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Kenosha County board approves 2024–25 carryover closeout after debate over Brookside wording and public-health reorganization
Summary
Supervisors approved the 2024–25 carryover and closeout resolution 101, which includes Brookside accounting changes and staffing reclassifications in the public health department. An amendment to add COVID‑19 as the cause of past Brookside budget suspensions failed 12–7; the final resolution passed 18–1 with Supervisor Stocker opposed.
Kenosha County supervisors voted 18–1 to approve Resolution 101, the county’s 2024–25 carryover and annual closeout accounting motion, after floor debate about Brookside wording and questions about a proposed public-health management restructure.
The nut graf: The carryover resolution formalizes carryovers for incomplete projects and personnel adjustments totaling $348,708 and includes a reclassification and two new public-health job descriptions the health department says are levy-neutral for 2025 but could affect future budgets.
Supervisor Kirby explained the resolution as the routine annual carryover and closeout that “comes before the board each year,” listing repurposed funds, accounting entries for Brookside and county reserves, and some midyear personnel budget changes. The packet lists detailed items, and supervisors referenced page numbers during discussion.
Supervisor Nudo moved an amendment to add language on page 2 clarifying that the county had suspended a budgeted allocation to the Brookside cost center for fiscal years 2022–2024 “due to the global COVID‑19 pandemic.” The amendment was seconded and debated. Supporters argued the extra language would prevent future readers from misinterpreting the cause of Brookside’s prior deficits; opponents said Brookside’s fiscal troubles also stemmed from local staffing and pay-scale issues unrelated to the pandemic. The amendment failed on roll call, 12 no and 7 yes.
After the amendment failed, Supervisor Stocker pressed health department staff about a restructure described in the resolution. Rebecca, health department staff, told the board the proposed restructure would add management layers — including a deputy director position — to let the health officer focus on higher-level community concerns while a deputy handles day-to-day staffing and operations. She said the county reviewed structures at other health departments and that many surrounding departments have deputy directors.
Stocker asked whether the deputy director posting was levy neutral for 2025; Rebecca said the reclassification is budgeted as levy neutral for 2025 because it is a reclassification from manager to deputy director and the current manager is at the high end of the pay scale. However, she acknowledged future years could change the levy impact depending on the new hire’s salary and benefits. Stocker also asked whether the position being eliminated had been grant-funded; Rebecca said that position had been half supported by the HUD grant (described in the meeting as a five‑year HUD grant) and that eliminating or reclassifying positions would not invalidate the grant.
Supervisor Decker announced she would vote against the amendment adding COVID‑19 language to Brookside’s background, saying the fiscal issues included staffing and pay-scale problems separate from the pandemic. After the full-floor vote, Resolution 101 passed 18–1; Supervisor Stocker cast the lone no vote.
What it means: The approved carryover allocates $348,708 for projects or accounting actions carried forward from 2024 into 2025 and includes personnel reclassifications in public health that staff say are structured to be levy-neutral in the short term; future levy impacts depend on hiring choices. The failed amendment preserves the current, shorter historical language in the resolution rather than adding an explicit COVID‑19 attribution.
Next steps: Departments named in the carryover document will complete the accounting changes in accordance with county finance procedures. The health department will proceed with its internal reclassification and hire decisions consistent with the job descriptions presented to the board.
Quotes from the meeting: “This is the carryover closeout resolution that comes before the board each year,” Supervisor Kirby said when presenting the item. Rebecca, health department staff, said the deputy director role would “allow the health officer to focus on some of the greater concerns that are going on in our community.”
The board recorded the amendment roll call and the final vote in the meeting minutes; implementation timetables and personnel actions will follow human-resources and grant requirements.
