Jim Pruetting
City Administrator
Welcome to the City of Gardner’s Annual Report website.
I am pleased to present the 2022 City of Gardner Annual Report, recapping the city’s tremendous progress over the past fiscal year. These dedicated pages offer a comprehensive review of the city’s hard work to advance the interest of our community as they relate to accomplishing the city’s four strategic goals set by the governing body. Those goals are as follows:
As you browse this site and listen to the mayor’s address, we hope you learn about the vital work and essential milestones accomplished to help our city succeed. The positive changes throughout Gardner are only made possible through the diligence and enthusiasm of our city employees, the civic engagement of our residents, and the support of our businesses and partners. We thank you for joining us on this journey as we aggressively pursue opportunities that help us stay on this upward trajectory toward a more vibrant and thriving community.
Mayor Todd Winter’s 2023 State of the City Address
Gardner Mayor Todd Winters delivered his State of the City address on Thursday, April 20. In his speech, themed “Gardner is Home,” Mayor Winters shared the city’s 2022 accomplishments, advancements, and future plans and “the why” behind the city’s ongoing growth and development.
The Gardner Chamber of Commerce hosted the event.
Gardner is Growing and Thriving: Highlighted Projects of 2022
Leadership
Our strong leadership team plays an instrumental role in our success. The governing body, in partnership with staff leadership, provides support and strong strategic direction to help deliver the products and services the community needs to thrive. In addition to bringing their expertise and community knowledge, they bring their heart and compassion to serve. They care about the community and work hard daily to strengthen Gardner and secure its future.
Our leaders care about our community.
Economic Development
We have fully invested in the sustainability of our community, ensuring Gardner is ready and equipped for new businesses and strong partnerships. Our commitment to economic development and aggressive efforts to attract and retain businesses have reaped the city dividends by diversifying our tax base, providing access to more jobs, and offering more diverse services. Gardner’s future is bright and will continue to be a vibrant and progressive city – an ideal destination for business development.
The future is bright in Gardner.
Infrastructure &
Asset Management
We remain committed to financing and maintaining our infrastructure, as it is the foundation upon which this city thrives. Having the necessary infrastructure in place facilitates economic development, attracts investments and accommodates our future population growth.
Quality of Life
Gardner is a premiere city that is recognized as one of the fastest-growing communities in Kansas. People choose Gardner as their home for its excellent schools, safety, a strong sense of community, and high quality of life. We work hard to enhance the Gardner experience by offering activities and services that meet the social needs of every person that calls Gardner home.
Gardner is a great place to live.
Fiscal Stewardship
Gardner’s strong financial health rests on our commitment to safeguard the city’s resources. This is evident by our performance in providing cost savings to residents through refinancing and wise investments. Our robust financial management and fiscal transparency have garnered the city multiple achievement awards. Our dedication to our service excellence allows us to financially support several Capital Improvement Projects and other city ventures and initiatives.
Our budget is on track.