By the Air Capital Gazette

Valley Center voters decide Tuesday whether to add a 1% sales tax to pay for the city’s fire department, after Sedgwick County ended fire aid to the city.

The public safety tax is estimated to raise about $950,000 a year and would bring the city’s total sales tax rate to 9.5%. The City Council voted 6-2 on Aug. 18 to put it on the Nov. 3 ballot, and 6-2 to keep and expand the city’s own fire department rather than join Sedgwick County Fire District 1.

The vote settles how the department is funded next year. It does not address a larger gap in city records: Valley Center has added homes and debt faster than it has added the revenue to pay for them.

What the tax would pay for

The city’s general fund spent about $567,000 on the fire department in 2025, according to the city’s audited statements. The sales tax, estimated at $950,000 a year, would roughly double that.

City staff told the council that round-the-clock coverage would require both a higher property tax levy and a cash infusion. About $300,000 in unbudgeted hiring and renovations is on hold until the vote.

Keeping the department also raises the city’s fire levy to 16.74 mills, about $179 a year on a $250,000 home. Sedgwick County Fire District 1 taxpayers pay 16.75 mills, nearly the same rate.

The new tax would stack on top of an existing 1% recreation center sales tax that runs through March 2036. That tax raised $907,383 in 2023 and $1,009,935 in 2025, so the fire tax estimate may be conservative.

Why the county pulled fire aid

On May 6, Sedgwick County voted to end fire aid to five communities, including Valley Center. County officials cited safety and “taxing equity,” saying Valley Center received more fire service than it had paid for over several years.

On July 29, the council debated five options: keep the department, recruit volunteers, pursue regional aid, expand municipal service, or join Fire District 1. Staff were wary of ending mutual aid agreements. On Aug. 18, the council voted 6-2 to keep and expand the department and 6-2 to send the sales tax to voters.

How the city got here

The fire decision follows a growth plan the city began in 2021, when it announced more than 400 lots in three subdivisions: Arbor Valley, Strattera and Sunflower Valley. Assessed valuation rose from $69.9 million to $87.8 million over three years, about 25.6%, according to the city’s 2026 budget notice. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city added about 300 residents from 2020 to 2025.

The city paid for much of that growth with debt and tax breaks:

• Debt: Total city debt grew from $31.2 million in January 2023 to $70.2 million in January 2025, per city budget documents. Audited 2025 statements show $69.5 million. Against the city’s $87.8 million assessed valuation, that is roughly 80%, based on our calculation that counts all debt types. State law caps debt at 30% of valuation with exclusions, and the city’s remaining margin is not public.
• Rebates: The city refunds 100% of its property tax for five years on new single-family homes built through Dec. 31, 2027. The council renewed the program 5-2. The city has not published what it costs.
• TIF district: The fund’s cash balance fell from $2.6 million at the start of 2024 to $0.98 million at the end of 2025. It took in $6,445 in tax increment in 2025 and paid $372,050 in interest on notes.

Sales tax has not offset the growth. Valley Center’s 2024 retail pull factor, which compares local retail spending per resident with the state average, was 0.36. Derby’s was 1.20, Goddard’s 1.27 and Park City’s 1.03. Maize (0.30) and Bel Aire (0.17) also sit well below 1.0, but Valley Center leans more heavily on property tax.

That tax is rising. The city’s proposed 2026 rate is 53.656 mills, above the revenue neutral rate of 47.592. The levy would rise about 13.5%, from $4.15 million to $4.71 million, and exceeding the neutral rate requires a public hearing. By our calculation, the gap is roughly $530,000.

The numbers

Figure	Value	Source
Proposed sales tax	1%, about $950,000 a year	City estimate
Total sales tax rate if passed	9.5%	City
City fire spending, 2025	$567,000	City audited statements
Fire levy after expansion	16.74 mills (about $179 a year on a $250,000 home)	City
Fire District 1 levy	16.75 mills	Sedgwick County
Assessed valuation	$69.9M to $87.8M in three years	2026 budget notice
Total city debt	$31.2M (Jan. 2023) to $70.2M (Jan. 2025)	City budget documents
Proposed 2026 mill rate	53.656 (revenue neutral: 47.592)	2026 budget notice
Retail pull factor, 2024	Valley Center 0.36; Derby 1.20; Goddard 1.27	Kansas Department of Revenue