City Of Racine

City Of Racine, a U.S. local government entity headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin, operates as a federal grant recipient delivering municipal transit services, community development, housing, emergency response, and environmental stewardship programs funded through direct federal grants and sub-grant awards routed through Wisconsin state agencies. The city does not hold federal contracts as a prime or subcontractor; its federal footprint consists entirely of grant work (81% as prime recipient, 19% as sub-recipient under state pass-through grants).

The city's grant portfolio centers on four core capability areas. The Federal Transit Administration dominates by award count (43 awards): City of Racine operates the RYDE municipal transit system, a fixed-route commuter and paratransit bus service serving Racine County and surrounding communities including Caledonia, Mount Pleasant, and Yorkville. Recent FTA operating assistance grants include $8.711 million (May 15, 2026, CFDA 20.507) for calendar year 2025 RYDE operations, $4.478 million (May 2, 2025, CFDA 20.526) for purchase of three low-emission replacement buses, $5 million (July 31, 2024, CFDA 20.534) for Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee regional rail corridor planning, and $4.25 million (September 14, 2024, CFDA 20.507) for 2024 operating assistance. The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development places the second-largest concentration (55 awards): the city receives recurring formula grants under the Home Investment Partnerships Program (CFDA 14.239) for affordable housing rehabilitation, homebuyer assistance, and rental housing; the Emergency Solutions Grant Program (CFDA 14.231) for street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, and rapid re-housing; and Community Development Block Grants (CFDA 14.218) for community development activities. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 awarded a $500,000 cooperative agreement (October 1, 2025, CFDA 66.818) under the Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup program to conduct 18 Phase I and 8 Phase II environmental site assessments, develop five cleanup plans, and facilitate brownfield revitalization across Racine. The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded $5.486 million (March 14, 2023) under the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program (CFDA 97.083) for firefighter staffing, and $280,285 (September 30, 2025) under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program (CFDA 97.044) for fire and emergency services equipment and training.

City of Racine also receives sub-grants through Wisconsin state agencies on public health, water infrastructure, and environmental management. The State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services routes federal funds for immunization consolidated contracts, HIV prevention and disease intervention, maternal and child health, bioterrorism preparedness, and COVID-19 health disparities initiatives; the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources passes through funds for lead service line replacement, water quality monitoring at Lake Michigan beaches in Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Counties, water treatment filtration improvement, and emerald ash borer mitigation in city parks. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.738) funds law enforcement and crime prevention through Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program (CFDA 95.001). The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy awarded funds (July 1, 2025) for solar photovoltaic carport installation at the RYDE bus garage, advanced building controls, and energy efficiency improvements. The Healthcare Systems Bureau funded preliminary design for the Racine Community Health Center addressing health inequities in the Lincoln-King neighborhood as part of a $51 million integrated community hub.

The city's award volume has grown substantially, rising from 9 awards in 2022 to 25 in 2024, with 17 awards in 2025. Eleven awards carrying 24-month completion windows face recompete or renewal within the next year, including recurring FTA transit operating assistance and HUD community development grants. City of Racine reports combined potential value of $371 thousand across all recent awards, with $329.6 million in actual federal obligations — a figure reflecting the city's role as a pass-through recipient of very large HUD and FTA entitlements to sub-recipients and operating programs rather than vendor procurement. The vendor's sub-award activity (37 recent sub-grants through state agencies) indicates City of Racine's integration into Wisconsin's federal grant administration structure as both a direct recipient for city-specific initiatives and a sub-recipient for statewide public health, environmental, and transportation programs.