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Kenosha County warns of a tight 2026 budget as grant, health-insurance and inmate revenues remain uncertain
Summary
County leaders told supervisors at a 2026 budget vision meeting that state and federal grant uncertainty, rising health-insurance costs and lower-than-expected federal inmate revenue will tighten next year’s budget and force difficult choices.
Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kirkman told a county budget vision meeting that the 2026 process will be difficult, saying, “this might be the most challenging budget, that I have undertaken in my role.”
County finance and budget staff told supervisors the county closed 2024 near even but faces several headwinds for 2026, including uncertain state and federal grant flows, continuing health-insurance cost pressures and a likely shortfall in revenue tied to U.S. Marshals inmates and inmate phone contracts.
Finance Director Daniel Gashke said the county “did close 2024 pretty close to bridal even” after year-end adjustments that reduced what had looked like a larger Unassigned General Fund deficit to “just under a hundred thousand dollars.” Budget Director Arna Vens highlighted both…
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