Residents invited to sales tax listening sessions hosted by county officials
RACINE COUNTY, WI — Racine County residents are invited to share their thoughts on the proposed $.05 county sales tax during a series of listening sessions organized by county officials.
Sessions in Norway and Burlington have already taken place, and there are four more coming up, including one in Caledonia tonight:
Interim County Executive Tom Roanhouse told Racine County Eye the sessions will allow county residents to learn more about how the sales tax could influence essential county services and the county's financial future as well as give voice to their thoughts and opinions as well.
"The listening sessions are a chance for people to learn about the proposal and share their concerns," he said. "It's important for us to hear from everyone and explain how this impacts the future of county services."
Additional elected officials are expected to also be present.
In Wisconsin, counties that implement a local sales tax are required to allocate a portion of the revenue to property tax relief.
According to Wisconsin Department of Revenue data , the county could generate approximately $10 million to ease the property tax burden for Racine County residents, beginning in 2026.
Sales tax helps provide services for most needy county residentsIn a phone interview with Racine County Eye, Roanhouse said the proposed half-cent sales tax is critical for sustaining vital services. The areas most affected would be public safety and human services.
While he acknowledged that a sales tax on certain retail items like clothes and shoes does disproportionately affect lower-income residents, Roanhouse said those residents would also be most effected with fewer services.
"Without a sales tax, many of those services that are rendered to the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder are going to be curtailed. I think a half-cent is negligible, to be honest with you,"he said. "If you don't have the sales tax, you're not going to get the services."
Roanhouse proposed the measure to address Racine County's financial challenges. He said the county has been operating efficiently for years but is reaching the limits of its funding capabilities. He highlighted the county's impressive track record, stating,
"Racine County is head and shoulders ahead of every other county on all 10 metrics of how you rate performance by a county in terms of services and how they're delivered," he said, highlighting the county's track record.
Despite Racine County's success, Roanhouse warned that without additional revenue from the proposed tax, critical services could be reduced, particularly in public safety.
"We would face catastrophic staff reductions in the Sheriff's Department, " Roanhouse said.
The Sheriff's Department, he noted, is supported by about 70% of the county's levy, meaning that cuts to the department could be severe. "
The sheriff's department is almost fully supported by the levy, which is the highest of any department in our budget," Roanhouse explained, adding that because other departments, like human services, receive a larger portion of their funding from federal and state sources, the sheriff's department could be especially vulnerable without the tax revenue.
Sales tax was discussed with Jonathan DelagraveRoanhouse also touched on the broader fiscal concerns facing the county, mentioning that the sales tax had been considered as a strategy by the late Jonathan Delagrave , for several years.
"Jonathan's last two budgets talked about the engine light being on, and our traditional way of funding county government no longer being to be sufficient to sustain our services," Roanhouse said.
According to Roanhouse, Delagrave had hinted that finding alternative funding sources, such as a sales tax, was necessary to keep Racine County's services running efficiently.
Racine County is one of only three counties in Wisconsin without a sales tax. Roanhouse pointed out that other counties have long benefitted from this additional revenue, giving them a financial advantage over Racine.
For example, Kenosha County has had a sales tax for over 30 years and has raised significant revenue because of it.
"Last year, they realized about $20 million from the sales tax, and over 30 years, that amounts to $300 million more than us, and yet, we're still number one in service delivery," Roanhouse said.
While there is some public concern about the regressive nature of sales taxes, Roanhouse believes that the trade-off is worth it, especially in terms of protecting services that benefit the most vulnerable.
"The people who are going to be affected the most if we don't have a sales tax are those who rely on our services the most," he said, referring to human services that support lower-income residents.
Roanhouse emphasized that continuing to operate under the current budget constraints will not be sustainable.
"We've done it without a sales tax, or, in my words, we've done it with both hands behind our back," he continued. "Now, we're asking for something negligible to sustain the services people rely on."
Racine County officials are hopeful that the community will understand the need for the proposed sales tax and the long-term benefits it could bring to the county.
"You have the best of the best of the best, and now we ask for a little bit of help," Roanhouse stated.
The County Board will review the proposed ordinance as part of the 2025 budget process, with a vote scheduled for November 4, 2024.
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