With
Thanksgiving approaching, I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to
represent District 17 on the Lake County Board. I wish you and your
family a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, full of health, safety and
happiness. |
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 The Lake
County IL Sheriff's Office will conduct
extra safety patrols for the Thanksgiving Holiday Traffic Safety Campaign.
Deputies will be focused on locating impaired drivers, speeders, distracted
drivers, and occupant restraint violators. Learn more about the campaign.
Be Cautious on
the Roads during Deer Season
As we enjoy the fall season, drivers also need to
be more vigilant and watch for deer on the roads. Autumn coincides with the
mating season and increased deer movement, particularly at dusk and dawn.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, Lake County ranked
among the top 10 Illinois counties for crashes involving deer in 2015. Learn how you can keep safer on the roads.
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 Lake
County Hosts First Telephone Town Hall Meeting December 13
Residents often ask –
what does the County do? The Lake County Board invests in 300 miles of
county roads that you drive on every day, funds public safety and judicial
agencies that work 24/7 to keep your family safe, and supports healthcare
programs that contribute to the health and wellness of our residents and communities.
All of these and many other vital services are funded with about 7% of
your property tax bill and the County Board is working hard
to stretch every penny. And, YOU have a say in how we prioritize and
invest your tax dollars. You’re
invited to participate in our first-ever Telephone Town Hall meeting at 7
p.m. Dec. 13 with Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor. As the County
Board gets ready to update its strategic plan next year, we want to know what
is important to you. During the Telephone Town Hall, we will discuss our
current priorities and you will be able to share your thoughts and ideas to
make our county even better!
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The County Board recently approved its annual budget
for next year, which is balanced and reflects the board’s commitment to fiscal
responsibility and making decisions that protect the long-term, fiscal health
of the County. The Board’s strong, fiscally conservative budget policies allow
the County to manage challenging times, maintain its fiscal stability, as well
as maintain our extremely strong AAA credit rating. The 2017 operating
budget, which funds the day-to-day operations, is essentially the same as last
year, up only less than one percent. In anticipation of potential State funding
cuts given the uncertainly of the State budget, County departments cut their
budgets by 2% through restructuring and other efficiency measures.
Additionally, 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 continues to invest in our
infrastructure, including our transportation system and the
delivery of Lake Michigan Water to the northwest region of the County. Check
out our new, reader-friendly on-line budget portal, which provides a
walk-through of our budget, including key takeaways, where the money comes and
where it goes. www.lakecountyilbudget.org.
The Illinois State
Treasurer is holding $2.5 billion in unclaimed funds for Illinois residents.
The state holds these lost funds until they are claimed by either the original
owner or their heirs. Property is returned at no cost with the proper
identification. Visit the Illinois State Treasurer’s site and enter your name or business to see if money is
being held.
Did you know that
there are 20 bins across Lake County where you can recycle clothing and
textiles? And, by making energy efficient improvements, you can reduce energy
costs by 15 to 30 percent -- or $450 to $900 a year? Visit our new Sustainable Lake County website to find out ways you can help the environment in your community. Some tips
may save you some money too! |
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 In Lake County, we appreciate the
dedication and commitment of the men and women who have served in the United
States Military. To honor their service, we offer resources to help veterans
and their families. To learn more, visit the Veterans Assistance Commission website, check
out their latest brochure, and
sign up for
their monthly newsletter.
Recorder of Deed's Office Offers Information to
Our Veterans
The Lake County Recorder of Deed's Office offers various services to our
veterans and their families. This includes being the official keeper of
veteran’s military records, or DD214. The Recorder’s Office is happy to provide
veterans a free copy of this form upon the completion of a request for discharge record.
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The Lake County Sheriff’s
Office is partnering with the Veterans Assistance Commission, local law
enforcement agencies and schools to collect coats and outerwear for veterans
and their families. The collection period ends Nov. 30.
Bring gently used coats, gloves,
hats, socks and scarves to one of the following locations:
- Lake County Courthouse and Administrative Complex, 18 N.
County St., Waukegan
- Lake County Sheriff’s Office, 25
S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Waukegan
- Lake County Sheriff’s Office,
1301 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville
 The newly formed Lake
County Mental Health Coalition, co-chaired by Lake County Board Chairman Aaron
Lawlor and the Honorable Susan Garrett (former IL State Senator, 29th
District), recently held its first introductory meeting. The
group had a productive and positive discussion pertaining to community change
as it relates to mental health, development of systems to share data, and the
need to address stigmas associated with mental health. The next steps will be
to identify the mental health services already in place and how we can provide
a unified approach to delivering these services throughout Lake County. In this
video, Lawlor and Garrett discuss the work of the coalition. Watch now
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 Forest Preserve News
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Earn a Bonus When
Purchasing a Golf Gift Card
Simplify your shopping, surprise the golfer in
your life and receive a bonus this holiday season. Through Dec.
30, receive a $10 bonus for each $100 in Lake County Forest Preserves golf
gift card you purchase. Gift cards are redeemable at ThunderHawk (Beach Park), Countryside (Mundelein), and Brae Loch (Grayslake) golf clubs. Gift cards
never expire. Bonus vouchers expire after June 30, 2017. Learn more. |
 Illuminated Trails
Guide the Way
With small solar lights to guide the way,
hikers, skiers and snowshoers can get some evening exercise along the 1.3-mile
fitness trail at Old School Forest Preserve in
Libertyville and along a 1.65-mile hilly section of the Millennium Trail
adjacent to the Winter Sports Area at Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda. The illuminated trails and adjacent parking
lots will remain open after sunset until 9 p.m. daily through March 12,
2017. Learn more.
Get a 360-degree Look at Preserves and Trails
You
can now use Google Street View to get a 360-degree look at the entire Des
Plaines River Trail and also at Independence Grove, Heron Creek, Rollins
Savanna and Buffalo Creek forest
preserves.
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Health Department Offers Programs for Diabetes
Prevention and Treatment
Did
you know that 31,000 adults have been diagnosed with diabetes and another
73,000 have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes? Watch this to
learn about a quiz you can take to know your risk, and learn the services the Lake
County Health Department offers to help you prevent and manage diabetes. |
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Get a look at County life from the perspective
of two of Lake County's loved employees. Mitch, who works at the Children's
Advocacy Center, and Hitch, who works at the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit
therapeutic intensive monitoring program, recently wore GoPro cameras to give
you a look at who they work with, how they help and why we think they're great.
Watch now |
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