El martes, el Departamento de Servicios Administrativos y Financieros de la Ciudad de Topeka publicó el presupuesto operativo propuesto para 2023.

El presupuesto municipal total para el año fiscal 2023 es $340.1 millones, un aumento de 0.33% con respecto al año fiscal 2022. De esto, el presupuesto del Fondo General de la ciudad es $104.1 millones. El Fondo General de la Ciudad es el fondo individual más grande y financia muchos de los servicios municipales de la Ciudad.

En general, el presupuesto del Fondo General aumentó un 6.2% con respecto al presupuesto del año fiscal 2022. Durante los últimos cinco años, el presupuesto del Fondo General no ha aumentado más del 2% con respecto al año anterior. El mayor aumento de este año es el resultado directo de los costos inflacionarios que llegan al 8.6%. La Ciudad reconoce el impacto que esto tiene sobre los contribuyentes y ha aumentado los costos con cuidado y con intención.

“Nos complace presentar el presupuesto operativo de 2023 para la Ciudad de Topeka. Confiamos en que el presupuesto permitirá que la Ciudad ofrezca servicios de alta calidad a un costo adecuado para los contribuyentes. Continuamos trabajando para alinear los recursos de la Ciudad con las necesidades y los valores de nuestra comunidad y este presupuesto nos coloca en un excelente lugar para hacerlo,” dijo Stephen Wade, Director del Departamento de Servicios Administrativos y Financieros.

Prioridades Presupuestarias

El presupuesto para 2023 respalda las siguientes prioridades presupuestarias establecidas por el Concejo Municipal: invertir en infraestructura, continuar con el compromiso con la seguridad pública, continuar con el compromiso de desarrollar vecindarios, inversiones estratégicas seleccionadas hacia calidad de vida y buen gobierno.

Al comienzo de este ciclo presupuestario, la Ciudad llevó a cabo seis talleres comunitarios centrados en las cinco prioridades establecidas por el Concejo Municipal. Durante estos talleres, la Ciudad recibió comentarios sobre cuáles son las metas y objetivos de la comunidad para cada una de las prioridades. Desde los talleres, el personal de la Ciudad ha trabajado para incorporar las ideas de la comunidad en el presupuesto junto con el desarrollo de indicadores clave para medir el progreso hacia cada una de las prioridades presupuestarias del Concejo Municipal.

Gastos Destacados

La porción más grande del Fondo General (77.8%) son costos de personal con $80.9 millones. Los costos de personal, incluyendo (incluido) salarios y beneficios, han experimentado un aumento del 5.7% en comparación con el presupuesto del año fiscal 2022.

Los productos básicos, incluyendo materiales para asfalto, roca, arena, sal, combustible, productos químicos y suministros de oficina, han experimentado el mayor aumento como resultado de la inflación, con aumento del 15.5% con respecto al presupuesto del año fiscal 2022. Los gastos contractuales han aumentado un 6.8%.

Al igual que otras entidades gubernamentales y empresas, la Ciudad enfrenta desafíos en la contratación de empleados. A la fecha de publicación de este presupuesto, la tasa de vacancia en la Ciudad es aproximadamente 12%. Este presupuesto incluye $100,000 que se agregaron al presupuesto de Recursos Humanos con el propósito de reclutar talento para la Ciudad.

Impuestos de Propiedad

Cada año, la Ciudad adopta una tasa de impuestos sobre la propiedad que determina la cantidad de impuestos sobre la propiedad que recibirá la Ciudad. Durante los diez años anteriores, la tasa del impuesto a la propiedad de la Ciudad se ha mantenido estable, sin aumentos ni reducciones. Después de un aumento del valor catastral del 8.5 %, el Consejo Municipal ordenó al personal que redujera la tasa del impuesto sobre la propiedad

Próximos Pasos

El Concejo Municipal y el personal de la Ciudad organizarán un taller de presupuesto el martes 26 de julio a las 6:00 pm en el edificio Holliday. Los miembros de la comunidad pueden asistir al taller en persona o verlo en la página de Facebook de la Ciudad, la transmisión en vivo de la Ciudad o en el canal local 4 de Cox.

El 12 de julio, el Concejo Municipal votará si excede o no la tasa neutral de ingresos del año presupuestario anterior.

El presupuesto se presentará en las reuniones del Concejo Municipal del 19 de Julio, 9 de agosto y 16, en las que los ciudadanos podrán hacer comentarios públicos. El 6 de septiembre se llevará a cabo una audiencia pública sobre el presupuesto donde los ciudadanos tendrán otra oportunidad de ofrecer sus comentarios sobre el presupuesto.

El presupuesto se puede ver en línea en: https://www.topeka.org/finance/budget/.

2023 Citizen’s Guide to City Budget – Spanish

 

On Tuesday, the City of Topeka’s Administrative and Financial Services Department released the proposed 2023 operating budget.

The total City budget for FY23 is $340.1 million, a small 0.33% increase from FY22. Of this, the City’s General Fund budget is $104.1 million. The City’s General Fund is the largest single fund and funds many of the City’s municipal services.

Overall, the general Fund budget increased by 6.2% from the FY22 budget. Over the last five years, the General Fund budget has not increased more than 2% from the previous year. The larger increase this year is a direct result of inflationary costs which are as high as 8.6%. The City recognizes the impact this has on taxpayers and has raised costs carefully and with intention.

“We are excited to present the 2023 operating budget for the City of Topeka. We are confident that the budget will allow the City to offer high-quality services at an appropriate cost to taxpayers. We continue to work to align City resources with the needs and values of our community, and this budget puts us in a great place to do that,” said Stephen Wade, Director of the Administrative and Financial Services Department.

Budget priorities

The proposed 2023 budget supports the following budget priorities established by the Governing Body; investing in infrastructure, continuing a commitment to public safety, continuing a commitment to developing neighborhoods, selected strategic investments toward quality of life, and good governance.

At the beginning of this budget cycle, the City held six community workshops centered on the five budget priorities established by the Governing Body. During these workshops, the City received feedback on what the community’s goals and objectives are for each of the priorities. Since the workshops, City staff has worked to incorporate the ideas from the community into the budget, along with developing key indicators to measure progress towards each of the Governing Body’s budget priorities.

Expenditure highlights

The largest portion of the General Fund budget (77.8%) is personnel costs at $80.9 million. Personnel costs, including wages and benefits, have seen a 5.7% increase compared to the FY22 budget.

Commodities, which includes materials for asphalt, rock, sand, salt, fuel, chemicals, and office supplies, have seen the largest increase as a result of inflation, increasing 15.5% from the FY22 budget. Contractual expenses have increased 6.8%.

Like other government entities and businesses, the City faces challenges in recruiting employees. As of the publication of this budget, the vacancy rate in the City is approximately 12%. This budget includes $100,000 that has been added to the Human Resources budget for the purpose of recruiting talent to the City.

Mill levy

Each year the City adopts a mill levy rate that determines the amount of property tax the City will receive. 1 mill is roughly $1.3 million. For the previous ten years, the City’s mill levy has remained flat with no increases or decreases. After an assessed value increase of 8.5%, the Governing Body directed staff to decrease the mill levy by 1 mill.

Next steps

The Governing Body and City staff will host a Budget Workshop on Tuesday, July 26 at 6:00 p.m. at the Holliday Building. Community members can attend the workshop in person, or watch on the City’s Facebook page, the City’s Livestream, or on Cox Local Channel 4.

On July 12, the Governing Body will vote on whether or not to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate from the previous budget year.

The budget will be presented at the July 19, August 9, and August 16 City Council Meetings. Community members can make public comment at these meetings. A public budget hearing will be held on September 6 where citizens will be given another opportunity to offer feedback on the budget. The proposed budget can be viewed online at https://www.topeka.org/finance/budget/.

2023 Citizen’s Guide to City Budget

 

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) requested the closure of several City streets in downtown Topeka due to safety concerns specific to the railing of the Polk-Quincy Viaduct. KDOT reports the I-70 bridge roadway maintains its structural integrity, and is safe to drive on.

The closure of 2nd St. from just west of SW Van Buren St. to just east of S Kansas Ave. was made out of an abundance of caution for the safety of drivers and pedestrians near and under the viaduct.

This closure is effective immediately. Detours are posted. Drivers and pedestrians are asked to avoid the area.

 

On Wednesday, the City of Topeka launched an online portal for customers to establish a new utility service, or to upgrade an existing service. City utility services include water and sewer.

The portal is intended to be used by all City customers, including residents and contractors.

To view the new portal, visit https://www.topeka.org/utilities/, and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Before accessing the portal, customers will need to create an account.

For questions, email utilityaccounts@topeka.org, or call 785-368-3111.

 

The Topeka Police Department is accepting applications for its 46th Citizens Police Academy. The TPD is happy to offer the academy once again after being shut down during the COVID pandemic. This is the 26th year the department has offered this popular bi-annual program!

Classes will be held Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., beginning August 25, 2022, and running through November 3, 2022.

Citizens attending will be exposed to the challenges faced by law enforcement, and learn how TPD meets those challenges. Participants will learn about various aspects of the Police Department including field operations, criminal investigations, community outreach, crisis negotiations, bomb disposal, crime scene investigations, and much more!

If you or anyone you know, who is over 18 years of age is interested in attending, an application must be filled out and submitted at https://www.topeka.org/tpd/opportunities-for-citizens/citizens-academy/. You can also contact Cpt. Colleen Stuart at 785-368-9451 with questions. There is limited space available, and seats fill quickly, so turn your applications in soon!

 

The Topeka City Council’s Police & Community Special Committee met Friday, June 3, and a draft document was presented, summarizing proposed recommendations pertaining to the Topeka Police Department.

The draft is a working document, and further revisions by the Committee are possible. Members of the community can view the draft document online at https://www.topeka.org/citycouncil/police-community/. The direct link can be found here.

The Policy & Community Special Committee will meet again on Friday, June 10 at 2:00 p.m. at the Holliday Building to review the draft document, and make any revisions as a group. Members of the public can listen to the meeting in person, or watch the meeting live on Facebook, the City4 Livestream, or on Cox Local Channel 4.

The Committee will then host a Public Input Session on Friday, June 17 at 2:00 p.m. at the Holliday Building. Members of the community wishing to make public comment can do so in person, via Zoom, or by submitting an email or letter in advance of the meeting. To sign up to speak, or to learn more about the public comment process, visit https://www.topeka.org/cityclerk/sign-up-to-speak-at-a-governing-body-meeting/.

To learn more about the Police & Community Special Committee, visit https://www.topeka.org/citycouncil/police-community/.

 

The City of Topeka’s Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance Initiative is beginning its first community outreach phase, focusing on mowing, through a new mowing program.

Currently, the City of Topeka is seeking proposals from qualified businesses, organizations, or individuals, to develop and run a community mowing service pilot program. The pilot program will provide mowing services for underserved neighborhoods, by developing a fixed, and affordable rate model. The pilot program will primarily serve the City’s low and moderate income (LMI) neighborhoods, and those living in Neighborhood Improvement Association (NIA) areas. The City will provide up to $25,000 to help develop the pilot program. Once up and running, the goal is for the program to become self-sustaining, and independent from City financial support.

The City will host a pre-proposal meeting on Thursday, May 19 at 10:00 a.m. at the Holliday Building for potential bidders to learn about the program initiative, and to ask questions.

“This summer, mowing will be our first action initiative. The goal is to get as many properties as possible mowed, not just one time, but for the season and with a sustainable future plan,” said Councilwoman Karen Hiller. “Watch for further developments with the initiative, including volunteer opportunities for neighbors, families, churches, businesses, organizations, and more to get engaged with helping residents with mowing!”

The Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance Initiative is a five-year plan, created by the Topeka City Council’s Public Health and Safety Committee. The initiative is a collective effort by City of Topeka departments, the Topeka City Council, and the community to improve property condition, reduce substandard housing, motivate property owners to care for their properties, and encourage investment in vacant and deteriorated properties. The Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance Initiative is championed by Councilwoman Karen Hiller and Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala.

“We are so encouraged with the possibilities of the initiative for both the City of Topeka and our neighbors across the city. It’s vital we all lean in towards each other to help re-create neighborhoods and community – this is the time,” said Councilwoman Valdivia-Alcala.

Visit https://www.topeka.org/citycouncil/changing-our-culture-of-property-maintenance/ for more information about the initiative.

 

The City of Topeka is excited to announce the commencement of the recruitment campaign for the City Manager position. The job posting and position description can be found at https://www.topeka.org/careers.

The posting comes after a public input survey, where nearly 200 responses from community members were received.

The City of Topeka and Kansas Personnel Services, Inc., doing business as Premier Employment Solutions and Key Staffing, the Executive Recruitment Firm the City hired to assist with the recruitment process, are launching a broad City Manager recruitment search.

The search includes a recruitment video featuring Mayor Michael Padilla, Councilwoman Karen Hiller and Councilwoman Hannah Naeger, who share their thoughts about the ideal candidate. You can watch the video at https://youtu.be/lf86vgXBgOg.

The initial recruitment campaign is expected to last 45 days. After the job posting closes, Topeka’s Governing Body will review applications from qualified candidates. Interviews are expected to occur in August with the Governing Body, City of Topeka leadership staff, and community members who are selected by the Governing Body. There will also be a public meet and greet with the final candidates.

 

The Metropolitan Topeka Planning Organization (MTPO) is pleased to announce the completion of the Futures2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan draft document.

The draft document is available for review and public comment May 13, 2022, through June 12, 2022. The draft document can be viewed online at https://arcg.is/0jHOqX1. The Topeka community and surrounding residents are encouraged to review the document and provide feedback on the site.

The City of Topeka and JEO Consulting Group will host a public open house event to solicit community feedback and comments regarding the Futures2045 draft plan document. The event will take place Wednesday, May 25, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the rotunda of the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library located at 1515 SW 10^th Ave. All are invited to attend. No formal presentation is planned, and attendees may drop in at any time.

The Futures2045 update is a continuation of the Futures2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan and will expand on the evolution of the plan’s goals and objectives, with a focus on active transportation projects and preservation of existing systems. The goals of the plan update include maintaining existing infrastructure, improving mobility and access, increasing safety for all modes of transportation, enhancing quality of life, and promoting economic development.

To learn more about MTPO or the Futures2045 MTP draft, visit https://topekampo.org/ or contact Carlton Scroggins, Transportation Planning Manager/MTPO at cscroggins@topeka.org or 785-368-3728.

 

The City of Topeka’s new digital equity program, TSC – Get Digital, is giving out 1,200 desktop computers to qualifying applicants.

The desktop computers are available for 60 and older residents living within the City of Topeka city limits. To qualify, residents must receive SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Veterans Pension Benefit Program, or have a household income that is less than 200% of federal poverty guidelines on an annual basis.

“As we are living longer, our world is becoming increasingly digital. Information and communication can enable healthy and active aging by facilitating access to information, health and healthcare, socio-economic participation and other factors that promote full engagement and participation as we age,” said Monique Glaudeˊ, Director of Community Engagement and Ombudsman for the City of Topeka. “Although many older adults are frequent users of information and communication technologies, many still lack access, and the pace of digital innovation is yet to be inclusive of their needs. We are appreciative of the donation from the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging which will assist us in providing desktop computers to 1,200 of our 60 and older low-to-moderate income neighbors.”

The funding for the computers was made possible thanks to a $140,000 donation from the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging (JAAA).

“Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging is pleased to be a part of the TSC – Get Digital Coalition and able to help support the efforts of Get Digital and extremely pleased that we will be able to assist such a large number of older adults gain access to technology that will enhance their lives in many ways from helping them stay connected socially with friends and family, to allowing for telemedicine visits, and much more,” said Susan Harris, Executive Director, Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging.

Qualifying applicants should call 785-368-3098 to pre-qualify for a free desktop computer.

The TSC – Get Digital is a coalition made up of community members and stakeholders who want to help close the digital divide in Topeka. The TSC – Get Digital Coalition was made possible through a $250,000 grant the City received from the Kansas Health Foundation.

View the program flyer here.