The Wichita City Council met in regular session on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, with all seven members present: Mayor Lily Wu, Vice Mayor Dalton Glasscock, and Council Members Joseph Shepard, Becky Tuttle, Mike Hoheisel, JV Johnston, and Maggie Ballard. City Manager Dennis Marstall, City Attorney Jennifer Magana, and City Clerk Shinita Rice also attended.
The meeting coincided with the citywide sales tax referendum — a watershed moment for Wichita’s fiscal future — and that backdrop shaped discussions throughout the day. Major actions included unanimous approval of a new fire station in southwest Wichita, a new police armored rescue vehicle, water and sewer infrastructure bonds, and a contested 6-1 vote to purchase thirteen pieces of public art for downtown pedestals. The council also approved updated chronic nuisance property regulations and a lease amendment for Wichita Festivals’ office space at 444 East William. All votes were 7-0 unless otherwise noted. Assistance from Claude AI.
Resident Raises Police Shooting, National Events
Janice Bradley, a District Six resident, addressed the council on a range of concerns. She spoke about the January 20th shooting of Deaundre Hill, a young Black man killed by Wichita police officers who responded to a welfare check call near his apartment in the early morning hours. Bradley described Hill as a “beloved community member” and Planet Fitness employee who was shot nine times.
Bradley called on the council to support demands from Hill’s family for release of complete body camera footage, a thorough investigation, and action from the district attorney. She drew a parallel to the 2017 swatting death of Andrew Finch and to a recent high-profile shooting in Minneapolis, arguing that merely possessing a firearm should not be a death sentence…