Wichita budget sets $15 minimum wage for city workers

The Wichita City Council finalized its $670 million annual budget Tuesday, setting a $15 minimum hourly wage for city employees and putting the Century II Performing Arts Center and the city’s golf system squarely on the path to privatization. The approval came after a final hearing where union leader Esau Freeman and Mayor Brandon Whipple traded shots over wages, and Save Century II activist Celeste Racette accused Whipple of being too deferential to developers and acting like a character from a Harry Potter novel. City staff originally projected a $10 million to $11 million shortfall because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that was before a $70 million infusion from the federal American Recovery Plan Act and unexpected increases in sales tax revenues.
Source: Wichita Eagle