The Racine County Board has adopted the county's 2027 budget by a 15-4 vote. Supervisors Taylor Wishau, Valena Lena Coleman, Ernie Rossi and Troy McReynolds voted against the plan, according to the county clerk's minutes, after residents spoke against it during public comment.
County Executive Ralph Malicki defended the budget as a response to rising personnel costs, pointing to a countywide salary study and sheriff's labor agreements. He said the levy increase was held to 3.8%. His original proposal would have raised the general countywide levy from $62.7 million to $65.1 million, while the general rate was projected to dip slightly, from $2.483 to $2.470 per $1,000 of equalized value, because overall property values rose. Individual bills will still vary by property value and by the other governments on each bill.
Sales-tax money remains a central part of the plan. The county's 0.5% sales tax, in place since April 2025, was projected to bring in $24 million in 2027, with $16.4 million for county operations, $6.7 million for debt service, $650,000 for highway capital projects and $250,000 for reserves.
Critics questioned whether the spending can be sustained. Rossi argued that some new positions depend on revenue that may not reach budgeted levels and called for a longer-term approach to debt, while residents raised household costs and objected to a proposed $100,000 study of a walking path along Highway W. Supervisor Tom Preusker countered that sales-tax revenue helped prevent cuts to sheriff's deputies and roads, and that borrowing spreads the cost of long-lived projects and equipment over time.
In separate votes, the board approved two borrowing resolutions 16-3, authorizing up to $15.46 million in notes for facilities, equipment and highways and up to $550,000 in taxable notes for public purposes, including an affordable housing initiative. The board also approved the county's 2027 fee schedule, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
