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 will hold
budget hearings on Oct. 18 (starting at 9 a.m.) and Oct. 19 (starting at 8:30
a.m.). These meetings will be televised live 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. 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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Fall is here! Featuring 170 lakes and
rivers, miles of hiking and biking trails and many family attractions, Lake
County is a wonderful place to spend a fall weekend. Check out this
list of upcoming events for ideas on how to spend the perfect
fall weekend.
Win Four Guest Passes to the Lost Paradise
Indoor Waterpark at KeyLime Cove!
Among the county’s fun and exciting attractions is KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort. You
could win four guest passes to the Lost Paradise Indoor Waterpark at KeyLime
Cove if you tell us your favorite thing about biking in Lake County, and send a
picture that shows it! Enter by commenting your answer and attaching a picture
on Lake County, IL
Government’s original Facebook contest post. Entries will be accepted
until 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 17.
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.
If you’re biking the DPRT Challenge, or enjoy
biking any of the Forest Preserve trails, why not take part in this fun contest? Make
sure to share your Challenge “selfie stop” photos!
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Forest Preserves News
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Come to Hawkfest
Experience the fall hawk migration and see live raptors at Hawkfest from 1:30
to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 at Fort Sheridan Forest
Preserve in Lake Forest. Join official raptor
counters as they scan the skies and share their tips for identification. Help
spot migrating raptors, and visit bird education stations to learn about raptor
adaptations, the amazing world of woodpeckers, and waterfowl identification on
Lake Michigan. The event is free and open to all ages. 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.
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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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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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
The
Lake County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded the Federal Justice and Mental
Health Collaboration Program Grant, totaling $250,000 to expand the response to
mental health incidents in Lake County. As part of this grant, over 300 police
officers will receive training over a three-year period. The long term goal is
to develop a county-wide program that will provide crisis intervention team
training to all law enforcement officers as well as compatible crisis
intervention team training to service providers and those who have community
contact with persons suffering from mental illness and/or substance abuse
issues. Learn more
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