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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.
 To view the
unofficial results from the November 8 election, visit the Lake County Clerk’s website. Remember,
election results are unofficial until provisional and late-arriving vote by mail
ballots are counted 14 days after the election, and the results are certified.
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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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 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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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
 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. From Nov. 14
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. |
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Des Plaines
River Trail Challenge and Hike Lake County End Nov. 30
Just a few weeks left! There’s still time to finish the Des Plaines River
Trail Challenge and Hike Lake County. Finish by Nov. 30 to receive great
rewards and be entered to win raffle prizes. |
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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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Holidays Are Coming to Antioch
Visit the Dickens Holiday Village outside on the sidewalks of downtown Antioch now through Dec. 25. Each character exhibit has a plaque which describes the scene you are seeing and how life was in the Dickens Era. Learn more about the Dickens Holiday Village.
Welcome Santa and the holiday season to Antioch at the old-fashioned Holiday Parade Nov. 25. After the parade, join the official lighting of the family Christmas tree outside Village Hall. Enjoy cookies, hot chocolate and caroling. Santa will make a special appearance and will then be available for visiting immediately after the tree lighting at Santa's Frozen Village. Learn more about the parade and tree lighting ceremony.
Make sure to check out Santa's Frozen Village, which will be open to Dec. 23. Free visits with Santa will be available Monday through Friday, and Santa's special friends will join him on weekends too. Enjoy games, and bring a camera. Learn more about Santa's Frozen Village.
Save the
date for Lake Villa Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting
Join the fun at Lake Villa’s annual lighted holiday parade and tree lighting
ceremony Nov. 26. The parade will begin at 5 p.m. After the parade, join Santa
at the Lake Villa Metra station for the tree lighting. For information, call
village hall at 847-356-6100.
Enjoy Breakfast with Santa
Grass Lake School District 36 will host a breakfast with Santa from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 4 at Grass Lake School. For information, call 847-395-1550.
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