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Wichita City Council Approves 2017 Budget

City of Wichita

The Wichita City Council voted unanimously today to approve next year’s budget. The budget totals about $581 million.

According to City Manager Robert Layton, the largest source of income for Wichita is property taxes, which account for about one-third of the city’s revenue. The biggest expenses for the city are the Police and Fire Departments, which amount to more than half of the city’s general fund expenditures.

Layton says the approved budget allows for an increased focus on public safety and includes funds for three additional police officers and seven positions to help support the WPD's body camera program. There is also an emphasis on maintaining infrastructure and improving mobility for cars, bikes and pedestrians.

The biggest long-term financial challenge to the city is the public transit system, which is funded only through 2019.

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Aileen LeBlanc is news director at KMUW. Follow her on Twitter @Aileen_LeBlanc.

To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.