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The
County Board gave preliminary approval this week on the FY2016 budget, which is
balanced and significantly less than last year. If approved by the full Board,
the County’s tax levy on existing properties will remain flat. (As a reminder,
the County’s portion of a property tax bill is about 7%). Lake County remains
fiscally stable due to the Board’s focus on strategic, long-term, data-driven
decision-making, and the Board’s commitment to fiscal responsibility. The
Board’s budget policies guard against making short-term budget decisions at the
expense of longer-term needs. For example, Lake County does not defer important
maintenance projects or spend down its reserve funds. We also do not use
one-time money for ongoing expenses. We continue to invest in our
infrastructure like roads, and focus on operational efficiencies, including
sharing services, like building inspections and sheriff’s patrol services. We
are also using data to align operational staffing levels to amount of workload.
As a result of all these prudent measures, the $495 million budget is $7
million less than last year and employee headcount is down by 24. The
uncertainty of the State budget and potential State funding cuts continue to
place significant pressure on our budget. Read the FY 2016 Recommended Budget.
The Board will vote on the new budget at its November meeting.
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Several Lake County
communities have set their trick-or-treat hours for this year. Find out when it’s
happening in your area by viewing Visit Lake County's latest guide. View now |
Get rid of your hard-to-recycle items at Recycle-O-Rama from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct.
24 at the Lake County Division of Transportation, 600 W. Winchester Road,
Libertyville. Propane tanks, bikes, keys, stuffed animals, car seats and a
whole lot more will be accepted. View
the complete list of accepted items. |
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 The
Lake County Sheriff's Office has received federal funding to purchase body-worn
cameras for Sheriff's deputies as part of the Body-Worn Camera Pilot Implementation
Program.
The Sheriff's Office will be placing an order for 292 body cameras, which will
be worn by sworn members of the Sheriff’s Office who interact with the public
on a daily basis. Find more info on the Sheriff’s Office website.
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When you
call 911, you may not think about all that goes on behind the scenes. What
you don't see is that depending on where you call from, your 911 call could
go to one of 19 dispatching centers across the county. Over the last several
years, Lake County along with fire, police, municipal and other public safety
leaders have been discussing opportunities to consolidate many centers into a
few regional 911 centers. A newly created task force has met for the first
time to advance this initiative. More Info
 The Lake County Veterans
History Project captures the stories told by citizens who served during
wartime, so current and future generations can understand and appreciate what
they did to serve our country. Over the past three years, 70 war veterans have
met at the Lake County Courthouse to share these stories. Watch now to meet veterans who took part in the project. To learn
more, visit our Veterans History Project web page.
 Forest Preserve News
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 Take A Civil War Journey
Visit a new exhibit at the Lake County Discovery Museum titled, “Civil War Journey: The Maps and
Sketches of Private Robert Sneden.” Featuring
eyewitness accounts and images from Union soldier Robert Knox Sneden’s
(1832–1918) memoir, the exhibit provide a unique perspective on the Civil War.
See the exhibit through Jan. 3.
Seniors
Can Visit the Museum Free in October
Senior
admission to the Lake County Discovery Museum in Wauconda is free
through October. Daily admission for seniors ages 62 and up is just $3 all
other months.
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Lake County teens who may be struggling or know someone who may be
struggling with mental health issues can get immediate assistance using a
text-communication system called Text-A-Tip. Users can text the phrase “LAKECO”
to the number 274637 to receive a response from a licensed clinician while
remaining anonymous. Watch this video to find out how Text-A-Tip can help save lives. |
Preventing
drug use among youth is a constant battle communities must fight. Lake County
joins the nation to observe Red Ribbon Week Oct. 23 to 31 and its commitment to
promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. To help, the County offers resources to
help schools and parents address this important issue. Learn more
Lake County
and local mayors have been working for many months on a land use corridor plan
for the proposed IL Route 53 that integrates land use and transportation for
improved mobility, quality of life, natural resource protection, and economic
development. Now, the public has an opportunity to learn about this draft plan
and submit feedback by
mail, email or online. More information.
The IL Route
53/120 project has been talked about for a long time, but now it is closer to
being built than ever before. To learn more about the proposed IL Route 53
extension, visit ilroute53.org.
Lake County recently
celebrated the completion of the single largest construction project in LCDOT's
history! The grade separation and intersection improvement at Rollins Road and
IL Route 83 is complete. Watch this video of
the Rollins Gateway celebration to learn more about how this project has
improved transportation in Central Lake County. |
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Water
from rain, melting snow or ice is constantly moving through watersheds making
its ways to our lakes and streams. Since this water doesn’t know jurisdictional
boundaries, leaders work together on a countywide approach to manage stormwater
and mitigate flooding, as well as protect and restore the environment. In
this County Update, learn more about our Stormwater Management Commission and
projects underway across the county. Watch now |
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