TOPEKA (KSNT) – City leaders met on Tuesday morning to chat about Topeka’s 2027 budget, new advisory groups and other important topics.
Topeka Mayor Spencer Duncan kicked off the press conference on March 24 by highlighting that the Arbor Day Foundation has named the City of Topeka to its Tree City USA list. This listing highlights Topeka’s dedication to its green spaces and the preservation of its local trees.
Duncan also took time to highlight the recent budget survey that is open for people to comment on through to Friday, April 17. He encourages people to take a look at the survey to help city leadership make decisions on the 2027 budget.
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“You can see all… all of the budget process there and all of the things we’re sifting through so please, fill out that survey,” Duncan said. “If you really don’t like surveys, send us emails whether its to me at the mayor@topeka.org or whether it’s the council. Again, we really do listen and we really do take that input into consideration as we craft those budgets.”
Duncan also made remarks about his experience as the newly elected mayor of the city, stating that it has been “so far, so good” as his administration approaches the 100-day mark. He said one big priority has been to collaborate with lawmakers in the Kansas Legislature and in Congress.
“So, we’ve also been working to continue to strengthen relationships with our congressional delegation because there are federal dollars out there,” Duncan said. “Particularly as it relates to infrastructure that we need to be tapped into and keyed into and we can only do that if we have good relationships with the staffs of our members of Congress so that they can make those requests, understand what our priority needs are here in the City of Topeka and that they are just as keyed into what we’re doing as local legislators are.”
Duncan said that he will, over the next several months, be announcing a series of advisory groups and teams along with how people can participate in these groups. He said he plans to put together an economic advisory group, a community engagement team, a government innovation committee, a reformulated youth council, a transportation and mobility team, a community health group and a workforce development task force.
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“Each of these addresses very specific issues within our city of which we have many members of the community who have ideas, thoughts and things we can progress forward that we don’t always have time to spend time on in City Hall as much as would like to,” Duncan said.
The workforce development task force is the first of these groups to be formed in Topeka. Duncan said strengthening the city’s workforce is of prime importance to making Topeka thrive and grow.
“This task force will help us identify gaps, develop strategies and ensure we are aligning our efforts to meet current and future needs,” Duncan said. “More importantly, this group will help identify ways the city can lead by example. By incorporating policies and practices that promote the use of local workers, support skill development and create pathways for long-term success.”
People who are interested in joining the workforce development task force can send an email to Duncan at mayor@topeka.org. Duncan expects to have the task force working within the next couple of months.
City Manager Robert Perez talked about the upcoming community resource expo on March 26 at the Hillcrest Community Center located at 1800 SE 21st St. in Topeka. He said there will be four of these sessions hosted in different parts of the city over the course of 2026.
“Think of it as us bringing City Hall to the community,” Perez said. “Residents, visitors, etc. have an opportunity to sit down and meet with leadership across multiple departments including police, fire, code compliance, housing, planning, development services and also our budget and finance team.”
Perez also touched on the Topeka Fire Department’s next open house session from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, April 3 at Fire Station #7 located at 1215 SW Oakley Ave. Perez said he enjoys seeing so many members of the community enjoy attending these open house sessions.
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Amanda Knowland, with the City of Topeka’s Public Works Department, talked about the citizen’s academy. She said this is a great opportunity to explore places like the city’s wastewater treatment plant, sign shop and learn more about how city staff help maintain Topeka. You can learn more about these sessions, click here.
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