Mayor Garner Reflects on the Transformation Needed in Annual Report

Published on December 05, 2022

UG logo_Black and gold.png

Garner Reflects on Unified Government 25th Anniversary and Looks Forward to the Transformation Needed in Mayor’s Annual Report

Mayor Tyrone A. Garner provided the public and Commission with a report on the state of the Unified Government, a charter-mandated annual update, at last Thursday’s full Commission meeting. This update provides a snapshot on the economic, physical, and social condition and needs of the Unified Government.

2022 marks the 25th anniversary since the voters of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS voted to unify their city and county government and has been a year marked by transition and transformation. "We are at a critical crossroads where we stand today in Wyandotte County," expressed Mayor Tyrone A. Garner. "A crossroad that offers us the opportunity to move away from business-as-usual and to take the clear choice of working collaboratively to reimagine and improve Wyandotte County together.”

The Mayor shared a message of hope as he focused on the importance of collaboration to help the Unified Government, and the people we serve, address major challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

“We have inherited great challenges,” continued Mayor Garner. “Yes, we will be tested. Yes, we will have to make hard choices and sacrifices will have to be made. And, yes, it will require a collective of community, elected officials and staff working with purpose to discover, evaluate, identify, focus, regroup, rebuild and recover in a manner that will provide economic sustainability and equitable realignments that will facilitate positive progress." 

Mayor Garner outlined his five key areas of focus for 2023:

  1. Provide tax relief for residents.
    1. The unification of the city and county governments has helped with cost-cutting and efficiencies of operations. Since 1997, the total mill levy (city and county) has been reduced from 97.004 to 75.820.
    2. With market conditions driving more demand for housing, Wyandotte County saw a 19% increase in property values which directly impacts our residents and taxpayers. In addition to looking at Unified Government revenue and spending, coordinating with other taxing jurisdictions in the county to address total mill levy will be critical as the Unified Government only accounts for 46% of the total bill with the remaining 54% going to libraries, the Kansas City, Kansas Community College, and local school districts.
    3. The Unified Government is also making it easier than ever to access tax rebate programs for seniors, for example. In January 2023, for example, the Office of the Clerk will be launching various opportunities in a neighborhood near you for applying for senior homestead and utility tax rebate programs.
  2. Facilitate equitable development.
    1. With a nearly $10M structural deficit in the City General Fund and UG debt obligations accounting for 25% of our overall mill levy, Wyandotte County must grow its population to be able to sustain programs and maintain current infrastructure. Mayor Garner has called for the creation of an economic development strategic plan to guide equitable growth that benefits the existing population while creating new opportunities for the future.
    2. The Unified Government will be launching a comprehensive plan process in 2023 to address land use and growth, incorporate the recently-adopted GoDotte countywide mobility plan, create new economic potential through historic preservation, and address key community priorities.
  3. Stabilize the Unified Government.
    1. Mayor Garner has called for the continuation of the UG Forward initiative to assess the strengths and opportunities for improvement across the Unified Government, to create better functional alignments and streamline operations for better service delivery. This includes ensuring that the Unified Government is sufficiently staffed and resourced to meet the needs of our community.
    2. Most importantly, the Unified Government is currently recruiting a permanent county administrator to lead the operations of the organization. The public will have the opportunity to meet with candidates for this role on February 7, 2023. In the meantime, interested parties can find the recruitment brochure and job listing on the recruiter’s website.
  4. Invest in critical infrastructure.
    1. The top priority across all Commission districts, our 2022 community survey indicates that addressing our streets, sidewalks, and blight are major concerns. With aging infrastructure, including the closure of two bridges these past two years, we know that it is important for us to restore and rebuild our infrastructure for the next generation.
    2. This year, Unified Government Commission worked diligently to develop target Infrastructure Outcomes and Strategies to help us manage and address the growing portfolio of deferred maintenance. Through evaluating our assets, it will be important to continue this momentum as infrastructure will be key to supporting our economic development.
    3. Next year, we will be acting on increased funding for street preservation and parks but more work will need to be done to help stabilize existing infrastructure and balance our asset portfolio to more closely align to community need.
  5. Promote county-wide unity.
    1. The Mayor continued his message of collaboration and unity by encouraging the Unified Government to reach out to all stakeholders and ensure all interests are considered as part of decision-making. Mayor Garner called for a more inclusive, accountable organization that partners effectively to realize share goals.

You can read the full Mayor’s Annual Report on our website which includes key statistics and information on the current state of the government, updates on our progress to reimaging the Unified Government through UG Forward, and goals for 2023. You can also watch the Mayor’s statement at last week’s Commission meeting on our YouTube channel.

Please join us this Thursday for a special strategic budget planning session with the Commission.

Watch the Mayor's Annual Update 

 

Read the Full Update Here(PDF, 7MB)