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Dear Neighbor,
It has been my honor to represent you on the Lake County Board and the Forest Preserve Board over the last four years. I hope that you have found these emails to be helpful to stay informed about what is happening in and around Lake County. Please read below about our upcoming vote on the 2017 budget, as this directly impacts you and your property taxes!
 Election Day Is Almost Here!
You can register and vote at any early voting site regardless of where you
live until November 7th. Find
your closest early voting site. Some sites are open on Sunday!
If you wait until Election Day you must use your correct polling place. Use the Polling
Place Locator to find your polling location. You can also register and vote on Election Day!
To preview your ballot and confirm your registration, visit LakeVoterPower.info. You can print your ballot preview and take it with you when you go to vote. Click here to view the Voter Information Guide.
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$1 Million Tax Levy Increase?!
The County Board held hearings on October 18 and 19 to review the 2017 proposed budget. To hear us discuss the proposed tax levy increase of approximately $1 million, click here and advance to Minute 35. To hear me advocate against increasing property taxes, go to Minute 56. The rationale to increase the levy is because the state may cut county revenues. I firmly believe that $1 million will not make a substantive difference to our budget, and that residents will likely face an tax levy increase from the state. If we increase our tax levy because of potential state cuts and the state increases their tax levy, taxpayers will be hit twice for the same reason. We vote on the 2017 budget at our November 8th meeting.
You can view these hearings at your convenience on lakecounty.tv. Read the entire budget and/or budget summary.
 Protect
Yourself! Get the Flu Vaccine This Fall
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 are those 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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 Students,
Parents Can Get Financial Aid Guidance
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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 Sheriff’s Office
Receives $250,000 CIT Grant
The Lake County Sheriff’s
Office has been awarded a $250,000 Federal Justice and Mental Health Collaboration
Program Grant to train over 300 police officers on Crisis Intervention. Service providers and others who work with people suffering from mental illness and/or substance abuse will also receive training as part of our long term goal to develop a county-wide program. This is just one component of our larger initiative around combating the mental health crisis in Lake County. I am proud to be part of the newly established Mental Health Coalition, a group of experts and concerned community members who are working together to put programs and services in place to deliver long term change.
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 Learn
About Sheriff’s Office Initiatives
The Sheriff's Office is holding several meeting to speak with the public about body-worn
cameras, mental health initiatives, procedural justice programs and more. All
meetings will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. View the
town hall meeting dates and locations.
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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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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.
 Share Your Ideas for a
Better Lake County
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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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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Preliminary
Applications To Be Accepted for Housing
The Lake
County Housing Authority will open the Housing
Choice Voucher (Section 8) Waiting List. Preliminary
applications for the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program will be
accepted Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. Preliminary applications also can be accessed only on the Lake County Housing Authority website. All
completed applications will be accepted, however, only 5,000 preliminary
applications will be randomly selected using a computer generated lottery
system.
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