County Board - Regular Meeting

11:30 I'll call the meeting to order. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Roll call of supervisors, please. 22 um 22 supervisors are present. Supervisor Garcia is excused. Citizens comments. Are there any citizens wishing to speak? Any citizens wishing to speak? Please state your name and address for the record. I'm Guer Brown, 620139th Avenue. Kenosha. I love that the Kenosha County Board is willing to help nonprofits in our community. What I'm struggling with is that the finance committee, while approving the county's budget, decided to further fund two nonprofits that are contracted with Kenosha County's Department of Human Services. The finance committee approved a change to the human services budget, a change that was never addressed by the her human services committee, and that's absolutely allowed. But had the discussion happened at the human services committee, as it should have, here's what I would have said. Despite what our community members think or say, the Shalom Center is not an emergency shelter for those who are homeless. Instead, they are a transitional living program, which is a short-term housing for people who are homeless, but it's not immediate emergency shelter. In June of 2018, our community supported the Shalom C Center's capital campaign for the new shelter that would have

would have 72 beds for people who are homeless. The city of Kenosha's 2025 to 2029 consolidated plan says that Shalom Center has 57 emergency shelter beds, which would mean we've lost 15 beds. But the Shalom Center currently says they don't provide emergency shelter. Instead, they provide transitional living. Therefore, there are zero provisions for emergency shelter in our community. There's no place for anyone to go at the end of the day or the middle of the night for homeless services. The Shalom Center was once a place where law enforcement in the middle of the night could drop off people who needed shelter due to being homeless. That is no longer an option. Kenosha County has no emergency shelter for people who are homeless. When the Hope Hub was built by the Shalom Center in 2023, it was intended to serve as an emergency shelter during extreme weather events. We found out last winter that those extreme weather events start at a sustained temperature of minus 20°. I didn't misspeak. The Shalom Center's hope hub was to have extended hours when there was a sustained windchill of minus34° or lower or a sustained temperature of -20° or lower unless an exception was made. Thankfully, exceptions were made last winter, but since then, the hours of service at the Hope Hub were even further reduced despite the growing population of those who are homeless that we have consistently been reminded of here. Our community nonprofits absolutely need financial support, but the job of the Kenosha County Board is to ensure that the county's finite dollars are best spent to support the

needs of all members of our community, not to give more money to a nonprofit that never even asked for it. Kenosha County has no emergency shelter for people who are homeless. Shalom Center provides a transitional living program. Thank you. Thank you. Any other citizens wishing to speak? Any other citizens wishing to speak? Any other citizens wishing to speak? Hearing none, citizens comments are closed. Moving on to announcements of the chairperson, I just want to remind everyone about the committee of the whole on Monday, November 10th from 6:00 to 7:00 regarding the Axon body cameras. That presentation will be on Monday between 6:00 and 7:00. Tonight, the Kenosha County Board takes action on the 2026 budget. A budget is not just dollars on a spreadsheet. A budget is not just dollars on a spreadsheet. It's a priority. It's valuable. And it's how we turn responsibility into real help, real service, and a real impact for the people who call Kenosha County home. Over the last several months, I have watched this board work very hard. I have watched supervisors study, ask tough questions, challenge assumptions, push for clarity, listen, compromise, and dive deeply into detail. This is the kind of serious, accountable, transparent local government our residents deserve. To every supervisor, thank you. Thank you for the time you gave. Thank you for the respect you brought to the process. Thank you for the understanding that we all don't have to agree on every line item to still be united in our commitment to serve the people of this

county well. I also want to personally thank our county staff. Finance does an incredibly difficult job of building models, tracking trends, projecting future liabilities, identifying risk, keeping us compliant, and making the numbers real, not theatrical. Our department heads take that framework and translate it into operational reality. While our employees, the ones who plow the roads, respond to crisis, provide care, answer the phones, maintain our facilities, supports families, protect the vulnerable, and keep this county running. You are the ones who actually give life to everything inside this budget. I also want to thank County Executive Kirkman for her partnership in this process. We have different roles, but ultimately we serve the same public and the same taxpayers. And this year's budgeting process reflects collaboration, transparency, and a shared commitment to move Kenosha County forward. Tonight, we will make decisions that fund public safety, human services, infrastructure, parks, transportation, economic development, our workforce, and our long-term financial stability. These decisions matter, not just for the next 12 months, but for the future we are building here together. My hope is that we finish this final stage in the same way we began. With respect for the institution and respect for the people who elected us to be careful, thoughtward stewards of their tax dollars, Kenosha County continues to shine because we plan, we partner, we invest, and we deliver. Thank you to every member of this board and thank you to the public for your trust you place in us and for your belief in the county's future. And with that, we now move on to the final action on the 2026 county budget. Thank you.

Any supervisor reports? Supervisor Gray, do you have a report? Supervisor Stacker. Okay. Any any reports? Seeing none, supervisor reports are closed. Old business policy resolution three from the second reading to required from the finance and administration committee. A policy resolution to approve the 2026 Kenosha County budget. The budget passed at committee 6 to1 with supervisor Noodle voting nay. The budget resolution passed unanimously at the committee.

Supervisor Gray. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to make a motion to amend the budget resolution.

I'd like Excuse [clears throat] me. I'd like to second it. There's been a motion made by Supervisor Gray and a second by Supervisor Brook House to amend. Madam Chair, there was a a outline uh actually verbatim. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Um Supervisor G, would you please let me move? Yes, please move the resolution so that we can amend it. Yes. Thank you. So, it's moved by Supervisor Gent, seconded by Supervisor Kirby. Supervisor Gent,

I would make the motion to approve the budget and the budget resolution that we approved at finance. And I won't go into the long winded reasons that I did last night about why and how it went. So, I would ask for your support. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Gray. All right. I was out of order. I'm sorry. That's okay. Uh, I'd like to make a motion to amend the budget resolution. Second. There's a motion on the floor to amend the budget by Supervisor Gray and a second by Supervisor Bour House. Any discussion on the amend on Supervisor Gray, would you like to proceed? I would. Yeah. [laughter] So,

yesterday the supervisors uh had on her desk um an outline of the resolution I'm proposing. I'd be happy to read it into the record or um for the sake of time, I don't know if it could be entered as a document. Would you like me to read it or does everyone have a copy of the amendment on your desk? Is there any objection to just having it moved into the record? Seeing no, I object to that. I want to make sure that I understand what's in there.

Okay, there's an objection by Supervisor Nudo. So, an objection does require a twothird vote. Wow. is objecting to Are you objecting to the entry of the amendment to the budget? I'm not objecting this. Hold on. What's uh I just don't want a piece of paper. I want them to explain why they're making the motion or the amendment of order. He doesn't have to explain why he's doing it. He has to just explain what it is. Sorry, I misspoke. That's what I meant. I want them to explain what it is, not why. I don't I don't need to know the reason why.

I think I know the reason why.

Sure. I'm happy to read it. Whereas the Kenosha County Board of Supervisors recognizes the importance of ensuring the district attorney's office has adequate staffing resources to meet its prosecutorial and victim support obligations. And whereas the Wisconsin state legislature has authorized and the state of Wisconsin has funded 2.5 additional assistant district attorney ADA positions for Kenosha County effective October 5th, 2025 as part of the state's 2025 through 2027 budget. And whereas the effectiveness of the district attorney's office relies not only on attorney staffing levels but also on sufficient support to assist with case management, victim services, and overall office operations. And whereas the county board and administration are mutually committed to providing appropriate staffing levels within the district attorney's office, including adequate support positions for newly added assistant district attorneys in a fiscally responsible manner. And whereas the administration has recommended that a review of the district attorney's office staffing census and an analysis of available fiscal capacity to be conducted in midappril 2026 in conjunction with the presentation of the county's annual carryover closeout resolution. And whereas this mid-year review will include a report on the ADA staffing census together with an analysis of the projected overall county 2025 fiscal year-end surplus or deficit and the personnel or other appropriation units for the district attorney's office. And whereas preliminary analysis of the 2025 personnel budget indicates that sufficient vacancy savings within the district attorney's office may exist to

fully or substantially fund two additional support staff positions, a parallegal and a victim witness specialist for the remaining eight months of the 2026 fiscal year. And whereas this approach ensures that any additional staffing will be implemented with a projected census increase of the district attorney's office state allocated ADA positions and when fiscal resources have been verified to support such additions without the need of an additional county tax levy. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Kenoshi County Board of Supervisors directs the county administration to conduct a comprehensive review of the district attorney's office staffing levels, ADA census verification, and fiscal position in April 2026, concurrent with the annual carryover closeout resolution. And be it further resolved that based upon the results of this review, the administration may recommend for county board consideration the authorization of up to two full-time equivalent FTEE support positions, one parallegal and one victim well wellness special, I'm sorry, victim witness specialist to be funded from available 2025 vacancy savings or other verified surplus funds for the remainder of the 2026 fiscal year. And be it further resolved that the county board expresses its intent to continue collaboration between the administration and the district attorney's office to ensure staffing levels remain responsive to workload demands while maintaining fiscal responsibility and operational efficiency.

Thank you, Supervisor Gray. Discussion on this item. Supervisor Noodle.

Uh, first of all, I want to thank the I want to say thank you to the county clerk for uh clarifying what the Kenosha Muse put in there that I voted for the budget, which I did not. And uh on this uh amendment, I'm definitely going to vote against it. Uh I'm not surprised that this amendment and come true which it's done pretty much by the reason is they really don't want to do this and they putting up with the close out. We don't really know if there is any money that is going to be in the closeout to use for this. We're going to have to wait till probably May before this position could be if that goes through uh put in. The state gave us the two additional ADAS you know they committed themselves to do that and we cannot commit to give them the help that it's needed. Their office needs help right now. They're short with attorneys and a parallegal actually would help to do most of the leg work for the attorneys and they can concentrate on going to trial instead of spending hours after hour to do all the research that they need to do it. And the witness program they can use another one with this year also in uh April whenever the close out is not sure about the date or whatever. uh it's going to need twothirds of the vote to pass it. So the reason is and I've seen it done before by this administration which was they put something in there and then

they expect this board to to kill. Now, we're going to have a new board by then. Even though this board will vote, but then we know some of the people are not going to be are not going to be running. Some of the people are going to be are going to lose. So, at the last minute, some of the people they just say many times in the past, they didn't even came to the last few couple meetings because well, there was the unus. So I don't think uh this is a good idea. I we should support um law enforcement as much as we can. In fact, uh I'm not sure why this amendment was made, but whatever reason, uh at the finance committee, I did say I made a commitment that I was going to bring the amendment on the board floor to put it on the ley and fund the position right now. So, I'm going to stand by my commitment and I'm going to make a motion now to add the two position, one for the parallegal and one for the witness uh protection uh and be put on the underlying.

Okay. Supervisor Nudo has made an amendment. Oh, he made a motion to make an amendment. He did say amendment. He did say he wanted to amend. He said I

to the taxion to add to the budget. [snorts] It makes sense. Did he hear Supervisor Noodle, according to the record, you did not make an amendment, so you are out of order. Okay, then I still have uh the floor and I'm going to make an amendment to put in the two position and put on the le.

Okay. Is there a second to supervisor's amendment? Seeing that there is not a second, that amendment motion will die on the floor. Back to the original amendment of Supervisor Gray. Do you have any other dis comments, Supervisor Noodle? Not right now. Okay. Supervisor Grady. Uh, thank you, Madam Chair. Just some questions in general so we can get our minds around this. Um, is it true we have a number of vacancies in the DA's office as it stands right at this moment? Someone has a question. Patty or Bara, uh, someone from finance, can you please come up and

Supervisor G? Let Patty speak, please. Thank you. At the finance committee meeting, the the DA reported that he had 12 and a half ADAs. But keep in mind the ADAs are part of the state budget, not the county budget. The county budget supports parillegals, victim witness, legal secretaries, some other clerical staff. He also reported that as of the time of the meeting, he was fully staffed for county employees, and I believe that to be true. However, our analysis has shown that there were vacancies in those positions throughout the year, which has created some surplus funds in his personnel appropriation for 2025.

Right. And I think I'm clear in that, but the point of the matter is is just for DAS that are supplied by the state in the current structure that we have. Are we fully staffed up with assistant DAs or are we not? Nope, he is not. Okay. So, the point of the matter is, if I understand it correctly, we don't have a full complement of assistant DAS at the current moment. These new proposals that we're taking a look at would be additions to that again funded by the state. So there appears to be some variety of time lag between getting a full complement of assistant DAS. Is that correct?

In the state budget, they approved two and a half additional ADAs which the DA can hire as effective October 5th. Right. It's in the budget, but the bodies are not here functioning. They're not actually hired. Is that correct? That is correct.

Okay. So, and again, what we're taking a look at here is a similar situation. We're looking down the road perspectively that we'll have two additional assistant DAS, but we don't have them as of yet. All right. So, that's the first part. The second question would be if and when we were to entertain the assistance to the assistant DAS. Um that would be out of our budget. That would be the county portion. What would the financial impact of that be just in general terms? Can someone give us a breakdown on that?

Our analysis for those two positions for a full year is $160,000. Okay. So even in a situation where we would have those positions available maybe sometime this spring, it's fairly likely that those assistant positions to the assistant DAS would not even be funded for a full year. Correct. That is correct.

Okay. So basically, if I understand the document in front of me, this is a prospective document saying that when we take a look at the close out that occurs in the spring of 2026, we'll revisit this issue and we'll try to make adjustments as necessary. Is that correct? And that's to the chair to Supervisor Gray. My understand my understanding is that's correct. Yes. Okay. And that is it. My questions for the time being. I will yield the floor. Thank you, Supervisor Grady. [clears throat] Supervisor Decker. Uh, Supervisor Grady asked the questions I have. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Decker. Supervisor Gearston.

I'm good, too. Thank you. You can

Thank you, Supervisor Gearston. Any other questions on Supervisor Gray's amendment? Any questions or comments? Seeing none, this does roll call has been requested. Okay, this is a simple majority vote. So, if you're in favor, vote yes for Supervisor Gray's amendment. Or if you're against it, vote no. I hit [laughter]

the amendment passes. 21 yes, one no. Uh, supervisor Nudo voting no.

Resolution. We have got a vote on the budget resolution. Okay. Amended. Now we're going to vote on the budget resolution policy number three as amended. Is there any further discussion on the resolution as amended?

Okay. I see no comments or questions on that. So, a vote will be required. If you're in favor of the budget as amended, vote in the affirmative. If you're against, vote against. Policy resolution three passes. 21 yes and one no. Supervisor Nudo voting no. Resolution 150 from the Finance and Administration Committee, an initial resolution authorizing the issuance of not to exceed 13,55,000 general obligation promisary promisary notes for budgeted capital projects, including road and highway improvements. This passed unanimously at committee. Supervisor Gent.

I will move the initial resolution. Moved by Supervisor G, seconded by Supervisor Gama. Supervisor Gunce. Um, as we've seen through the budget process, uh, and I went over some of the highlights. This is what we're asking for for the 13,55,000. Uh, the finance committee approved it unanimously and I ask for your support. Thank you.

Thank you, Supervisor G. Any discussion on resolution 150? All right, seeing none, this does require a threequarters vote. The resolution passes unanimously. Motion by supervisor Decker to adjurnn. Seconded by Supervisor Robinson. All in favor? I opposed.