Have a happy and safe Halloween! Its s beautiful time of year with the leaf's changing color and cooler weather setting in. But it also means it is budget time.
Like last year we, the County Board Members, have asked all of our different departments to find 2% in savings while calculating our 2017 Budget. Many have done that and some have done even more. We have had some great inner departmental ideas to create efficiencies. The Planning Department has a program called, ""Fix What Bugs You." This is where employees who are there every day make suggestions on how to do their jobs quicker and more efficiently. The program has had great results in cutting down on staff time, supplies and help the department run much more efficient.
Overall I feel each department is continuing to do a good job and work to save Lake County residents money and at the same time, offer a premium service to the community.
I enjoy keeping you informed on things happening around the county and community. Together we can make sure that Lake County remains a wonderful place to call home.
Sincerely, Tom Weber
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Trick or Treat Times
Lake Villa : Monday, October 31 from 4:30-7 PM
Lindenhurst: Monday, October 31 from 4-7 PM
Round Lake Beach, Sunday October 30 from 1- 4 PM
Round Lake Heights, Sunday October 30 from 1- 5 PM
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The Lake County Board will update its strategic plan next
year. This plan serves as a road map for our county government and influences
how we prioritize and invest our resources. Take a look at our
strategic plan and read about the progress we’re making.
As we get ready to update our plan, we want to know what is
important to you. Please submit your thoughts and ideas to make our county even
better through our “Community
Voice” forum. It’s easy to join the conversation by signing in and sharing
your ideas for a better Lake County!
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The County Board held hearings this week to review the 2017 proposed budget. The public can view these hearings anytime starting next week on lakecounty.tv. The proposed budget is balanced, and the operating budget reflects an increase of less than one percent from last year. The county board is committed to fiscal responsibility and making decisions that protect the long-term fiscal health of the County. The uncertainty of the State budget and potential State funding cuts continue to place significant pressure on our budget. In response, departments cut their budgets by 2% through restructuring and other efficiency measures. There are 11 fewer employees than last year, and there are 100 fewer employees than five years ago. These reductions have been made without adversely impacting service levels. The Board will adopt the budget at its November meeting. Read the entire budget and reader-friendly budget summary.
Voter registration will be available Election Day Grace Voter Registration will be available in
all Lake County precinct voting sites for the Nov. 8 election.
The U.S. District Court, Northern
District of Illinois, recently responded to a federal lawsuit that challenged
the Illinois law allowing counties with a population of 100,000 or more to
conduct registration (along with voting) in every precinct voting site on
Election Day. As a result, the Court granted the requested preliminary
injunction, which prohibited in-precinct Election Day registration in counties
with a population in excess of 100,000.
This was appealed by the Illinois
Attorney General’s Office, and on Oct. 7, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals
stayed the previous U.S. District Court order enjoining Election Day
In-Precinct Registration – which means counties with a population of 100,000 or
more are required to provide voters with the option of registering at voting
sites on Election Day.
Watch this to
learn more about the Nov. 8 election, including dates you should remember such
as when
early voting starts as
well as how results are processed and reported
on election night. Make sure to also preview a
personalized ballot, and explore your voting options on the County
Clerk's office Nov. 8
General Election web page.
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Vote Like a Couch Potato! Voting by mail is so
easy that even a couch potato can do it! Avoid the long lines on Nov. 8 by
filling out your ballot from the comfort of your own sofa. Here’s
how to request a ballot by mail:
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When voters go to the
polls in November, they will see a proposed amendment to the Illinois State
Constitution on the ballot. The amendment will ask voters if all revenues from
various transportation-related taxes and fees should only be spent on
transportation projects and expenses. If approved, the amendment calls for
putting transportation revenue in a “lockbox” that can only be used for
transportation purposes. This would include highway construction and
repair, mass transit, enforcing traffic laws, and other transportation expenses
such as paying off debt on transportation projects. While protecting against
the diversion of transportation funds for other purposes, the proposed
constitutional amendment does not provide any new capital funding for
transportation in Illinois. It is estimated that Illinois must spend an
additional $43 billion on transportation infrastructure in the next ten years
to bring highways and bridges into good condition. Learn more.
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. See
Your Communities' Trick-or-Treat Hours.
Be safe this Halloween
With Halloween approaching, remember
to be safe. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will have extra deputies
patrolling while children are trick-or-treating. Sheriff’s detectives also
will provide additional monitoring of registered child sexual offenders to
ensure they are in compliance with the law and not participating in
trick-or-treating. View some safety tips to
make this a safe and fun Halloween.
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Now that the days are getting cooler and shorter, Halloween is just around the corner. To celebrate, the Hastings Lake YMCA is hosting a special Halloween event on Saturday, October 29, 6-9 p.m.
Open to both members and non-members, our Halloween night will feature tons of spooky (but not too spooky) family-friendly activities.
- Haunted trail
- Games
- Bounce house
- Popcorn and apple cider
- Spooky fun
- And more!
The even is free and open to the community. We're looking forward to seeing your costumes.
REGISTER TODAY
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Lake
County government is investing in various improvement projects across the
county – including road, water/sewer and stormwater projects and facility
expansion projects like the new court tower in Waukegan. To help residents see
and learn about the projects we’re working on, we’ve developed the easy-to-use
Lake County Capital
Improvement Projects web portal.
The new Lake County Courthouse will be eight
stories tall and is expected to be completed in spring 2018. This expansion is
designed to help increase efficiency of the justice system and help the county
prepare for population growth. Watch this video to
take a tour, and see the progress being made on the expansion project.
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Visit the new Maps Online, which is now
easier to use, can be used on any device, including cell phones and tablets,
and has more functionality. One of Lake
County’s most frequently visited web applications, Maps Online allows users to
search and customize maps to include administrative boundaries, cities, water
features, parks, landmarks, highways, buildings and more. Check It Out Today!
Provide
Your Feedback:
Our GIS Division welcomes comments on the new Maps Online. To provide your
feedback, send an email to gis@lakecountyil.gov.
All
collection fees will be waived on any past due fines to Lake County during Amnesty
Week, Oct. 24 to 28. Full and partial payments will be accepted. You can pay by
phone by calling 847-377-3239, or by visiting any Circuit Clerk branch location
from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to make a payment. Payments can be made at the
following locations:
- Lake
County Circuit Clerk’s Office, 18 N. County St., Waukegan
- Mundelein
Branch Court, 105 E. Route 83
- Park
City Branch Court, 301 Greenleaf St.
- Round
Lake Branch Court, 1792 Nicole Lane, Round Lake Beach
Forest Preserve News
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Fall Horizons magazine available online
Horizons is a free quarterly
publication featuring articles on Lake County wildlife, nature
and history, Forest Preserve news, and a calendar of events. In the
fall issue, learn about the Discovery Museum’s move to its new home in Libertyville and our Des
Plaines River Trail Challenge. Read Horizons online, or subscribe to
receive it for free in print form.
Chili
Scramble at Countryside Golf Club Join this 18-hole tournament that ends with
prizes, chili and drinks on Oct. 30. The game is played in scramble format
on Countryside Golf Club's
traditional course in Mundelein. Shotgun start is 10 a.m. All playing levels
are welcome. Learn
more. |
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Book your 2017 event at a Forest Preserve picnic shelter
Reservations for 2017 dates
at any of the Forest Preserves’ 31 picnic shelters are now being accepted. Plan
early for your family reunion, company picnic or other group gathering to
ensure your first choice of shelter and date. Learn more.
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Take the Des Plaines
River Trail Challenge
Travel the entire 31.4 miles of the Des Plaines River
Trail (DPRT) by Nov. 30 and be rewarded. The final section of the DPRT was
completed in 2015 and now spans the length of the county.
Help celebrate this amazing gem by using it. Bike it. Boat it. Walk it or run
it. Or, you can make a donation to help the Forest Preserves keep it
clean and safe. Learn more. |
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Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor recently took the show on the
railroad. Metra takes passengers on about 750 trains per day along three lines across
Lake County. In this episode of County Update, we talk with a representative of
the Metra Board of Directors who represents Lake County. Watch now |
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All
college bound students and their parents can get help applying for college
financial aid by attending Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
workshops at locations across Lake County. The workshops are free. View the complete list
of workshop dates.
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The
University Center of Lake County is collaborating with Northern Illinois
University to bring their “Bullying: How Schools Can Respond” conference
to Lake County. The conference will take place simultaneously in DeKalb
and Grayslake from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Oct. 26. The sixth annual conference is
designed to educate administrators, teachers, counselors, and staff about how
they can respond to the issue of bullying in their schools. Learn more
Get rid of unwanted aerosol products,
motor oil, fertilizer and other chemicals at the household chemical waste
collection event from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Mundelein Metra Train
Station, 205 N. Archer Ave. View what items will be accepted.
Residents Are Working to Reduce Waste Put into
Landfills Residents who live in unincorporated Lake County are
reducing the amount of waste being put into landfills from 2.5 pounds per
person per day in 2014 to 2.37 pounds per person per day in 2015, according to
the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County. This decrease occurred a year after Lake
County required waste haulers to provide recycling bins to all residents.
SWALCO reminds you there are items in each room that you
can recycle. Check out this guide to learn
more. And visit SWALCO’s website to learn about all the recycling
programs, including electronics, clothing and textiles, shoes, household
chemical waste and prescription drugs.
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Residents in
unincorporated Lake County may be able to save up to 20 percent on their flood
insurance policies. Lake County is recertified each year through FEMA based on
our floodplain and building code regulations and community information and
education. With this rating, there is a potential savings of up to $257 per
policy, saving Lake County residents $253,413 annually. Visit the County’s flood information page to determine if you
are located in a floodplain and learn more about floodplain regulations. To see
if you qualify, contact your flood insurance agent.
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You may be used to putting paper and plastics in
the recycling container, but did you know you can also recycle food items every
day like banana peels and coffee grounds? Many food scraps end up in the
landfill but could be composted instead. Watch this to
learn the do’s and don’ts of food composting. |
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The
most important step that you can take to protect yourself against the flu is to
get an annual flu vaccine. The Lake County Health
Department and Community Health Center urges those who should get the vaccine. This
includes anyone six months of age or older, especially children younger than 5,
adults 65 years old and older, and those with conditions such as asthma or
diabetes.
Flu
shots through the Lake County Health Department are available as well as
through retail clinics, pharmacies, and individual healthcare providers. Watch this
video and learn more.
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Local and state elected leaders recently joined Walgreens Regional Vice
President Joe Willey to unveil one of three safe medication disposal kiosks in
Lake County. The Walgreens’ Safe Medication Disposal Program in Lake County is
designed to give residents a better method to dispose unused or expired
medications. Watch now |
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Nearly 150 schools
and 100,000 students participated in Attendance Week throughout Lake
County! Each year, schools hold fun activities to promote attendance in school.
The Lake County Regional Office of Education recently held its 28th annual Attendance Week awards ceremony
recognizing the schools who participated this year and celebrating students who
make good attendance a priority. The goal is to promote improved school
attendance across the county. Watch this to
learn more.
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