Takeaways
- Wichita advances a 1-cent sales tax toward a March vote.
- Johnson backs it as needed to avoid future deficits.
- Residents raise concerns about speed, fairness and trust.
- Shepard pushes for equity and deeper community involvement.
Wichita is one vote away from asking residents to approve a temporary 1-cent city sales tax to fund public safety, homelessness services, property-tax relief, and major downtown projects.
On a unanimous 7–0 vote this week, the Wichita City Council advanced the proposal on first reading. A second and final vote will be held Dec. 16. If approved, the tax would go before voters in a special March 3 election. The tax would end after seven years.
A Business-Led Coalition Behind the Proposal
The plan is being championed by Wichita Forward, a coalition formed earlier this year by three prominent Wichita business leaders:
• Jon Rolph, Thrive Restaurant Group
• Ben Hutton, Hutton
• Aaron Bastian, Fidelity Bank
The group says it has since grown to include about 50 community leaders. Before developing the sales tax package, the coalition surveyed roughly 500 residents to gauge priorities. They say they determined people were most willing to support a sales tax if revenue was focused on public safety, homelessness and housing, revitalizing Century II, and providing meaningful property-tax relief.
Early estimates project the 1% tax could generate about $850 million over seven years.
How the Sales Tax Revenue Would Be Spent
Under the Wichita Forward proposal, the one-cent sales tax could raise roughly $850 million over seven years and would be allocated to four major areas, each dedicated to specific priorities:
1. Building a Safe and Resilient Community — $375 million
• Public Safety — $225 million: Investments in police and fire facilities, technology, training and equipment to address rising service demands and safety concerns.
• Homelessness and Housing — $150 million: Funds capital improvements and permanent support for a multi-agency homelessness center, including investments in affordable housing and prevention programs. wichitaforward.org
2. Revitalization of Century II and Convention Space — $250 million
• Century II Renovation — $25 million: Dedicated to revitalizing the aging Civic Center.
• Convention Space Improvements — $225 million: Renovations and additions to Wichita’s convention facilities to attract events and visitors. wichitaforward.org
3. Property-Tax Relief — $150 million
• Allocated to reduce property taxes, with an expected annual relief equivalent to about 12% through 2033. wichitaforward.org
4. Performing Arts and Culture — $75 million
• To help build a new downtown performing arts facility through a public/private partnership — paired with an additional $75–$100 million in private philanthropic support. wichitaforward.org
To ensure transparency, the proposal calls for an independent citizen oversight committee to monitor spending and verify that funds are used only as authorized by voters. wichitaforward.org
Under the proposal, a citizen oversight committee would be responsible for ensuring the funds are used as voted on and for conducting an annual audit of expenditures.
Brandon Johnson: “We Don’t Have Enough Without New Revenue”
This will likely be one of the last major issues District 1 Councilmember Brandon Johnson, who leaves office in January, will vote on. He and other council members will determine whether the sales tax goes to a vote, when that vote occurs, and what the sales-tax revenue will fund.
Johnson says the proposal isn’t perfect — but he believes it’s necessary.
“I don’t think I’ll ever 100% agree with everything in a sales tax,” he said in an interview with THE VOICE, “but I have historically said we needed to raise something — whether that was our mill levy or a sales tax — because what we currently have is not enough.”
He points to looming budget deficits — around $4 million in 2028 and $8 million in 2029 — as a warning sign.
“If we don’t increase our revenue, the city will be in a tough financial situation in a few years,” he said.
Johnson said his long-standing priority has been investment in parks, arts and libraries, but he understands why Wichita Forward focused heavily on public safety. Fire stations and equipment, he noted, take years to procure, and the city has documented gaps in both fire and police coverage across Wichita.
He believes shifting the large proposed costs into the sales-tax package could free up money in the regular city budget — allowing future councils to reinvest in quality-of-life amenities, neighborhood improvements, and affordable housing.
He added that many surrounding cities already have a 1-cent local sales tax, so adopting one would not put Wichita at a disadvantage but instead “level the city up.”
Community Concerns: Speed, Trust and Process
City Councilmember Mike Hoheisel, who represents District 3 in southeast Wichita, says he supported the proposed uses for the sales tax because “there’s something in it for everyone.”
Still, many community members disagreed that the selected “something” was the right “something” for everyone.
Members of Justice Together, a faith-based organization of about 35 congregations, pushed for more funding for affordable housing. Some representatives from Wichita’s Northeast community hoped to see more dollars directed toward the city’s lower-income areas and toward the “average” residents who are struggling to make ends meet.
Former City Council candidate LaWanda DeShazer raised concerns about the disproportionate impact that an increased sales tax has on the poorest residents. While the state recently eliminated the grocery sales tax, the additional 1% local sales tax would — by law — still apply to groceries. DeShazer said this would further burden low-income families, who spend a larger share of their income on essentials like food.
In response, Hoheisel proposed creating a rebate program for lower-income residents equivalent to the amount they would pay on the city sales tax for groceries. (The estimate offered during discussion suggested that the average household spends about $5,400 a year on groceries, making the rebate approximately $54.)
At a community meeting where Wichita Forward presented the plan, attendees voiced concerns that the process moved too quickly and involved too little community input. Several questioned why a private group — one that acknowledged it was “not the content experts” in areas such as homelessness or public safety — was effectively crafting the framework for an $850 million investment.
Others objected to the timing. A March special election typically draws very low turnout, and some critics argued that the timing appeared designed to favor supporters, not the broader electorate.
Questions about trust emerged repeatedly. Speakers cited past city decisions around downtown development, stadium deals, and hotel incentives, saying the public has heard “big promises before” that didn’t materialize.
One resident summed up the room’s mood bluntly: “It’s a matter of trust — absolute trust. I don’t trust you guys.”
Incoming Councilmember Raises Equity Questions
District 1 Councilmember-elect Joseph Shepard, who will replace Johnson in January, will not vote on the measure — but he will inherit whatever financial landscape results from it.
In an interview with THE VOICE, Shepard emphasized that communities like District 1 must be brought into major decisions earlier and more meaningfully.
“When we are talking about big issues like a sales tax, we need ways to involve residents consistently,” he said. “Not just when something shows up on the council bench for the first reading.”
Still, Shepard said he is committed to listening to all sides — and if the tax passes, he wants to ensure that any flexibility created in the city’s capital improvement plan by shifting projects to the sales-tax package be directed toward the neighborhoods that will feel the tax burden the most.
What’s Next
Next Tuesday, the City Council will take its final vote on whether to place the proposal on the ballot. Based on the 7–0 initial vote, it appears the issue will most likely advance to a March election.
For Johnson, the decision is about investing now to avoid deeper cuts later. For many residents across Wichita — and particularly in District 1 — the vote will be about whether the city can rebuild trust while asking people to pay more at the register. Whether the sales tax moves forward may ultimately depend on whether voters believe this proposal reflects their priorities, their values, and their vision for Wichita’s future.