Holly Gilvary
STURTEVANT — Interim Racine County Executive Thomas Roanhouse presented the county’s proposed $238 million 2025 budget to the county board last Tuesday.
Roanhouse said the budget’s $5.1 million decrease from last year is largely because funding from the American Rescue Plan Act is ending.
The proposed tax levy for 2025 is $64.3 million, a decrease of 0.4%.
Roanhouse said that at the beginning of the budget season, the county was confronted with a $17 million deficit.
“We successfully reduced the deficit by reviewing and trimming line items, utilizing shared revenue, factoring in net new construction and implementing a series of belt-tightening measures,” he said.
Cuts in the budget include reducing funding to the Racine County Economic Development Corporation by 62%; a $200,000 reduction in the Workforce Division budget; the decision to leave two county positions unfunded; and the freezing of all employee merit pay increases.
“These measures, while necessary, reflect the ongoing challenge of balancing rising operational costs against declining revenues, making this an especially complex and challenging budget cycle,” he said.
Highlights of the budget include: the opening of the Youth Development and Care Center; the construction of roundabouts at County Highways A and J and Highways U and G; highway improvements along highways KR and T; replacing windows at the Racine County Courthouse and installing energy-efficient LED lighting; and completing the refurbishment of the courthouse’s sixth-floor courtroom.
Roanhouse also touted the upcoming Microsoft data centers in Mount Pleasant, calling it a “transformative moment” for the county.
“This development will bring more than just jobs — it will attract talent, investments and additional business opportunities,” he said.
Roanhouse mentioned the proposed 0.5% county sales tax multiple times throughout his presentation, saying the county’s future would be at stake without it.
“The reality is that without the sales tax, we will be forced to make severe cuts that will compromise public safety, infrastructure and key services across the county,” Roanhouse said.
In other business, the board:
- Approved a resolution naming the upcoming Youth Development and Care Center in honor of former County Executive Jonathan Delagrave.
- Authorized a non-cash lease for Racine County Case Eagle Lake Park in Rochester for research and demonstration farming purposes by the Watershed Protection Committee for 2025-28.
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