Tag: Sedgwick county government

  • Sedgwick County solid waste fee criticized

    Today’s by Rhonda Holman is a two-fer. Two issues for the price of one column, and two issues she’s wrong on. She criticizes Commissioner Karl Peterjohn and Board Chairman Kelly Parks for the opposition of a solid waste management fee that would add a relatively small amount to property tax bills.

  • Sedgwick County transparency effort delayed

    This week Sedgwick County was scheduled to debut its financial transparency website. Based on the preview I briefly saw, this system will allow citizens to explore county revenue and spending in detail. Evidently, the system presents too much detail. The rollout was delayed due to an issue brought up by the Sheriff, having to do…

  • The empty arena

    Kansas City’s Sprint Center (that’s their new downtown arena) is suffering from underuse. The Atlantic article The Empty Arena tells the story. Its subtitle is “If you build it, they might not come.” Despite being managed by a well-connected and experienced management group, no professional basketball or hockey team has moved in.

  • Update on 2009 Kansas legislature

    Here’s a summary of the 2009 Kansas legislative session prepared for Sedgwick County Commissioners by the county’s lobbyist.

  • Sedgwick County keeps lease agreement secret

    A few months ago in March, SMG, the company that is managing the Intrust Bank Arena (formerly known as the downtown Wichita arena) signed a lease with the Wichita Thunder Hockey team. Details of that lease weren’t made available to the public. Not to Sedgwick County Commissioners, either. So the public and even elected government…

  • Sedgwick County industrial park presentation available

    Last week’s meeting of the Board of Sedgwick County Commissioners featured a presentation by Chris Chronis, Chief Financial Officer for Sedgwick County. Now his presentation is available to the public.

  • Lack of information clouds Sedgwick County industrial park plans

    At yesterday’s meeting of the Board of Sedgwick County Commissioners, questions about a proposed industrial park development reveal that there’s still a long way to go before all issues are uncovered, much less understood. At the meeting, Chris Chronis, Chief Financial Officer for Sedgwick County, presented information and responded to questions. While Mr. Chronis was…

  • Sedgwick County industrial park chasing uncertain industries

    Sedgwick County is considering becoming a developer of an industrial park. The county is limiting itself to deals described as a “home run,” meaning a company that plans to hire more than 1,000 workers. The problem is that there are few of these deals each year. Maybe just five to eight. But Sedgwick County’s policy…

  • Sedgwick County land development will harm private sector

    As Sedgwick County considers whether to enter the industrial land development business, there are many considerations that must be weighed before proceeding. My greatest concern is the impact that government land development will have on the private sector in Wichita. … Government has advantages that the private sector doesn’t. It has access to free capital.…