Voice For Liberty

Tag: Wichita city government

  • Wichita ethics code to be considered

    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 asked to judge intent. It will need to consider how things appear. This is all highly subjective.

    A further problem is that the new code requires disclosure of gifts, but on an annual basis. This means that by the time the public becomes aware of activity, it is likely past the time when awareness has value. If information about gifts has value in helping people make informed voting decisions, we need to have timely disclosure. This is also a problem with the disclosure of campaign contributions in Kansas.

    Rapid disclosure of gifts can help citizens judge the actions of elected officials. Disclosure should have these properties, and the propsed code has none:

    • Disclose everything. This means everything, except gifts from family. If someone buys lunch or coffee for an official, it must be disclosed.
    • Disclose rapidly. Something like filing a report each Monday covering activity during the previous week.
    • Disclose online.
    • Disclose effectively. This means information entered in a machine-readable format that can be downloaded in useful form.

    Some of the points that have caused disagreement include the meaning of friends. If we want to restrict the involvement of friends, how do we define the term? This is a problem with the current ethics ordinance in Wichita. City attorneys have told us that with no definition of the term friend, the ordinance can’t be enforced. See In Wichita, a problem with government ethics, Wichita fails ethics test, Wichita City Council can’t judge airport contract.

    Disclosing everything eliminates the issue of someone deciding the meaning of friend. Voters and others can make their own decisions. Elected officials’ opponents will help us learn this.

    (An old saw: “Why bother researching your family? Just go into politics, and your opponents will do that for you.”)

    Will disclosing all gifts rapidly be burdensome to officeholders and staff? Many employees file detailed expense reports so that they may be reimbursed. This is not a problem.

    Disclosing effectively is necessary to make use of information filed on these gift reports. The minimum requirement is that the information in reports be downloaded in machine-readable formats. Currently, for campaign finance reports in Sedgwick County, including for Wichita city offices, reports are filed in a variety of formats. The information is difficult to use, even if optical character recognition can be applied successfully. Some reports are filed in handwriting, and others appear to be faxed to the election office in such low quality that I believe the candidates want to avoid effective use of the information.

    Disclosing effectively means that analysis of the reports will be easier than it would be otherwise. Who will do this analysis? There are several sources, such as journalists and citizens such as myself. And, of course, candidates’ opponents.

    The agenda report for this item is here, and the code itself is here. Here are a few excepts from the code:

    “Avoid the appearance of improper influence and refrain from ever receiving, soliciting or accepting gifts, gratuities, hospitality, favors or anything of value for the official, or their family, valued over ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS ($150.00) from a specific donor over a one-year period ending on December 31, which is intended or has the appearance or effect of influencing the performance of the official duties of an official.”

    “Further, a public official shall report any offer or presentation of a gift or gratuity valued at fifty dollars ($50.00) or more on a yearly basis.”

  • Wichita since the start of the pandemic

    Wichita since the start of the pandemic

    How has Wichita fared since the start of the pandemic compared to other metropolitan areas?

    (These examples are taken from my interactive visualization which holds data on all metropolitan areas in the nation. See Metro area employment and unemployment. It is updated through March 2021.)

    The first chart shows Wichita and other Kansas metropolitan areas, as well as the total for all metropolitan areas. It shows changes in the number of jobs and the number of people in the labor force since the first month shown. It also shows the unemployment rate.

    Click charts for larger versions.

    As we can see, Wichita, in terms of employment, has done better than some, but also not as well as some.

    A second chart shows Wichita along with some nearby metropolitan areas. Again, some have performed better than Wichita, and some not as well.

    For comparison, here is the same chart of Wichita and the same metropolitan areas for the past 20 years. Wichita’s slow growth over these two decades is evident. Interestingly, Wichita has fared better since the start of the pandemic than some, notably Des Moines and Omaha as well as all U.S. metro areas.

    As always, you may use the interactive visualization to create your own charts and tables. The link is above.

  • Wichita jobs and employment, March 2021

    Wichita jobs and employment, March 2021

    For the Wichita metropolitan area in March 2021, the number of unemployed persons is up, the unemployment rate is up, and the number of people working is down when compared to the same month one year ago. The recent trend is exhibiting only small changes.

    Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows the effects of the response to the pandemic in the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area for March 2021.

    Click charts and tables for larger versions.

    Total nonfarm employment fell from 306,200 in March 2020 to 287,600 in March 2021, a loss of 18,600 jobs (6.1 percent). (This data is not seasonally adjusted, so month-to-month comparisons are not valid.) For the same period, employment in the nation fell by 4.4 percent. The unemployment rate in March 2021 was 5.3 percent, up from 3.9 percent the same month one year prior.

    Considering seasonally adjusted data from the household survey, the labor force rose by 145 persons (0.0 percent) in March 2021 from February 2021, the number of unemployed persons fell by 83 (0.5 percent), and the unemployment rate was 5.4 percent, unchanged from February. The number of employed persons not working on farms rose to 303,866 in March from 303,638 the prior month, an increase of 228 persons (0.1 percent).

    The following chart of the monthly change in the labor force and employment in Wichita shows the magnitude of the drop in employment in April 2020 overwhelming other months, and then both positive and negative changes in employment for the following months. The rate of change is generally small except for October. The number of people in the labor force has both grown and shrank.

    The following chart of changes from the same month one year ago shows a similar trend — fewer jobs, although the difference has become smaller as more people return to work.

    The following chart of changes in employment from the same month of the previous year shows the Wichita MSA has mostly tracked the trend of the nation since the pandemic. In months affected by the pandemic, we see the initial loss in employment Wichita was not as severe as the nation. That is not the case in recent months.

    The following chart shows the monthly change in nonfarm jobs for Wichita and the nation. Since September, the changes have been relatively small, with gains and losses.

    The following two charts show changes in jobs for Wichita and the nation over longer periods. The change is calculated from the same month of the previous year. For times when the Wichita line was above the nation, Wichita was growing faster than the nation. This was often the case during the decades starting in 1990 and 2000. Since 2010, however, Wichita has only occasionally outperformed the nation and sometimes has been far below the nation.

    (For data on all metropolitan areas in the nation, see my interactive visualization Metro area employment and unemployment. It is updated through March 2021.)

    The link to the archived version of the BLS news release for this month may be found here.

  • Wichita jobs and employment, February 2021

    Wichita jobs and employment, February 2021

    For the Wichita metropolitan area in February 2021, the number of unemployed persons is up, the unemployment rate is up, and the number of people working is down when compared to the same month one year ago. The recent trend is more positive.

    Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows the effects of the response to the pandemic in the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area for February 2021.

    Click charts and tables for larger versions.

    Total nonfarm employment fell from 306,700 in February 2020 to 282,300 in February 2021, a loss of 24,400 jobs (8.0 percent). (This data is not seasonally adjusted, so month-to-month comparisons are not valid.) For the same period, employment in the nation fell by 5.9 percent. The unemployment rate in February 2021 was 6.4 percent, up from 3.8 percent the same month one year prior.

    Considering seasonally adjusted data from the household survey, the labor force fell by 212 persons (0.1 percent) in February 2021 from January 2021, the number of unemployed persons fell by 286 (1.4 percent), and the unemployment rate was 6.3 percent, down from 6.4 percent in January. The number of employed persons not working on farms rose to 301,295 in February from 301,221 the prior month, an increase of 74 persons (0.0 percent).

    The following chart of the monthly change in the labor force and employment in Wichita shows the magnitude of the drop in employment in April 2020 overwhelming other months, and then both positive and negative changes in employment for the following months. The rate of job growth is generally small except for October. The number of people in the labor force has both grown and shrank.

    The following chart of changes from the same month one year ago shows a similar trend — fewer jobs, although the difference has become smaller as more people return to work.

    The following chart of changes in employment from the same month of the previous year shows months when the Wichita MSA performed better than the nation before the pandemic. In months affected by the pandemic, we see the loss in employment Wichita has not been as severe as the nation, although that is not the case in recent months.

    The following chart shows the monthly change in nonfarm jobs for Wichita and the nation. Since September, the changes have been relatively small, with gains and losses.

    The following two charts show changes in jobs for Wichita and the nation over longer periods. The change is calculated from the same month of the previous year. For times when the Wichita line was above the nation, Wichita was growing faster than the nation. This was often the case during the decades starting in 1990 and 2000. Since 2010, however, Wichita has rarely outperformed the nation and sometimes has been far below the nation.

    (For data on all metropolitan areas in the nation, see my interactive visualization Metro area employment and unemployment. It is updated through February 2021.)

    The link to the archived version of the BLS news release for this month may be found here.

  • Wichita jobs and employment, January 2021

    Wichita jobs and employment, January 2021

    For the Wichita metropolitan area in January 2021, the number of unemployed persons is down, the unemployment rate is up, and the number of people working is down when compared to the same month one year ago. The recent trend is positive.

    Data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows the effects of the response to the pandemic in the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area for January 2021.

    Click charts and tables for larger versions.

    Total nonfarm employment fell from 306,200 in January 2020 to 283,100 in January 2021, a loss of 23,100 jobs (7.5 percent). (This data is not seasonally adjusted, so month-to-month comparisons are not valid.) For the same period, employment in the nation fell by 6.1 percent. The unemployment rate in January 2021 was 6.8 percent, up from 3.6 percent the same month one year prior.

    Considering seasonally adjusted data from the household survey, the labor force rose by 6,404 persons (2.0 percent) in January 2021 from December 2020, the number of unemployed persons rose by 6,056 (40.7 percent), and the unemployment rate was 6.5 percent, up from 4.7 percent in December. The number of employed persons not working on farms rose to 301,230 in January from 300,882 the prior month, an increase of 348 persons (0.1 percent).

    The following chart of the monthly change in the labor force and employment in Wichita shows the magnitude of the drop in employment in April 202 overwhelming other months, and thenbotha positive and negative changes in employment for the following months. The rate of job growth is generally small except for October. The number of people in the labor force has both grown and shrank.

    The following chart of changes from the same month one year ago shows a similar trend — fewer jobs, although the difference is becoming smaller as more people return to work.

    The following chart of changes in employment from the same month of the previous year shows months when the Wichita MSA performed better than the nation before the pandemic. In months affected by the pandemic, we see the loss in employment Wichita has not been as severe as the nation, although that is not the case in recent months.

    The following chart shows the monthly change in nonfarm jobs for Wichita and the nation. For January, the number of jobs in Wichita rose slightly, while for the nation, the number also rose by a smaller amount.

    The following two charts show changes in jobs for Wichita and the nation over longer periods. The change is calculated from the same month of the previous year. For times when the Wichita line was above the nation, Wichita was growing faster than the nation. This was often the case during the decades starting in 1990 and 2000. Since 2010, however, Wichita has rarely outperformed the nation and sometimes has been far below the nation.

    (For data on all metropolitan areas in the nation, see my interactive visualization Metro area employment and unemployment. It is updated through January 2021.)

    The link to the archived version of the BLS news release for this month may be found here.

  • Historic buildings bill on tap

    Historic buildings bill on tap

    A bill designed to protect two buildings in downtown Wichita has a legislative hearing this week.

    Last year a citizen group gathered signatures on a petition that would prevent the City of Wichita from disposing of two downtown buildings without an approving vote of a majority of citizens. Based on having the required number of valid signatures, the petition was certified as valid. But the city sued to have the petition thrown out, contending the petition went beyond what Kansas law allows as the subject of municipal petitions. A judge agreed with the city.

    Now the group has a bill in the legislature with a hearing this week. The bill is HB 2233, titled “Enacting the municipal historic building act.”

    The key provision of the bill is this: “No city shall be permitted to sell, destroy, demolish, dispose of or otherwise alienate any public building that is more than 80,000 square feet in size and has been placed on the national register of historic places without first obtaining the approval [of voters.]”

    At present, there are only two buildings that meet the criteria: Century II and the former Central Wichita Library.

    In a release, John Todd writes:

    House Bill No. 2233 is a bill initiated in the Kansas Legislature by the Wichita Save Century II citizens committee that is written to require a mandatory majority vote of Wichita qualified electors before municipally-owned buildings exceeding 80,000 square feet and on the National Register of Historic Places can be demolished or destroyed. We believe only two buildings in the state of Kansas meet this narrow definition: Century II and the former Wichita public library.

    A public hearing is being held on Wednesday, February 24, on House Bill No. 2233 titled the Municipal Historic Buildings Act at 9:00 a.m. in the House Local Government Committee at the statehouse in Topeka.

    Celeste Racette, Save Century II Committee Chair, Karl Peterjohn, Save Century II Committee Member, and I (also a Save Century II Committee Member) will be testifying in person at the committee hearing in Topeka.

  • Naftzger Park event management agreement still ambiguous

    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 could result in widely varying results depending on how the profit is calculated. None of these issues are mentioned in the agenda packet for Tuesday’s meeting. Further, the item is scheduled on the consent agenda. This means there will be no discussion on this item, and there will not be a vote specifically on this item, unless at least one member of the council decides to “pull” it from the consent agenda.

    There is discussion on Facebook in the Naftzger Park group here. Following, my article from February 2020, which applies today as then:

    Naftzger Park event management agreement ambiguous

    The profit-sharing agreement for Naftzger Park event management contains ambiguity that could lead to disputes.

    Today the Wichita City Council approved an agreement with Wave Old Town LLC for event management in Naftzger Park in downtown Wichita. The agreement was approved unanimously.

    While there was controversy over the awarding of the contract (Wichita Eagle reporting is here), others have noticed that the contract is imprecise in a way that could lead to problems.

    The city and Wave will share profits and losses based on a schedule in the management agreement contained in the agenda packet for today’s meeting, Item V-2. The issue is when the profit-sharing is calculated.

    Profit-sharing agreement for City of Wichita and Wave. Click for larger.

    Based on the way the profit-sharing is calculated, different profit-sharing results could be obtained from the same event history. The management services agreement the city council passed today does not speak to this issue. Neither does the request for proposal for event management.

    The issue is when the profit-sharing calculation is performed and using which data, as follows:

    • Profit-sharing could be calculated independently for each event, using data for just the current event. This is illustrated in example 1.
    • Profit-sharing could be calculated once at the end of the year (or another period) using the sum of events during the period. This is shown in example 2.
    • Profit-sharing could be calculated independently for each event, using cumulative data for the year (or another period). Example 3 illustrates.

    As the following examples show, the differences between these three methods of calculation could be substantial. These three examples assume two events, one with an event profit of $49,999, and the second with an event loss of $49,999. Notice that depending on how and when the same calculation is performed, Wave’s share of profits could be $0, or $25,000, or $49,999. The city could either lose $25,000 or $0.

    While these examples are contrived and use extreme values, they illustrate that the agreement the council passed is ambiguous. There could be disputes that could be avoided with careful attention to detail by the city when constructing contracts.

    Click for larger.
  • GDP by metropolitan area and component

    GDP by metropolitan area and component

    An interactive visualization of gross domestic product by metropolitan area and industry.

    The Bureau of Economic Analysis, an agency of the United States Department of Commerce, gathers data about economic output, known as gross domestic product. The visualization I have created presents this data in tabular and graphic form. (more…)

  • Wichita jobs and employment, December 2020

    Wichita jobs and employment, December 2020

    For the Wichita metropolitan area in December 2020, the number of unemployed persons is up, the unemployment rate is up, and the number of people working is down when compared to the same month one year ago. The recent trend, however, is mixed. (more…)