Committee of the Whole - Budget Night One

The City of Racine Committee of the Whole’s first 2027 budget-review meeting was held October 12, 2026. Department heads presented proposed budgets and initiatives; the council did not adopt the budget or approve new procurement awards during this session. It approved the minutes of the June 9, 2026 meeting. Major planned investments included the Water Utility’s $40 million for lead service line replacement, $24.75 million for water main replacement, an $11 million treatment upgrade, $1.5 million for filter plant rehabilitation, and $875,000 for billing software and network infrastructure. The utility said it was not proposing a 2027 water rate increase. Wastewater staff reported that an energy-savings performance-contract RFP was being developed, while DPW said it would bid work for a new yard-waste drop-off site anticipated to open in fall 2027. The city also described plans for a new fire station and the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and clinic.

Other procurement and budget items included a proposed $50,000 reduction in the City Attorney’s outside-counsel budget as more legal work is handled internally; a yearlong implementation of Tyler utility-billing software, with a target go-live of January 2028; and planned DPW investments in GPS, telematics, and cameras for fleet and service monitoring. Police reported that $75,000 for the Flock automated license plate reader service was removed from its proposed budget, with a different system under consideration. City Development said the prior YMCA-property development proposal was financially unviable and that the city expected to revise and reissue the solicitation near the holidays. Two proposed ordinances were discussed, including sump-pump requirements and inspections triggered by property transfers; neither was approved at this meeting.