Board of County Commissioners Approves 2027 Budgets

(Sedgwick County, Kan.) – Today, the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) approved a 2027 budget for Sedgwick County Government that reduces the mill levy rate for a fourth consecutive year. The spending prioritizes mission-critical County services, addresses improvements in the Appraiser’s Office, significantly bolsters EMS through additional staffing and ambulances and provides enhancements to staffing compensation and stability. Commissioners also approved a 2027 budget for Fire District 1 with an unchanged mill levy.

The 2027 Adopted Budget for Sedgwick County Government is $624,195,119, with an estimated property tax rate of 26.842 mills, and $33,499,131 for Sedgwick County Fire District 1, with an estimated property tax rate of 16.754 mills. Together, the budget’s total is $657,694,250.

“Commissioners focused on delivering a 2027 budget that lessens the property tax burden on residents while elevating and prioritizing core services,” BoCC Chairman Jeff Blubaugh said. “This budget helps us maintain staffing stability.”

Highlights of the 2027 budget include:

• Bring in a balanced budget.
  • Redirect $1.4 million in COMCARE property tax-funded items to Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) revenue funding
  • Eliminate a $500,000 Auto License Fund transfer
  • One-time decrease of workers’ compensation rates at $991,000
• Continue emphasis on staffing stability through reasonable compensation and benefits.
  • Sheriff employees receive a 5% step plus a 1% scale adjustment
  • Sedgwick County Fire District 1 (SCFD1) employees receive a 3% step plus a 5.15% scale adjustment
  • Emergency Medical Services (EMS) employees receive a 3% step plus a 1% scale adjustment
  • All other employee pay plans include 3% general pay adjustment plus a 1% scale adjustment
• Prioritize enhancements to mission-critical County services and address key functions.
  • $14.5 million replacement of the 911 radio system
  • Addition of 10 EMTs, five paramedics, three ambulances, three operational support vehicles and increases contractual and commodities for EMS
  • One additional Fire Training position and enhanced physicals for SCFD1
  • Three additional positions, an IT project manager and a commercial market application for the Appraiser’s Office
  • Sedgwick County Zoo building maintenance and two additional zookeeper positions
  • $2 million to the INTRUST Bank Arena Reserve Fund
• Reduce the county mill levy again in the upcoming year without capturing all available valuation increases.
  • Captures 4.2% of the available 7.46% assessed value growth
  • Does not fund an additional $7.5 million in department requests made throughout the budget process
• $71.4 million Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for County facility, drainage, roads and bridges projects, including:
  • $47.2 million in 14 Facility & Drainage projects. Some examples being:
    • $20.7 million to construct an Emergency Preparedness Center for Emergency Management and the Health Department
    • $8.9 million for a joint Sheriff-Kansas Highway Patrol Airplane Hangar at Jabara Airport
  • $24.1 million in road and bridge projects

The budget process began in late 2025 with leadership from each division and department updating their strategic plans for 2026. Commissioners attended a budget workshop in February to receive presentations and ask questions regarding important topics affecting County services. In the spring, departments provided proposals to the Manager’s budget team and presented them to Commissioners during budget hearings. Community members were also invited to participate at public budget hearings, citizens advisory boards, in the online budget simulator and in the online public forum. The County Manager presented the recommended budget on July 15, noting more than $7.5 million in department asks weren’t part of the proposal, with the focus of producing a balanced budget while also reducing the property tax rate.