Racine voters face August 11 referendum on $2 million for 11 police positions

Racine voters will decide Tuesday, August 11, whether the city may levy up to an additional $2 million annually beyond its normal levy limit for 11 additional police positions and violence-prevention work.

The question is on Racine’s August 11, 2026, partisan-primary ballot. A yes vote would authorize additional taxing capacity; it would not by itself establish hiring dates, officer assignments or guaranteed changes in crime conditions.

What the referendum would authorize

The proposed levy-limit override would allow Racine to exceed the state-imposed limit on its annual property-tax levy by up to $2 million. City leaders say the money would support 11 additional Racine Police Department positions and violence-prevention initiatives.

Mayor Cory Mason proposed the measure, citing public-safety concerns, crime-prevention needs and state restrictions on local spending authority. The Common Council approved placing the question on the August ballot.

TMJ4 reported that the additional levy could increase city property taxes by more than 3.5 percent. That is an estimate, not a uniform dollar impact for every property owner, and the referendum would authorize levy capacity rather than automatically establish a final tax bill.

Why city leaders support it

Mason and other city officials have presented the referendum as a way to add police capacity and support violence-prevention work while operating under state levy limits. Those public-safety benefits are the stated justification for the proposal, not a guarantee of specific crime outcomes.

If voters approve the authorization, Racine would still need to use the additional levy authority through its budget and staffing decisions. The ballot question does not establish when positions would be filled or where officers would be assigned.

How Racine residents can vote

Racine lists in-person absentee voting at City Hall, 730 Washington Ave., Room 207, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on regular business days through Friday, August 7. The city also lists Saturday, August 8, hours at City Hall from 9 a.m. to noon, along with designated neighborhood opportunities.

Those neighborhood sites include Wustum Museum/Racine Theatre Guild and Gateway Technical College on Thursday, August 6, and Island Park on Friday, August 7. The city’s absentee page separately lists Sunday, August 9, 2026, as the last day to vote absentee; residents should check the current city schedule for the applicable location and hours before going.

Absentee ballots must be received by election officials by 8 p.m. Tuesday, August 11. The city says a ballot postmarked by Election Day will not count if it arrives after the polls close.

The referendum is therefore both a public-safety and taxation decision. Voters are being asked whether Racine should have authority to levy up to $2 million more per year for the stated purposes—not whether the city has already hired the officers, finalized assignments or guaranteed a particular safety result.

Sources

• City of Racine Election Notices
• TMJ4 referendum report