Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman and County Board Chairman Monica M. Yuhas issued statements after the adoption of the 2026 county budget.
“I thank the County Board for its strong support of this budget, and for the months of productive collaboration leading up to tonight’s adoption vote,” Kerkman said. “This budget meets the needs of Kenosha County, and it keeps us on track to retain our top-tier AAA bond rating. It maintains our commitments to public safety, infrastructure and delivery of vital services, and it does all of this in a fiscally responsible way. It demonstrates what’s possible in county government when we work together for the good of the entire community.”
Yuhas added: “This budget affects Kenosha County families, employees, and services that people depend on every day. I want to thank every supervisor for the seriousness and respect they brought to this work, and I want to thank our county staff for the countless hours of preparation, analysis, and support that happened over the past months. The 2026 budget continues strong investment in core county services, including public safety, human services, county infrastructure, and long-term financial sustainability — while maintaining responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”
The newly adopted budget includes a 2.96 percent increase in the property tax levy. This is below the county’s growth in equalized value. The mill rate will decrease by 4.1 percent to $3.04 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Key funding priorities include a study of operations at the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office and body camera video software for the District Attorney’s Office. Since 2022, nearly $199 million from levy funds has been invested in public safety.
Infrastructure projects funded in this budget include engineering work for Kemper Center shoreline restoration, reconstruction of Highway W from Wilmot to the Illinois state line, and continued road repaving efforts.
More information about Kenosha County schools shows that Indian Trail High School and Academy had the highest enrollment during the 2023-24 school year with 2,001 students; Tremper High School followed with 1,458 students; Bradford High School had 1,448 students (https://dpi.wi.gov/). In terms of student demographics during that period, white students made up about 55.6% (14,124) of all students attending schools in Kenosha County (https://dpi.wi.gov/), while Hispanic students were at 25.7% (6,528), making them the second largest group; Black students accounted for 10.4% (2,642) (https://dpi.wi.gov/). American Indian students represented just 0.2% of all students enrolled (https://dpi.wi.gov/).
Further details on the adopted budget can be found at bit.ly/2026KCBudget.
