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Kenosha County kicks off 2026 budget process, flags health‑insurance and program funding risks
Summary
County leaders opened the 2026 budget vision meeting with a timeline for the budget process, a near‑breakeven 2024 closeout and warnings about rising health insurance costs, uncertain state and federal grants, and pressure on jail-related expenditures.
Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kirkman and budget staff convened a public 2026 budget vision meeting to outline the county’s timeline, fiscal position and major risks for next year’s budget. The session reviewed the 2024 closeout, projected steps for the 2026 cycle and items likely to affect levy and department requests.
The county reported a 2024 general fund closeout that was “pretty close to breakeven,” with deficit pressure in health insurance, an internal service fund and sheriff’s operations, and a surplus in human services. “We maintained our AAA rating with S and P and demonstrated continued fiscal accountability and excellence,” finance staff said during the presentation.
Why it matters: the presentation established the deadlines and the major sources of uncertainty for departments as they prepare 2026 requests. Staff emphasized that state and federal grant changes and health insurance inflation are the primary budget risks that could increase levy pressure.
Key details
- Timeline: staff will issue salary projections and department instructions starting soon; the budget manual and documents will be rolled out around Memorial Day weekend; capital borrowing planning is scheduled for mid‑year with market activity in August and a close in early September. The county plans CIP and budget hearings in late summer and early fall.
- 2024 results: deficits were noted in health insurance, an internal service fund and sheriff’s operations; human services ended the year with a sizable surplus driven by higher intergovernmental revenue and lower placement costs. Journal entries related to delinquent properties reduced an expected Unassigned General Fund deficit to “just under $100,000.”
- 2026 pressures: staff cited an upcoming class-and-compensation market refresh, the planned move into a new human services building with associated facility costs, and continuing sheriff/jail cost pressures. Finance staff said health‑care costs held steady for two years but rising medical claims and inflation will require “plan design changes, cost sharing” and other options.
- Grants and state uncertainty: budget staff noted a state supreme court ruling that reduced uncertainty about line‑item vetoes and raised expectations for a two‑year state budget. At the federal level, staff and directors said some grant programs (including FEMA BRIC) have been in flux, and that many intergovernmental revenue lines will influence department budgets. One presenter summarized county revenue for 2025 at about $294 million, of which roughly $96 million was intergovernmental (state and federal) revenue.
What officials plan to do
Budget Director Barna Bench and finance staff said they will work with departments over the summer on detailed requests and the fall to finalize presentations. They stressed early collaboration and committee work to resolve difficult choices before the board floor.
Ending
County leaders urged supervisors and staff to review packet materials online and to engage in committee-level work over the summer. The meeting was positioned as the formal kickoff to the 2026 budget process, not a place for final decisions.
