As Congress wrestles with a huge economic stimulus bill, it is amusing and possibly useful to wonder what local projects might be helped if some of that money comes our way.

Kenosha Mayor Keith Bosman and Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser have both said they hope to get money to assist in an expansion and renovation of the Public Safety Building, for example.

Bosman has also said his top priority is converting the city’s street lights to more efficient light-emitting diodes, known as LEDs, a project that costs a lot of money ($4 million) but would save a lot of money ($300,000 to $400,000 a year) in energy expenses.

The city has plenty of other projects, too, just in case the stimulus funds keep coming. There are 24 projects on the city’s list, including a new $125 million sewage treatment plant. The total cost of all the city’s projects is $354 million. The county has 10 projects, worth a total of $49 million, and the village of Pleasant Prairie has a list of 21 projects, worth $44 million. Other municipal officials are also putting together lists of projects. The federal government won’t be lacking ideas for spending the money in Kenosha County.

Curiously missing from all the lists, however, is the proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail line. Both city and county governments are on record supporting this project, and it appears to have all the attributes of a good use of economic-stimulus money. It ought to be prominent in a list of projects for southeastern Wisconsin.

The Kenosha County Board’s Legislative Committee has passed a resolution that addresses this oversight, and the full County Board will have an opportunity to vote on it Tuesday. The resoluton’s sponsor, Supervisor Terry Rose, said, “This fits right into the federal funding that Congress is anticipated to pass. And part of that federal funding is an emphasis on transportation.”

The resolution supports federal funding of the rail project as part of the federal economic stimulus package. We hope the board gives it a strong vote of support.

If KRM does become part of the federal stimulus program, probably very little will change in the way the project is funded. Most of the $198 million cost has always been anticipated as coming from the federal government. Making it an federal stimulus project won’t change the need to agree on a local source of funds, such as a small addition to the sales tax in the three affected counties.

But an expression of support from the County Board will reaffirm the community’s support. It will be a demonstration that no one has changed their mind that this rail project is important for economic development in southeast Wisconsin.

The KRM commuter rail line would put a lot of people to work in the construction phase, and it would make the regional transportation system more efficient when it is completed.

It’s a good project, and local leaders should take every opportunity to push it.