(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman (R), a lifelong Republican, presented a proposed 2027 budget Tuesday night calling for an almost 3 percent increase in the county’s property tax levy, even as she touted growing sales tax collections, billions of dollars in economic development and the county’s strong financial position.
Kerkman described the proposed levy increase as below 3 percent, although the budget address and accompanying highlights did not provide the exact percentage or total dollar increase. The levy is the total amount the county collects through property taxes; individual homeowners’ bills will vary.
Kerkman framed the proposed increase as evidence of restraint, telling supervisors that her budget comes in below the rate of inflation.
“The budget you’re receiving tonight continues our AAA momentum — and it does that with a levy increase below 3 percent,” Kerkman said. “I’m proud to have accomplished that in each of the budgets I’ve presented during my time in this office.”
The proposal is Kerkman’s fifth budget and the first presented during her second term.
Tax Increase Comes Amid Growing Revenue
The proposed property tax increase comes as Kerkman reported that county sales tax collections are up more than 6 percent from 2025 to 2026. Four of the seven months reported so far this year produced record collections for those months, she said.
“The more sales tax revenue we collect, the less we need to levy in property taxes,” Kerkman told the board.
She pointed to spending by visitors at the Outlet Mall, Renaissance Faire and Country Thunder, along with purchases by Illinois residents, as sources of revenue that help support county government.
Kerkman also reported a 6.2 percent increase in the county’s equalized property value, bringing the total to nearly $28 billion. She highlighted major investments, including Eli Lilly’s $3 billion manufacturing expansion in Bristol, IEA’s $100 million facility investment in Somers and G10 Fulfillment’s new 315,000-square-foot facility in Kenosha.
Despite those gains, her proposal would still increase the amount collected through the county property tax levy.
New Sheriff’s Unit Would Follow KPD’s Model
The budget would fund two additional Sheriff’s Office detective positions to create a dedicated unit investigating internet crimes against children. Kerkman said Sheriff David Zoerner requested the positions. Both of Zoerner’s opponents campaigned on establishing an ICAC unit in the Sheriff’s Office.
The new unit is being modeled after the Kenosha Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children, or ICAC, unit, which began in November 2024. Investigations Captain James Beller, now-retired Detective Pete Deates and Police Chief Patrick Patton established that unit.
KPD’s ICAC unit has its own office and state-of-the-art specialized equipment, and it works closely with the department’s digital forensic unit. In 2025, it cleared a backlog of child sexual abuse material complaints and received the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s ICAC Unit of the Year award.
The Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin Department of Justice also work together on these investigations, providing a foundation for cooperation as the county develops its dedicated ICAC unit.
Additional Positions And Projects
The budget would also begin a new Axon contract for deputies’ body cameras and add a compliance supervisor in the Division of Aging and Disability Services.
In Parks, Kerkman described a revamped position that would create a recreation coordinator role to expand programming, special events and community engagement. The change would allow the existing development coordinator to devote more time to obtaining grants.
Major projects include restoration of the Kemper Center shoreline and renovations at the Kenosha County Center in Bristol. Those renovations would provide a west-end Sheriff’s Office outpost, backup space for the Emergency Operations Center and improvements to the building’s Hearing Room.
The proposal also supports future Highway K improvements between 94th Court and 128th Avenue, along with planning to protect Highway W from Fox River erosion and flooding.
AAA Rating Predates Kerkman
Kerkman emphasized the county’s AAA bond rating, which she said has generated nearly $1.4 million in savings through lower borrowing costs. The county first obtained that rating in 2021 under former County Executive Jim Kreuser. Former county finance chief David Geertsen, now a county supervisor and chairman of the board’s Finance and Administration Committee, helped the county obtain the AAA rating.
Kerkman cited healthy reserves and noted that the county had nearly $20 million in unused levy authority in 2026 — authority to impose additional property taxes, rather than money already collected.
Human Services Building Delayed
Kerkman acknowledged that the county’s new Human Services Building has not opened as anticipated. She now expects it to open early in 2027.
“I know all of us would have liked to see the new building open by now,” she said. “But while our contractors have had some challenges in getting the project completed, I believe it’s well worth a few months’ delay to ensure we have a high-quality facility that will stand the test of time.”
County Board committees will review the proposal in the coming weeks. A public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 4, with final adoption scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, November 5.
34 Responses
The USA is phucked. Everything is going up in price but salaries are not. I’m going to get my kicks before the whole shit house goes up in flames.
Is this Jim Morrison ? I knew you were still alive !
Just another example that rapid development does not pay for itself. More open land destroyed, more traffic on overloaded and undermaintained roads, existing residents forced to pay more in taxes, waste more time getting around, and face more stress from the Ill-Annoy in aders fleeing their Narco-State.
Spot on!
RINO lying politician
I would glad vote for a republican primary challenger
Same here, but I’m not holding my breath considering she ran completely unopposed last election. Despite her apparent unpopularity, no one stepped up to challenge her and her lack of competition leads to poor decisions like this. Be prepared for more of this until someone viable steps up and runs against her. Until that happens, she has zero fear of losing her job regardless of performance.
Yes ! excellent! we FIBS DEMAND sidewalks, a cop on every corner , snowplowing when it snows 2″, classes 10 hours a day for kids, roads redone every 2 years , tighter zoning restrictions , AND NO MORE YUCKY HUNTING!
Are you in an institution somewhere? Your response is weird and insane.
I think he’s trying to be funny . Comedy is hard .
More bicycle trails. More PAVED bicycle trails! Expand the Streetcar line!
Get fucked! Property taxes can’t keep raising. What a bitch
As we give Amazon and Uline all these tax breaks to build in our county. Charge them more they can afford it!!! Stop bleeding the working class
Here’s an idea: cut spending!!!
Not an election year, of course taxes are going up. For the next 3 years taxes will go up and on the next election year they will be stagnant, it’s a pattern. Smoke and mirrors.
Politics must be hard. She looks rough
Property taxes don’t recognize a taxpayer’s ability to pay, they instead are unfairly linked to a property’s value which can fluctuate based on location, market trends, and even the whims of an assessor.
When property values skyrocket like we’ve seen recently, a property owner may suddenly be taxed as if they received a windfall of cash despite no change in income. Low-income homeowners, retirees on a fixed income, and small businesses operating on razor thin margins are disproportionately burdened by property tax hikes. Elderly residents who have lived in the same home for decades face being taxed out of their homes.Governments can mitigate valuation increases by reducing how much they choose to tax and spend, but that doesn’t change the underlying inequity of the property tax system.
Citizens- don’t worry! Your property taxes will still go up even after hard rock casino gets built.
3% this year will just be another drop in the bucket after we have to pay for more infrastructure, police, and emergency services for casino land area.
I’m old enough to remember all the lies about lower tax bills when gambling/lottery was approved. It was supposed to cut our taxes by 50%. The only thing that got cut by 50% was the tiny lottery credit we received after out of state property owners sued.
Republican raising property taxes a few weeks before midterms. Republican Party of Kenosha County is the gift that keeps on giving….for the Democrat Socialists.
I am so sick of this shit! We own a house the size of a crackerbox and could barely afford last year’s $500 tax increase, let alone another one this year. I think the county wants to force us all out of our homes. We are on a fixed income, and I don’t know what we will do now. Let’s stop funding the useless school system!
She needs to go
Great, with “friends” like this…🙄
The City of Kenosha and the Unified School District will be raising our taxes next.
Get the government out of our lives and cut our taxes!
Stop putting an R behind their names.
True Republicans push for lower taxes & cutting regulations.
How about raise the taxes for Amazon and Uline they can afford it!! Quit bleeding the working class!!!
I thought the data centers were going to ease the tax burden, …fooled AGAIN.
Kevin, net/net, are the golf courses a positive for budget or drain (all inclusive; all salaries,maintenance, course prep, gas/electric, etc. hard to find in the budget). Also, a speculation of what the courses are worth (with part of the sale being Kenosha County residents get a 25% discount).
Maybe quit pissing money away on pet projects and BS flock cameras.
How about our tax payers money that is being spent on a milwaukee law firm she hired to protect her own people or the $40,000 on flaggers for the kenosha county fair theses people act like it is monopoly money the way they spend it
So, the county is seeing uncreased revenue from sales tax, but let’s still propose another 3%e. I fully support the Internet crimes unit, but why keep them separate, why not have a new design as a joint venture with the city. Where is extra patrol for all the speeding, traffic control?.seems like hwy’s 50 and 31 are plagued with and and often fatal accidents. She seems to operate more as a Democrat by again raising taxes.
Duh!
No shit peanut butter!
How many 10’s of millions for a pretty human services building? That amount of money could have made a tangible difference for the people who need that department’s services. That amount of money could have fed a lot of hungry children and put many unhouse families into a motel room on the coldest nights.
Remodeling the KCC? More millions of dollars that could be saved. More courtroom renovations?
So, so much waste. The government is willing to overpay for everything… just because.
People already can’t afford homes because of the rates, now this? Brilliant.
Another sign of a Fake and RINO Politician is one that will make your Retirement unaffordable within a short time.
The TAX & SPEND tag used to apply almost exclusively to Demonrat politicians but now applies to all those who have gotten drunk on what
they perceive is a bottomless taxpayer pocket.