(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
SOMERS, Wis. — Village President George Stoner and the Somers Village Board are preparing residents for a major property tax hike through a public safety referendum — a move critics say was made inevitable by years of irresponsible financial decisions and generous subsidies to private developers.
For years, Somers officials have poured millions into tax incremental financing (TIF) districts, offering incentives to developers such as Bear Development and others to build luxury housing and commercial projects that still aren’t contributing fully to the tax base. Those same developments — including large apartment complexes like Savannah at Pike Creek, Maplecrest, and the Lake of Somers Apartments — are now cited in village documents as reasons public safety costs are rising.
Financial Strain After TIF-Fueled Expansion
According to the village’s Options Assessment report, Somers now faces rising costs in nearly every department, with public safety alone consuming nearly 60% of its annual budget. The board claims it must raise an additional $1.5 million per year to hire more firefighters, paramedics, and one additional Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputy dedicated to the village.
But the same report shows that much of the village’s financial hardship stems from years of restricted growth in taxable property — the direct result of keeping high-value properties in TIF districts that funnel revenue back into paying off developer-related debt instead of supporting operations like fire and police.
Years of Development, Little Return
Under Stoner’s leadership, Somers has aggressively promoted new construction through its TIF districts. These zones were designed to spur development by using future property tax revenue to repay infrastructure costs, but they’ve instead created what officials now acknowledge as a structural shortfall.
Dozens of new residential and commercial projects were approved with village assistance, yet the promised tax benefits have not materialized. The Options Assessment notes that Somers has already borrowed heavily for road improvements, sewer extensions, and public safety equipment tied to new growth — projects that must still be paid for even as the village asks taxpayers for more.
The Push for a Referendum
Stoner and the board have directed staff to pursue a community survey and public outreach campaign laying the groundwork for a referendum to exceed state levy limits. The accompanying Fall 2025 Somers Community Survey mailed to residents describes how the board may seek voter approval to raise property taxes by roughly $110 to $128 per $100,000 of assessed value — a roughly 25% increase for many homeowners.
If approved, that referendum would add about $450 per year to the tax bill on a median home valued at $355,000.
The board’s messaging focuses heavily on staffing shortages in the Fire & Rescue Department, which it says must add eight full-time firefighter/paramedics, and on hiring one additional deputy through its contract with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office. What’s not emphasized is that these new expenses would have been far more affordable had village leaders not diverted tax dollars for developer subsidies and debt payments.
Critics Say Board Created the Problem
While the survey and assessment present the referendum as a necessity to maintain “high-quality services,” neither document acknowledges that past boards — including the current one led by Stoner — approved a series of high-cost development deals that depleted available revenue.
Meanwhile, many of those same TIF-supported developments are still within their district boundaries and continue to divert taxes away from the village’s general fund. Residents are now being told that without a tax hike, Somers will have to cut essential services such as road maintenance, recreation programs, and street lighting.
Critics argue that’s a false choice. “This board is trying to make residents pay for its own bad planning,” one longtime observer of village politics said. “They gave sweetheart deals to developers for years, and now they’re acting like victims of circumstance.”
Looking Ahead
The Village Board has not yet scheduled a date for the referendum but has indicated it could appear on the ballot as early as 2026. Between now and then, the board plans to continue its outreach campaign using taxpayer-funded mailings and surveys.
The looming question is whether Somers residents — many already frustrated with rising assessments and service fees — will agree to a major tax increase to fix a budget shortfall largely created by the very officials asking for more money.
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37 Responses
Don’t forget Mark Molinaro who had input going forward as he was on County Board and Chairman. Now his company gets the majority of the design contracts?
Mark Molinaro was on the county board?
He was on the county board for 20 years. He didn’t run for re-election and his term ended in 2014.
Rumor has it, Molinaro is considering challenging Sam Kerkman for Exec.
There is really no return on my taxes paid already. Garbage and my road plowed a half dozen times a year is 4k. I received the pamphlet today before I saw your article. My words were no, you, the board put us in this mess with the development as I was reading it.
Oh, boy. They recently passed a Zero acre PUD, prepare to move, tax pain is coming. One big shopping mall is the goal, and a few monstrous TID factories that import there staff from Illinois and Milwaukee. Oh we need to raise taxes to help pay for all the new congestion. Thanks so much, growth is great!
Sounds like Salem Lakes
Salem worse, they are spending like children. FB post showed how they increased wages like 2 million in 2-3 years with no more services. Looks like us suckers changed the board, all we will be left with is change. Time to stock up on can food, cat and dog food, trust me it’s edible. I have to, or they will take my home if I don’t pay tax bill.
“Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.”
-Edward Abbey
I believe the Salem Lakes board is borrowing 2 million just to run Government. They over spent because they have a fourth grade education in math, and we wonder why are communities are broke. SOMERS, your doing exactly what the County wants, they will snooker any community that doesn’t have strong leaders. They want Work Force Housing for all these corporations. Generational citizens sit quietly and watch the madness, and then wonder what happen. Wake up and start bitching, or say good bye to your community. If the board won’t listen, replace with someone who will. Stop voting for friends instead look for strong leaders with a backbone.
They will tax everyone right out of Somers! Poor management.
Thank you for this article, Kevin. We received the survey today, but didn’t feel we had much background info…now we do!
And still no city buses to Somers
At one point Somers had low taxes.
There is nothing inherently wrong with a TIF district but too many can be a one-way drain. You don’t do too many at the same time.
Tif benefits who? When the TiF is complete, it’s time to rebuild roads and sewers. The whole time the TIF is in place the Village employees take care of water,sewer, snow removal and landscaping on taxpayers dime, for 20-30 years. Government has to grow just to take care of TIF, for the rainbow in the end, please.
Good question. In another context when I give buying advice I point out that both overspending and underspending is a waste of money. Same is true with over development or under development. The key is having the right mix for many reasons. And to answer “who benefits?” depends on the particular project specifics but it is always a big picture analysis. Let’s say a TIF district was created for a big grocery store in an area that never had a grocery store. The benefits start with area residents having access to fresh groceries instead of being in a grocery desert. Then there are the jobs created not just in the store itself but in the construction process and in providing services to the store, such as paving the parking lot or keeping the HVAC going. The question is then how much money is turning around in the community plus the benefits (or lack thereof) of the overall project. As far as I’m concerned, I like projects that maximize jobs, money being turned around in the community and value added. A grocery store is likely a plus. But are a slew of apartment buildings? Good question.
I stopped reading at grocery desert. 🤣
George Stoner will be known as the man who ruined Somers. Glad I sold my house on Lake Michigan and bolted. And I knew this would happen. i wrote my master’s thesis on TIF. The gov does not belong in the private sector at all.
How can we miss you if you don’t go away?
I know I’m outta there after my family has owned the same property and home for 126 years. Extremely bad management. The village board is something to be desired. All pos. Now we have water coming through. Back in 1997 when the road was tore up a water main was supposed to be layed it never happened somers wanted additional stupid shit not enough money. Now we’re facing 254 dollars a foot. I think somers residents need to open there goddam eyes. That village board has no accountability not Now and not ever. It’s time that somers residents need to pursue a class action lawsuit against the somers village board. Something that should have happened when worthless carol fisher was the village idiot.
Time to sue the village board.
We could have had water here in 1997.when the road was tore up. That’s was in the plan. Considerably less money. Now tops 254 dollars a foot. Sue somers board.
Somers wants a mall?! Check out traffic in Gurnee. The outlet mall has what?, a 40% vacancy rate? This is what happens when amateurs run a town. That’s why I never ran for local office. I’m NOT QUALIFIED. Another bankruptcy town that gave it away to developers.
VOTE NO!
I truly hope to see my neighbors at the upcoming municipal meetings. It is time to step up.
…. is why developers need this money in the first place ??
Isn’t “running a business” like in this case, a “Development Company”, investing in and then getting a return on that investment over time ?
Developers buy land. Build homes or other business structures on that land. And sometimes that includes the roads and sewer and other utility improvements to support those buildings.
That’s called investment in infrastructure.
Then they sell the land at the improved value. To the people who want that land or those buildings. They deed the ownership of the roads and sewers to the government so they can be maintained in perpetuity. Those initial infrastructure costs should be included in those building and land prices.
Why when buying a home in a new subdivision do your property tax dollars not go to the government entity that will be providing the services necessary for those homes and property ?
A new ambulance. Additional personnel to operate that ambulance. A additional snow plow truck to move those additional miles of snow each winter.
The sewer plant which needs additional capacity built in and personnel to run it
If the business model of “developing property” doesn’t pay enough to cover the complete idea of the developing that property, then why do it at all ??
Those costs could surely be included in the buyers mortgage which in itself will be paid over 30 years or the life of the mortgage.
Sure this is about making something where nothing was before, but so what ? It is no different than a 20 year experienced mechanic buying or renting a building and investing in new equipment to outfit the shop so he can make money fixing cars and trucks.
Then paying back himself or investors for that equipment over time. Hopefully before it wears out and needs replacement. A laundry mat is an example of investment that people have made over time. They buy or get loans from banks to buy washers and dryers to fill a need in the community they see needs these places. Hopefully they make enough money to repay these loans before the washer and dryers wear out. If not, it was not a good investment.
I own a home. Paid it off. And have always paid for the sewers. It has increased over time as cost have increased. That’s how it is supposed to work
Exactly. These communities push TIDs/TIFs chasing a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but they rarely benefit taxpayers. Instead, they spur growth many residents never asked for. And when that “gold” finally shows up, it’s often paired with crumbling roads and extra services to maintain for the 20–30 years a TIF typically runs. Along the way, towns hire extra staff just to keep up. More often than not, TIFs fail, serving as a quick drain on the community. This is the so-called art of progress with your money, which usually makes no sense. Villages should live within their means, but politicians think progress will bring rewards, when in reality, it means more taxes for wants and needs most of us could do without. Just say no! Let developers fund their own projects or find another place willing to hand out free infrastructure.
Everything about your comment makes sense to the beginning of the fourth paragraph. You’re right. Unless an area desperately needs the product or service there is no reason to offer tax incentive to a developer. We are now going to have to clean up George Stoner and his crew’s mess. We absolutely need any local citizens with common sense to begin stepping up and challenging them. I am over property tax and municipal utilities fees increases.
This is what happens when you have a stoner in charge
Beware Bristol residents. TIFs are rampant in Bristol too.
Yeah Bristol, Home of the TID districts and residences that don’t like the Neighbors of a different color. I hope Q. Jackson kicks ass and takes names in court. He been put through a ton of B.S. What is shocking Salem was given a slap on the wrist from the DNR for wiping out a wetland, but Q was put through the ringers for next to nothing, not much fairness in the world.
Sure they, the administrator, went rogue and tried to “pretty up” a pot hole pond but it was far from “wiped out”.
Most all of the growth will grow back. Some “fixing” needs to be done but overall that was a minor violation that was exacerbated by who ordered it.
And as for Quentin, I thought he had his State DNR permits even though they were after the fact.
It was the Village that was giving him Hell !
I may be wrong in my facts but I think not.
Salems wetland fiasco was a lot to do about “almost nothing”.
I was talking about the pictures I saw, which looked pretty bad. The bigger issue is that, according to reports, QJ got permission while the Village of Salem didn’t, yet QJ was treated much worse than the Village. Even a third grader knows you don’t enter a wetland without permission, something QJ appears to have done right, which led to the big penalty, while Salem got a pass. It just doesn’t seem fair. Whether Salem was trying to pretty up a wetland makes it seem like those doing so get a pass, which doesn’t sound like the best approach, I don’t think the DNR is forgiving to us common folks, really too bad QJ had to go through all this BS just to build a home.
Who ordered it, you seem to be an insider. I also seen pics of that destruction, please tell us how that was no big deal? Why don’t you try that and see if it’s a nothing burger. How about follow the law first, then we can talk about “fixings”. If you want the public to follow the law, your government must be also in compliance. Stop with almost nothing BS. It’s nothing because a government entity did it, no other reason.
Hence why Wisconsin needs to implement Impact Fees.
My husband sees George Stoner at Northside restaurant every Saturday morning. What is good friend Pat Juliana former City alderman that is telling people he’s going to run for school board.
Both extreme nut jobs… I hear Juliana talk at the moose Lodge I know it all. He lives in Somers they’re two buddies. Stoners are not all. No wonder our taxes keep going up and our services keep going down.
I was on a fire department when the city hired one firefighter and that was his son-in-law in Kenosha. Him and a Frank
Pacetti former City administrator of Keith bosman all corrupt.
You hire firefighters and police officers in groups so it’s less expensive to the taxpayers to train them. Makes a lot of sense correct. That year they hired one firefighter and trained them and that was Pat Juliana son-in-law.
He would be a corrupt school board member. The dog catcher smart than him. More ethical to say the least.