Kirkman presents 2026 Kenosha County budget emphasizing public safety, housing and infrastructure

County Executive Kirkman presented the proposed 2026 Kenosha County budget to the County Board, saying the plan increases spending for public safety, continues large infrastructure projects and seeks to respond to pressure on the county’s housing supply. “Public safety expenditures account for more than 56% of the total levy spending in the budget you are receiving tonight,” Kirkman said.

The budget presentation framed the county’s finances around sustained economic growth and recent credit recognition. Kirkman said the county maintained its AAA rating, which he credited with saving the county about $1,200,000 in interest costs since 2021. He described several large private and public projects underway in the county and region — including a $166,000,000 Schutz Containers facility, a $200,000,000 expansion by Inovations and a reported $3,000,000,000 expansion announced in Bristol that was followed by about $100,000,000 in state performance-based tax credits — and said that growth is increasing demand for housing.

“All of this economic development is adding the pressure to our already strained inventory of housing,” Kirkman said. He cited multiple housing projects the county has under way or in planning, including the Highland Estates master-planned community (phase 1), a 710-unit, eight-building Inspire Prairie Springs apartment complex, a planned 765-unit Crest Country Club project and the 158-unit Carrick Apartments as part of the Kenosha Harbour redevelopment.

Kirkman discussed energy and land-use issues tied to new development, saying the county is balancing zoning parameters with grid needs. He noted a 110-megawatt battery storage system described as the state’s largest and the Public Service Commission’s approval of a 128-megawatt gas-powered plant proposed by We Energies in the Town of Paris to support peak demand.

Public safety dominated the budget totals Kirkman emphasized. He said the county ratified a three-year contract with the Deputy Sheriffs Association intended to keep compensation competitive in the region and that the budget includes funding for the District Attorney’s office to purchase software to streamline prosecutors’ review of body-worn camera footage. Kirkman also highlighted a 2025 addition: an embedded social worker position that co-responds with deputies on behavioral-health-related calls. He reported the social worker received referrals and connected people with the Aging and Disability Resource Center, the SAFER program and other services; Kirkman said the county recently received a grant to expand that resource in partnership with the Village of Pleasant Prairie Police Department.

Kirkman also highlighted county efforts and investments in infrastructure and county facilities, citing reconstruction of Highway W from Wilmot to an unspecified state line, engineering work for shoreline revetment at Kemper/Schneehr, and ongoing projects at Brookside care facilities and the detention center. He said Brookside has returned to positive operating results and that the county added a compliance and education nurse for clinical and regulatory oversight.

Kirkman closed by urging the County Board to review the proposed budget in the coming weeks. The presentation did not include a formal vote to adopt the budget; Kirkman said he looked forward to continued collaboration and “encourage[d] you to support it.”

Votes at a glance

- Approval of minutes (09/16/2025): Moved by Supervisor Brookhouse; seconded by Supervisor Decker. Outcome: approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally provided in the transcript.

- Motion to adjourn: Moved by Supervisor Decker; seconded by Supervisor Robinson. Outcome: approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally provided in the transcript.

(There was no formal adoption vote on the 2026 budget at this meeting; County Executive Kirkman presented the proposal and the County Board will review it in detail in subsequent meetings.)