Kenosha County committee approves UW Extension budget with minimal changes

Kenosha County Planning and Development Committee on Oct. 15 approved the 2026 budget for the University of Wisconsin Extension office, with committee members and staff saying the proposal contained very few changes from the prior year.

Committee members said the budget is largely unchanged because staff pay and program expenditures have been stable. "Very, very little change, from last year," said Chris Walton, finance, public works, who presented the budget to the committee. The main increase is in contracted services, driven by a roughly 3% standard adjustment for UW educators and a small additional year-end charge.

The committee heard that the county pays extension positions only while they are filled; there is no retroactive payment for vacancies. "In regards to budgets, we only pay for when the positions are filled," Walton said. Presenters also noted the UW Extension after-school program remains in the budget as a carryover line with spending authority should the program resume; Walton said he found no recent expenditures for that line.

Committee members asked about carryover balances and actual year-to-date spending. Walton said staff review historical costs rather than relying on a single-year figure when proposing the next year's budget. One committee member asked for the actual cost data to better evaluate whether the proposed budgeted amounts are appropriate; Walton said staff track those figures and compare them year over year.

After brief discussion, a committee member moved to approve the UW Extension budget proposal; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The committee did not provide a roll-call tally in the transcript; no member was shown voting against the measure.