Downtown Wichita Tax Base
There's been much investment in downtown Wichita. But it isn't evident in the assessed value of property, although the recent trend is positive. (more…)
08
Aug
03
Aug
Wichita Primary Election, August 3, 2021
In each city council district, the top two candidates move to the general election in November. This means in district 3, Mike Hoheisel will face the newly-appointed incumbent Jared Cerullo. In district 6, Maggie Ballard runs against incumbent Cindy Claycomb.
30
Jul
Wichita since the start of the pandemic
How has Wichita fared since the start of the pandemic compared to other metropolitan areas? (more…)
12
Jul
Wichita City Council District 6 candidates
The Save Century II committee presented a forum of candidates for Wichita City Council District 6. There are six candidates. The primary election is August 3, 2021, and the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election on November 2, 2021. (more…)
28
Jun
Wichita city population rises in 2020
Wichita city population rose in 2020. It was the second year of increase after two years of decline. (more…)
08
May
Wichita ethics code to be considered
The Wichita city council will consider an ethics code that overlooks a simple and effective solution to a problem. This week the Wichita City Council will consider the final version of a proposed ethics code. It does not cover campaign finance. It does cover gifts to council members, which has been an issue in the past. Part of the problem with the proposal is the creation of a new board, the Ethics Advisory Board. Its members will be asked to judge things like whether a gift is "... intended or has the appearance or effect ..." The board will be…
21
Feb
Naftzger Park event management agreement still ambiguous
This week the Wichita City Council will update an agreement from last year, but it appears important issues were not addressed. Last February the City of Wichita approved an agreement with a local business to manage events at Naftzger Park. With the pandemic upending public events, the business -- Wave Old Town, LLC -- was unable to program any events. Therefore, the city wants to add additional time to the agreement. During the delay, the city could have addressed problems with the original agreement. Some problems concern the bidding process. My concern was the uncertainty in the profit-sharing agreement, which…
15
Jan
Wichita property tax rate: Up
The City of Wichita property tax mill levy rose slightly for 2020. In 1994 the City of Wichita mill levy rate -- the rate at which real and personal property is taxed -- was 31.290. In 2020 it was 32.749, based on the Sedgwick County Clerk. That's an increase of 1.459 mills, or 4.66 percent, since 1994. (These are for taxes levied by the City of Wichita only, and do not include any overlapping jurisdictions.) (more…)
12
Jan
Zip code populations
An interactive visualization of population by zip codes shows the parts of Wichita that are growing. As part of its American Community Survey program, the United States Census Bureau produces estimates of population in zip codes. I've gathered this data for ten years and present it in an interactive visualization. (more…)
28
Dec
Downtown Wichita jobs rise
The reported number of jobs in Downtown Wichita rose in 2018, but there is an issue with the data. (more…)