Kenosha County committee approves 2026 budget resolution after heated debate over DA staffing and reserves

The Kenosha County Finance Committee voted to approve the 2026 budget resolution as amended after extensive line-by-line review and debate about several substantive provisions, including language that would have allowed the county to use general-fund reserves to add two support positions in the district attorney's office.

Committee discussion reviewed multiple proposed additions and housekeeping edits to the budget resolution. Among the changes discussed were adding the wage schedule to the budget appendix (reflecting a 2% adjustment to pay-range minimums, midpoints and maximums), new language to permit administration to compile and report recurring grant awards to the finance committee rather than routing every such grant through the full board, updates to the HR employee-handbook appendix, adjustments to elected-official salary language, and direction related to library-apportionment and legacy settlement funds from the Monsanto case.

A principal point of contention centered on proposed language that would let administration use county general-fund reserves to create two positions (one victim-witness specialist and one paralegal) once the district attorney's office reached a specified staffing threshold. The committee heard sustained back-and-forth on whether to commit reserve dollars for permanent positions or require the DA's office to seek a budget modification when the staffing trigger is reached.

District Attorney Solis addressed the committee in support of the positions, saying in part, "Those 2 positions are needed. Even whoever my successor is, those positions are going to, they're gonna get needed regardless." Solis described a backlog of legacy cases and said victim-witness staff and paralegals are heavily used; he also said two candidates had accepted offers but had not yet graduated.

Opponents of reserve funding argued removing the language preserved transparency and avoided creating an ongoing general-fund commitment outside the normal budget modification process. Supporters of the reserve-language said the county's AAA-rated reserves exist to allow strategic use in such circumstances and argued that limited reserve support would let the DA onboard support staff promptly and improve long-run operations.

A motion to remove the reserve-funding language passed on roll call 4—3. The transcript records the roll call in which some supervisors voted "aye" and others "no," and the committee chair announced "That language is removed as is the language in the back. Please continue."

Other amendments and directives

- Per-diem policy: The committee directed a review/audit of per-diem payments to boards and commissions and asked administration and corporation counsel to bring recommended language and findings back to the committee for consideration in the next quarter. - Wage schedule: Committee materials clarify that the budget reflects a 2% upward adjustment to pay-range minimums, midpoints and maximums; the change is to the ranges, not a uniform 2% across-the-board pay increase for all employees. - Grant reporting: The resolution includes language enabling administration to report recurring, levy-neutral grants to the finance committee rather than routing each through the full board when amounts or timing are variable.

Final action

After the amendments (including removing the reserve-funding language and adopting the per-diem audit directive), Supervisor Gearston moved to approve the budget resolution as amended; Supervisor Kirby seconded. The committee approved the budget resolution as amended by voice vote.

Provenance

Topic start (budget resolution review): "Moving on to number 4, policy resolution 2026 Kenosha County budget the budget resolution. Okay." (transcript, 23:16-23:20)

DA staffing discussion start: "So what this language has to do is...to the Kenosha County budget using county general fund reserves in the instance in which the district attorney's office retains a full complement of assistant district attorney positions." (transcript, 33:48-33:56)

DA staffing amendment roll call and result: "Supervisor Gents? Aye. Supervisor Nudo? No. Supervisor Gertson? No. Supervisor Brookhouse? Yes. Supervisor Gama? No. Supervisor Gaschke? Aye. Supervisor Kirby? Yes. It passes 4 to 3. K. That language is removed as is the language in the back. Please continue." (transcript, 67:37-67:57)