County Executive Samantha Kerkman delivered her 2026 budget address to the County Board
this evening, highlighting the county’s proud legacy and its bright future.
Noting that the county turned 175 years old this year while also celebrating the centennial of its
historic Courthouse building, Kerkman likewise touched on the county’s more recent legacy of
holding the highest bond rating possible.
“We also have a strong legacy as a AAA county — one that was extended for the fifth year in a
row in August, when S&P Global reaffirmed our top-level bond rating,” Kerkman said.
“This
accomplishment is a testament to the diligent work of our Finance staff, and the sound oversight
that the County Board continues to provide.”
Since the county first received the AAA designation in 2021, it has saved $1.2 million in interest
costs, Kerkman said. Kenosha County is one of just seven Wisconsin counties to hold AAA from
a major rating agency, she added.
“It’s a legacy we will work hard to continue for many years to come,” Kerkman said.
Kerkman said the AAA rating is also a result of the county’s favorable climate for economic
development. She noted that Kenosha County was the top county in the state for net new
construction in 2024, and that it holds the third highest five-year employment growth rate in the
state.
While celebrating the county’s economic development successes, Kerkman said public safety
remains an area of focus for her administration, reflected in a 2026 budget proposal that includes
increased investments in the Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s offices.
Kerkman noted that public safety expenditures account for more than 56 percent of the total levy
spending in the 2026 budget, up from 47 percent five years ago.
1010 56th Street, 3rd Floor • Kenosha, WI 53140 • 262-653-2600
County.Executive@kenoshacountywi.gov • www.kenoshacountywi.gov“Over the five years from 2022 through the budget you’re receiving tonight, we’ve invested
nearly $199 million in levy funds into public safety,” Kerkman said. “And for 2026, we’re
levying more than $12 million more for public safety than we were in 2022.”
This year’s budget includes an increase in compensation for sheriff’s deputies, as negotiated in a
recently ratified three-year contract with the Kenosha County Deputy Sheriffs Association. It
also includes funding to offer a mental health support system for deputies — an issue that was
discussed during last year’s budget deliberations.
Kerkman also emphasized the fiscally responsible nature of the budget.
“People have had to make changes in their family budgets due to increasing costs, and we’re
doing the same in county government,” Kerkman said. “We’re working to stretch our dollars
further.”
Kerkman noted that for the first time in recent memory, the budget includes a slight decrease in
the total headcount of county employees, realized through attrition by being strategic in the
evaluation of filling vacancies.
“We’re looking critically at things, working to rein in costs where it’s possible and prudent — all
while advancing our priorities of public safety and infrastructure,” Kerkman said, adding, “It’s a
budget that leaves a strong legacy for Kenosha County.”
County Board committees will review the budget in detail over the coming weeks, with a public
hearing scheduled for Nov. 4 followed by adoption of the budget by the full County Board on
Nov. 5.
Other 2026 Kenosha County budget highlights:
◼ Funding for a study of the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office operations budget and
software for the District Attorney’s Office to make it easier for prosecutors to review
police body camera footage.
◼ Expansion of the embedded social worker program in partnership with the Pleasant
Prairie Police Department, supported by grant funding.
◼ The addition of a Lead Economic Support Specialist/Trainer position in the Division of
Workforce Development, aimed at keeping the county’s Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) error rate low while reducing call wait times for clients.
◼ The addition of a Compliance and Education Nurse position at Brookside Care Center to
ensure the county continues to provide outstanding care at its award-winning nursing
facility.
◼ A continued commitment to repave 13 miles of county roadways, as well as
reconstruction of Highway W from Wilmot to the Illinois state line.
◼ Funding for ongoing and upcoming projects including the new Human Services Building,
the Pike River South Branch restoration and shoreline revetment work on the Kemper
Center grounds.