 The Lake County Board will vote on the FY2018
budget in November. Lake County is committed to investing in people and our
communities — that is at the foundation of our strategic plan and carries
through to our budget. It’s a balanced budget that spends $437 million to fund
core services, including transportation and infrastructure, health services,
and public safety. For more than 20 years, Lake County has maintained a AAA bond
rating from both major credit agencies – the highest rating possible. This
budget continues to deliver efficient, cost-effective and accountable programs
and services, by leveraging shared services and consolidation, like in the area
of regional 911, utilizing technology, and streamlining operations.
Watch this video with
the Chair of the Finance and Administrative Services Committee. Check out our
reader-friendly budget summary, and read the entire budget.
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 To better address veteran
homelessness and veterans in need and in crisis, the Lake County Sheriff’s
Office has partnered with the Veterans Assistance Commission and other county
resources to ensure nobody is left behind.
To address the
challenge and ensure crisis services are available after hours, select
Sheriff’s Office employees received training on issues of veteran homelessness
and veterans “in crisis” as well as transport, shelter, and referral options
for immediate assistance. Watch this
video to learn more about the Veteran Ambassador Program.
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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, 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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Remembering Our Veterans guided walk tour
Veterans dating back from the War of 1812 are laid to rest at Waukegan's Oakwood Cemetery. Join a guided tour from 10 a.m. to noon Satudray, Nov. 4 where participants will visit the graves of numerous soldiers and hear their heroic stories. Meet at Lilac Cottage at Bowen Park. Registration is requested. Learn more
Veterans Day pancake breakfast
Veterans and their families are invited to join a Veterans Day pancake breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. Nov. 10 at the Community Action Partnership Banquet and Meeting Center, 1200 W. Glen Flora Ave., Waukegan.
Waukegan to hold Veterans Day parade and ceremony
Honor and celebrate our veterans across all wars and conflicts. The City of Waukegan's parade will start at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 11 at the corner of Grand Avenue and Genesee Street, making its way to Veterans Memorial Plaza at the southwest corner of Washington and West Street. The ceremony will follow at the plaza. Learn more
Grocery food truck comes to town
A Grocery Food Truck, loaded with meat, produce, dairy, and more will provide this food at no cost to military, veterans and their families from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Midwest Veterans Closet in North Chicago. The food will be available while supplies last. A military or veteran ID will be required. For information, call Barb Karacic at 847-922-5897 or send an email to Barb.Karacic@MidwestVeteransCloset.org,
 Don’t Throw Out Your Pumpkins! Drop Them Off to
be Composted
Bring your pumpkin to
these free drop-off events, so your pumpkins can be composted. Any pumpkins,
gourds and other organics can be included. Please remove candles, yarn, plastic
or other decorations before dropping off your pumpkin.
- 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 4
at the Village of Gurnee, 235 O’Plaine Road
- 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 4 at the College of Lake County, Parking Lot 3, Grayslake
- 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday,
Nov. 5 at the Mundelein Park District’s Community Park Sled Hill, 1401 N.
Midlothian Road
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Household Chemical Waste
Collection
The Solid Waste
Agency of Lake County will hold its next household chemical waste collection
from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Mundelein Metra train
station, 205 N. Archer Ave. Year-round HCW collections also are offered the
second Saturday and fourth Monday of every month, by appointment only, at the
Gurnee facility. These collections are open to Illinois residents only. View
accepted items |
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 Forest Preserve News
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Chili Scramble
at Countryside Golf Course
Grab
a friend and join this fall favorite. The Chili Scramble has a 10 a.m. shotgun
start on Sunday, Nov. 5 on Countryside's
traditional course in Mundelein.
With your two-player team you’ll enjoy 18 holes with a cart, chili,
beverages, prizes for winners, and free range balls. Register online or at the Pro Shop.
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 Engaging Volunteers for Nature
Walking through Greenbelt Forest Preserve in North Chicago
this fall, you can’t miss the changes. Where there was once a dense wall of
buckthorn, you can now look out across a rare combination of prairie,
interspersed with native shrubs and small trees. This
unique scrubland habitat draws migrating birds such as eastern kingbird,
northern flicker, and brown thrasher.
People are flocking to enjoy Greenbelt and to
help with restoration efforts. In 2016, a $100,000 grant from the Illinois
Coastal Management Program supported this restoration work and
funded project partner, Audubon Great Lakes, to engage the community.
From April 2016 to April 2017, nearly 400 volunteers logged more than 1,000
hours cutting and burning brush, weeding, shrub and seed planting, and
seed collecting. On one workday, 30 students from Abbott Middle
School donned work gloves loppers, and saws to cut buckthorn. Become a volunteer
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 Beginning Jan. 1,
2018, Illinois will require all civil cases to be submitted electronically. eFileIL, Illinois’ new e-filing system, will provide
the ability to electronically file documents through an authorized Electronic
Filing Service Provider (EFSP) anytime for no additional cost using a secure
web portal, thus reducing filing time and trips to the courthouse. The
Lake County Circuit Clerk’s Office will offer free training for attorneys and
other filers on Nov. 30 at the Lake County Courthouse to learn more
about the e-filing process. Register by Nov. 15. Register now
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The 2017 Lake County Summer Youth Employment Program
recently wrapped up another exciting summer as more than 200 youth gained
meaningful work experience while earning a paycheck. Funded by the Lake
County Board, the program matches youth with local worksites that offer a paid,
part-time work experience. Learn
more about the Summer Youth Employment Program. |
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More
than 96,000 Lake County students from 142 schools participated in this year’s
Fall Attendance Competition. The top 10 schools in weekly attendance rate
recently were honored by the Lake County Regional Office of Education. Watch this video to learn more about
the competition. |
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Energy Fair Nov. 4
The Community Action Partnership of Lake County Low Income Home Energy Assistance and Weatherization Program (LIHEAP) will hold an Energy Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2424 Washington St. Waukegan. Residents who seek to obtain help with energy bills and have not applied fro LIHEAP may call to schedule an appointment that day. For information, call 847-249-4330.
North Chicago receives Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
The City of North Chicago has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget beginning May 1, 2017 from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. In order to receive this award, the city had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. Learn more
 If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at 847-721-1563 (cell) or email me at mcunningham@lakecountyil.gov.
I encourage you to forward this update to others who may be
interested in Lake County news. Residents who wish to automatically receive my
bi-weekly newsletter can email me, or click the “Sign up for my mailing list
here” button at the top of the newsletter.
Thank you,
Mary Ross Cunningham
Ms. Cunningham, County Board member and Forest Preserve Commissioner, serves on:
Lake County Board, 9th District:
Diversity and Inclusion Committee, (Ad-Hoc), Chair
Lake County Law and Judicial Committee, Chair
Lake County Health and Community Services
Lake County Rules Committee, vice chair
Lake County Forest Preserves, 9th District:
Operations Committee, Vice Chair
Diversity and Cultural Awareness Committee
Gospelfest Committee, chair
Other appointed positions:
National Association of Counties (NACo), Board Representative
Lake County Community Health Center
Governing Council, secretary
Lake County Board of Health
Personnel Committee, Chair
Community Action Partnership
of Lake County, Board Member
Lake County Domestic Violence Council
Lake County Sexual Assault Coordination Committee
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