Kenosha County committee approves 2026 Public Works budgets for divisions including highways, facilities, parks and golf

Kenosha County’s Public Works and Development Services committee approved the department’s 2026 operating and capital budgets for multiple divisions during its Oct. 20 meeting, advancing funding and project plans for highways, facilities, parks, golf, planning and UW Extension.

Committee members approved separate budget items for University of Wisconsin Extension; Planning and Development; Facilities (including capital improvement projects); Parks; Golf; and Highways. Each item was taken, discussed briefly by staff and the supervisors, and passed by voice vote with no opposed recorded for any division.

Why it matters: The approvals set department spending and capital priorities that the county will present to other budget committees. The adopted budgets include capital project rollovers, hiring and FTE reallocations, and planned paving and facility work that county staff said will proceed next year if funding and bid schedules move as planned.

Key approved items (voice votes; outcomes recorded by committee as approved): - UW Extension budget (presented as levy-neutral; program fees offset costs). Outcome: approved. - Planning & Development budget (includes a new administrative assistant FTE and revised inspection fee revenue projections). Outcome: approved. - Facilities budget (operating and CIP changes including roof projects and a capitalized facilities project manager). Outcome: approved. - Parks budget (operating and CIP including Kemper shoreline work and Pike/Fox Springs parking improvements). Outcome: approved. - Golf enterprise budget (self-supporting operating budget with conservative revenue estimate; capital projects funded from golf reserves). Outcome: approved. - Highways budget (includes personnel reclassifications, equipment replacements and multi-year paving plans). Outcome: approved.

Votes and formality: The transcript records each approval as a motion, second and a voice vote with committee members answering “aye” and no “nay” responses recorded; no roll-call tallies for individual supervisors were entered into the meeting record.

What was not decided: Several capital projects described in presentations (timing and bids for roof and tower projects; County K phase timing in later years) will require subsequent contracting and construction approvals. Staff repeatedly noted that some work relies on carryover balances, bond capacity or future grant awards, not final contract awards.

Next step: Staff will present the department budget materials to the Finance and Administration Committee next week for further review and county-level budget coordination.