Two Sedgwick County commissioners have come up with a plan that could restore most funding cuts that are proposed in the county’s 2016 recommended budget.
Commissioners Dave Unruh and Tim Norton did the math and came up with a solution they say will alleviate the funding cuts proposed for many organizations and non-profits.
Commissioner Unruh says the idea is to defer one road re-surfacing project in each of the commission’s five districts and keep the property tax where it is now.
"We’re asking each commissioner to give up one mile and add that to the technical adjustment of the mill levy," Unruh says. "And we can have $1.7 million dollars and totally restore all the funding cuts that have been suggested."
The commissioners say the county public works director is not opposed to this alternative budget plan. They say the county will still be able to complete about $17 million in road projects.
Unruh says many township roads are often included in the county’s road resurfacing projects that could easily be cut because they are not county responsibility.
Under the plan, funding would be restored to health and human services programs, economic partnerships and cultural and recreation programs.
The formal proposal will come Wednesday during the county commission’s meeting to vote on a 2016 budget.
