District 3 Newsletter from Commissioner Stephanie Wise

September 2026

Note from Commissioner Wise:

COMCARE funding change doesn’t remove the need

A change in a government funding formula can look like savings on paper, but if the service is still required and the need still exists, someone else ends up paying the bill. The cost doesn’t disappear. It just moves.

That’s the concern facing Sedgwick County with COMCARE, our community mental health center. Beginning January 1, 2027, the State plans to change how some crisis services are funded. Crisis Stabilization Unit services will no longer be included in the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) cost report and Prospective Payment System (PPS) rate that currently help fund them. Changes to Targeted Case Management could also create a funding gap of up to $5 million for services Sedgwick County would still be required to provide.

It is important to understand that COMCARE isn’t simply an optional County program we created. Kansas law establishes the framework for community mental health services at the county level, and the Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners serves as the governing board for our community mental health system. This is a state and local responsibility, which makes a sustainable funding partnership especially important. The need is real. Demand for crisis stabilization has increased 74 percent since 2022. So far in 2026, 198 individuals have been served through our Crisis Stabilization Unit, and 95 percent were stabilized without needing referral to a hospital for a higher level of care.

I ran for office as a conservative who believes in limited government, lower taxes and accountability for every taxpayer dollar. Those principles still guide my decisions. Limited government, however, does not mean ineffective government. I would much rather see strong families, churches, nonprofits and community organizations help people before they ever need a government program. Government should not be the first answer to every problem, and we should be cautious about programs that foster long-term dependence rather than helping people regain stability and independence.

But when someone reaches a serious mental health crisis, that person is going to show up somewhere. Without appropriate community treatment, they may end up in an emergency room, encounter law enforcement, enter our jail or require inpatient psychiatric care. None of those alternatives makes government smaller. In many cases, they make government’s involvement more expensive. That’s where conservative principles of accountability and fiscal responsibility matter. The questions I have to ask as a commissioner are simple: What responsibilities has the State placed at the county level? Are we carrying them out effectively? Is the program producing measurable results? Are taxpayers receiving value for their dollars? In this case, we have results we can measure.

Sedgwick County has also demonstrated our shared investment in the behavioral health partnership with the State of Kansas. As Kansas prepared for the new South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital, Sedgwick County committed significant local resources to expanding our crisis capacity through the new COMCARE Community Crisis Center and expanded services. The goal isn’t simply to build another government facility. It’s to provide the right level of care at the right time while reducing unnecessary demand on the state hospital, emergency departments and law enforcement. Now, just as those investments are preparing to come online, funding changes could make critical pieces of that continuum more difficult to sustain. This isn’t simply Sedgwick County asking the State to preserve funding for a County program. It’s about maintaining a state and local partnership we have both invested in.

We faced a similar challenge last year with Community Corrections. A proposed change to the Kansas Department of Corrections funding formula would have significantly reduced Sedgwick County’s allocation. We raised concerns about our caseload, public safety needs, outcomes and local taxpayer investment. We worked with our legislative delegation and state partners, and ultimately implementation of the formula was paused for additional review. Good state and local government depends on partnership.

That same approach is important now. Sedgwick County isn’t asking that programs be protected simply because they exist. We should be able to demonstrate that they work. A 2025 University of Kansas cost avoidance study found that COMCARE’s treatment of mental health crises generated approximately $2.8 million in societal savings, based on 2023 data. Sedgwick County is also a regional hub. Many systems we operate serve people well beyond our county line. We should play our appropriate role as a regional partner, but regional responsibilities require sustainable funding partnerships.

When funding changes while the responsibility remains here, eventually that deficit lands on Sedgwick County taxpayers. Do we raise property taxes? Do we reduce another service? Or do we stop providing a program that is producing measurable results?

Taxpayers should expect us to scrutinize programs, measure outcomes, eliminate waste and ask whether government should be doing something in the first place. But mental illness, addiction and behavioral health crises don’t disappear because we wish government had a smaller role. When effective community-based programs prevent someone from entering a jail, emergency room or state hospital, eliminating their funding may simply make government spending larger somewhere else. That isn’t an argument for bigger government. It’s an argument for government doing the things it is responsible for and doing them effectively.

Our Board has asked the State to preserve sustainable funding for crisis stabilization, ensure reimbursement reflects the actual costs of required services, and fully evaluate the proposed changes before final decisions are implemented. Last year, partnership helped us slow down a significant change to Community Corrections. I’m hopeful that same state and local partnership can help us find a responsible path forward again.

State and county government, hospitals, law enforcement and behavioral health providers may all have separate budgets. But the taxpayer doesn’t. If reducing spending in one budget simply creates a larger expense somewhere else, we haven’t truly saved taxpayers’ money.

The cost doesn’t disappear. It just moves.

The views expressed by Commissioner Stephanie Wise 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:

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.

Drought Disaster Loans

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/.

Out and about with the commissioners

We welcomed members of the South Central Kansas Legislative Delegation, including legislators in the Kansas House and Senate, to collaborate about issues facing our taxpayers.