities the week-long camp teaches children what first responders do and provides positive role models.
- Sedgwick County Emergency Communications Deputy Director Alayna Moreno (on the right) was named a Hometown Hero for her leadership in the 911 Dispatch Center during the flooding of June 3 and June 17. She helped her team answer about 6,200 calls for help and dispatched emergency crews to rescue stranded residents.
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- COMCARE's Christian Wells was instrumental in starting the Integrated Care Team - a mobile crisis team that responds to calls across Sedgwick County to help people feeling suicidal or mentally unstable.
Award recipients receive a personalized, commemorative Wind Surge jersey, and a video about them plays on the big screen during the game and on KAKE News. To watch their stories, visit www.kake.com/HometownHeroes. Congratulations to all of our Hometown Heroes!
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Sedgwick County Celebrates Graduation of 9-1-1 Call Takers
Emergency Communications welcomed 11 new call takers to the 9-1-1 Dispatch team, after the recruits completed six weeks of training. Call takers also go through five weeks of on-the-job training before they start answering 9-1-1 calls on their own.
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Deputies Show Community Spirit at Local Events
The first-ever Sheriff's Benefit FUNd Run at Sedgwick County Park was a big success, with 115 runners participating. The event raised about $5,000 for the Holiday Food Box Program that feeds more than 400 families each year in December.
Sheriff Easter and his team also joined other first responders in a parade July 9 at the Sedgwick County Fair, showing off the big trucks that help serve residents in times of emergency.
| | City of Andale adds safe disposal site for drugs | | |
A new MedSafe disposal kiosk opened in the City Hall building in Andale at 326 N. Main St. MedSafe kiosks allow residents to safely dispose of unwanted, unused, or expired medications. This includes prescription, controlled substances, and over-the-counter medicine. There is no charge, no ID check, and no questions asked.
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ERC Graduation Marks Progress for At-Risk Youth
Sedgwick County Department of Corrections held a graduation ceremony for 14 juvenile offenders and at-risk youth who completed coursework at the Evening Reporting Center (ERC). The program helps graduates make better choices in the future.
| | Out and About with Commissioners | | Several Commissioners attended the Sedgwick County Farm Bureau 2025 Annual Meeting to hear from Kansas agricultural leaders and learn their plans for the future. | | |
Contact Commissioner Ryan Baty
316-660-9300
Ryan.Baty@sedgwick.gov
100 N. Broadway, Ste. 660, Wichita, KS 67202
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