Oct. 28, 2025 3p
(WGTD)---Feeling pressure from both ends of the political spectrum, Racine County Executive Ralph Malicki has made some 11th hour changes to his budget proposal for next year as supervisors are beginning to wrap up work on the plan.
In an amendment to be considered Wednesday evening by the county board's Finance and Human Resource Committee, Malicki wants to cut six new positions in Human Services, including a Community Impact Supervisor, a Program Analyst, a Fiscal Analyst and Substance Use Disorder counselors.
In addition, Malicki is proposing to eliminate a couple of vacant positions--a Child Support Specialist and a Highway Maintenance Worker.
The reductions are expected to reduce his originally proposed operating budget by $658,000.
Earlier this fall, the Racine Interfaith Coalition's Education Task Force raised alarm bells by pointing to Racine County's ranking of dead last among the state's 72 counties in health and human services spending. Almost simultaneously, the area's Republican legislative delegation lambasted Malicki for proposing what they described as a bloated budget with "out of control" spending.
Malicki argued that neither conclusion was justified, pointing to the need to staff both the county's new juvenile detention and care center and a new behavioral health center that's to include a short-term residential treatment wing. The juvenile center's expenses are expected to be partially offset by revenue from other counties as they send their adjudicated juveniles to Racine County.
In the end, Malicki acknowledged the drumbeat to reduce operating expenses and divert a greater percentage of revenue from the county's new sales tax to property tax relief.
Even before Malicki's late changes are even considered, property taxes for county purposes in 2026 were expected to be lower than this year, thanks in part to an expanded tax base.
An assessment of the impact of the proposed changes is expected to come at Wednesday night's committee meeting.
Final votes on the budget are expected next week.
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