Jim Howell | Sedgwick County Commission

About Jim

The Most Conservative Voice on the Sedgwick County Commission

Jim Howell grew up in southeast Sedgwick County, attended Derby and Wichita public schools, and has served District 5 — covering southeast Wichita, McConnell Air Force Base, Derby, and Mulvane — since 2015. Before the commission, Jim served two terms in the Kansas House of Representatives and five honorable years in the U.S. Air Force, including a deployment to Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield. He was named Airman of the Year in his unit.

After the military, Jim spent 25 years in Flight Test Instrumentation at Boeing, Textron Aviation, and Bombardier — work that shaped his identity as the "Data Guy" on the commission. He relies on data, digs into the details, asks the deeper questions, and is reliably conservative. He holds the record for the most 4-to-1 votes — likely in the history of Sedgwick County — because he believes voting your conscience matters even when you stand alone.

Jim is intentional about being accessible — not just available. He hosts community "coffees" and public engagement events throughout the district, running 43 scheduled community events in 2026 alone, including four coffees per month. He stands for questions, accepts criticism openly, and uses these gatherings as learning opportunities for residents. He believes elected officials have a responsibility to show up, not just show up on election day.

Jim and his wife Leah have been married 35 years. They raised five children in District 5 and now enjoy three daughters-in-law and eight grandchildren. Jim leads an adult Sunday school class and serves as church treasurer. He holds degrees from Friends University, Southern Illinois University, and the College of the Air Force.

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The "Data Guy" Jim develops and presents data frequently, teaching tough topics — from voter security to tax mechanics — so citizens can make informed decisions.

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Faith & Integrity Guided by faith, Jim serves with honesty, accountability, and a willingness to stand alone for what's right.

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Radical Accessibility 43 community events in 2026 alone — including 4 coffees per month. Jim stands for questions, welcomes criticism, and believes showing up is the most basic obligation of elected office. He's also the only commissioner with a District Collaboration Board, where overlapping political subdivisions meet to solve shared problems together.

Key Highlights

6.5% property tax rate reduction since 2015 — mill levy down from 29.478 to 27.567 mills
AAA bond rating maintained throughout his tenure — extremely rare for a county of Sedgwick's size
County debt at record low levels through disciplined spending control
County retains ~$41M of the 1% sales tax revenue to directly offset property taxes
Led COVID "Educate and Trust" approach — no mask mandates, secured $4M for a county saliva DNA testing lab
Rebuilt the EMS paramedic system after losing over 100 paramedics — the system is stronger each year
Led firefighter pay reform and created the SCFD#1 Steering Council — a nine-member resident board for the fire district
Helped draft and pass HB2329 after 3 years of community meetings — supporting foster kids and juvenile offender youth
Championed senior citizen programming to help residents safely stay in their homes longer
Known for "Tax Talks" — public education sessions that demystify how county taxes work

Platform

What Jim Stands For

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Property Tax Relief

Since Jim took office in 2015, the county mill levy has dropped from 29.478 to 27.567 mills. He champions the "Property Tax Check Valve" — reserving property tax dollars exclusively for core government functions like the Sheriff, 911, EMS, and public works.

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EMS & First Responders

Jim led the effort to fix the EMS paramedic shortage that left the community vulnerable — over 100 paramedics were lost, and the system has been fully rebuilt. He is currently advocating for an out-of-cycle ambulance crew placement in the Derby area to serve Sedgwick County's growing 2nd city of the first class.

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Fire District & Public Safety

Jim has led the effort to address firefighter pay and bolster Sedgwick County Fire District #1. He created the SCFD#1 Steering Council — a nine-member board composed entirely of fire district residents — to give the community a direct voice in fire services.

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Election Integrity & Voter Education

Jim has studied election security in depth and conducts public "Tax Talks" and voter security sessions to educate citizens. Sedgwick County uses 100% paper ballots, pre-election testing, and post-election hand-count audits. He advocates for continued improvements to safeguard every vote.

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Senior Citizens

Jim has championed county programming to help senior residents stay in their homes safely and longer. Keeping seniors independent and connected to services is both fiscally smart and the right thing to do for our community.

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Juvenile Justice Reform

After three years of community meetings and roundtable discussions, Jim helped draft and testified repeatedly to pass HB2329 — landmark legislation that will help both foster kids and juvenile offender youth. He is a consistent advocate for effective, humane juvenile justice policy.

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Community Engagement

Jim hosts 4 community coffees per month and has 43 public engagement events scheduled in 2026 alone. He believes elected officials must be genuinely accessible — standing for questions, accepting criticism, and offering real learning opportunities on issues that affect District 5 residents. This isn't campaigning; it's governing.

Sedgwick County

What Jim Manages on Your Behalf

Sedgwick County operates 46 distinct agencies, employs approximately 2,800 people, and manages a $620 million annual budget. Every dollar spent — and every dollar saved — is a direct reflection of the commission's priorities and discipline.

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Public Safety

Top priority. Sheriff, jail, 911 dispatch, EMS, fire district, courts, District Attorney, and emergency management — the core of what county government must do.

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Infrastructure

600 miles of paved roads and 600 county bridges — maintained and improved to support a growing, mobile community across all of Sedgwick County.

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Human Services

SCDDO (developmental disabilities), Aging services, Public Health, mental health services, and more — a safety net for the county's most vulnerable residents.

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General Government

HR, purchasing, fleet management, accounting, and the administrative functions that keep the county running efficiently and accountably behind the scenes.

$620M

Annual Budget

~2,800

County Employees

Distinct Agencies

AAA

Bond Rating — Every Year

Track Record

Results That Speak for Themselves

6.5% reduction in the property tax rate since Jim took office in 2015 — the mill levy dropped from 29.478 to 27.567 mills through disciplined spending control, not accounting tricks.

AAA bond rating — every year of Jim's tenure. Extremely rare for a large county. The result of superior fiscal management: controlled spending, record-low debt, and a $620M budget managed with discipline.

County debt at record low levels. Jim has consistently voted to control spending and reduce borrowing — protecting future taxpayers from the cost of today's decisions.

~$41M in county-retained sales tax revenue used annually to offset property taxes. The 1% countywide sales tax (in place since 1985) generated over $149M in 2025, shared across all municipalities per state formula.

Rebuilt the EMS paramedic system — led the effort to fix systemic issues that caused the loss of over 100 paramedics, leaving the community vulnerable. The system is now rebuilt and improving each year.

SCFD#1 Steering Council — created a nine-member citizen board composed entirely of fire district residents to govern Sedgwick County Fire District #1 and led the effort to address firefighter pay.

COVID "Educate and Trust" — led this common-sense approach during the pandemic. Voted against mask mandates and gathering restrictions. Secured $4M to build a county DNA saliva testing lab that kept people working and gathering safely.

HB2329 — signed into law — after 3 years of community meetings and roundtable discussions, Jim helped draft and testified repeatedly on this legislation benefiting foster kids and juvenile offender youth.

South Central Regional Psychiatric Hospital — led county support for this transformational behavioral health facility, now less than two years from opening.

Wichita Biomedical Campus & COMCARE facility — supported development of a major economic and health services hub now taking shape in our community.

Senior citizen programming — championed county programs that help elderly residents safely remain in their homes longer, maintaining independence and dignity.

"Property Tax Check Valve" — championed this innovative policy reserving property tax dollars exclusively for core government functions: Sheriff, jail, 911, EMS, and public works.

Legislative champion in Topeka — testified on dozens of bills every year. Shepherded legislation from draft to the Governor's desk, successfully advancing county interests at the state level year after year.

Courthouse & public facilities — new and remodeled courtrooms, District Attorney spaces, a new election office, Emergency Management facility, and juvenile corrections complex all advanced during his tenure.

Re-Elect
Jim Howell