(Madison) – Sen. Bob Wirch (D-Kenosha) is expressing gratitude toward Governor Tony Evers after the Governor awarded the City of Racine $800,000 in funding for public safety initiatives. Additionally, Governor Evers has joined U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin in requesting immediate assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice for the cities of Racine and Milwaukee to address increases in crime and gun violence.
“I’m so thankful to Governor Evers for both funding, and even more so for his attention to and concern for public safety issues in Racine and neighboring communities. It’s clear that he recognizes the seriousness of the situation and is committed to helping local government address it,” Wirch said.
The $800,000 in new funding is just the latest in a series of efforts Evers has made to deal with crime in Racine and Southeastern Wisconsin. In March, Evers announced a $50 million investment in police, fire and other public safety agencies; Kenosha and Kenosha County received $500,000 total, and Racine, Mount Pleasant and Racine County also received $500,000.
In November, voters in the City of Racine will be asked to approve a property tax increase in order to fund additional police positions. Republican cuts to shared revenue over the last decade have left an increasing number of communities starved of resources and turning to property tax increases to fund public safety.
