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Wichita To Eliminate Jobs, Increase Fees To Balance Budget

Carla Eckels

An update of the proposed 2013-2014 budget was presented to Wichita City council members Tuesday.  The plan includes eliminating 37 positions to help balance the budget.

The 37 jobs slated to be cut include 19 vacant positions in the Office of Central Inspection, and 10 in engineering.  Also, eight police positions will be eliminated including seven grant-funded police officers plus another police position, a civilian working in parking enforcement.

City Manager Robert Layton says the plan is to move these workers into other positions.

“We’ll eliminate those positions but we’re hoping that anyone that is currently in a position will be able to stay with the city,” says Layton, “and that’s been our track record since 2009 when we started eliminating positions.”

There are 200 open positions at this time. Of these, 110 positions will be held rather than cut with an option of filling them later in the budget year.

Layton plans increases in fire inspection fees, convenience payment fees and a parking rate adjustment.

“People are parking here at city hall in order to do business in other areas of the downtown and we’d like to at least work get more comparable with our rates,” he says.

In April, the initial deficit was projected to be $5.4 million in 2013 and $6.7 million in 2014. 

After restructuring, the proposed budget is balanced through 2014. 

Members from the city’s district advisory boards will meet at City Hall tonight at 6pm to learn more about the proposed budget. 

The meeting is open to the public.

Carla Eckels is Director of Organizational Culture at KMUW. She produces and hosts the R&B and gospel show Soulsations and brings stories of race and culture to The Range with the monthly segment In the Mix. Carla was inducted into The Kansas African American Museum's Trailblazers Hall of Fame in 2020 for her work in broadcast/journalism.