Committee forwards 2026 justice budgets to county finance; votes unanimous

The Kenosha County Judiciary & Law Enforcement Committee on the evening of the meeting reviewed and voted to forward proposed 2026 budgets for juvenile intake, the Circuit Court, the District Attorney and the Sheriff’s Office to the Finance Administration Committee and ultimately the County Board.

Chair Belsky opened the meeting and said the budgets reflect pressures including rising digital evidence storage costs, staffing and technology modernization. After presentations and rounds of questioning, supervisors moved and voted to forward each departmental budget; motions passed and were recorded as approved by the committee.

Key votes at a glance

- Juvenile intake: Committee approved forwarding the juvenile intake budget after discussion of multi-year carryover funds and modest net line-item increases including a recommended $12,775 net line-item increase and a $21,675 personnel appropriation recommendation. (Motion moved by Supervisor Morrissey.)

- Circuit Court: Committee approved forwarding the Circuit Court budget. Staff credited a state court support grant for a reduction in levy need but warned about volatility in bond-default collections and interpreter costs.

- District Attorney: Committee approved forwarding the DA’s first budget, which includes increased discovery-processing costs and a requested rolling carryover for expert witness fees.

- Sheriff’s Office: Committee approved forwarding the Sheriff’s Office proposed budget, a $43.5 million operating proposal described as a 9.8% increase driven by personnel, overtime and contractual costs.

Why it mattered

Supervisors used the hearing to probe revenue assumptions and cost drivers that could affect levy demands and future budgets, including carryover practices in juvenile intake, the collectability of bond forfeitures that feed court revenues, rapid increases in interpreter fees, and the county’s approach to digital evidence storage for body and squad camera footage.

What’s next

All forwarded budgets will be reviewed by the county Finance Administration Committee and then considered by the full Kenosha County Board. Committee members asked staff for more detailed trend reporting on bond forfeitures, six-month revenue allocations and the projected cost of evidence storage options.

Source: Kenosha County Judiciary & Law Enforcement Committee budget review meeting; committee action to forward budgets was recorded in the meeting minutes and approved by the committee.