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.
|
Making sure that Lake County roads, bridges and bike
paths are safe for the traveling public is the top priority of the Lake County
Division of Transportation (LCDOT), local government agencies and police
departments. Together, we have formed a multi-jurisdictional Safety Task Force
to look for opportunities to enhance safety for Lake County residents.
We can study the crash data and look for engineering
improvements or enforcement strategies to make roads safer, but we need your
help. As a road user, there are decisions you make and actions you take that
have an impact on the safety of everyone around you. Many serious injury or
fatal crashes are the result of driver behavior and can be prevented. Watch this video to learn ways you can help
make our roads safer.
The Lake County Division of Transportation wants your
input too! Take this
survey to share your concerns about road safety.
|
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Service will be sending out new Medicare cards to individuals with
Medicare benefits beginning in April 2018 without Social Security numbers, all
to prevent identity theft, fight fraud and keep taxpayer dollars safe. But
scammers are taking advantage of this change, especially at the start of
Medicare open enrollment.
In some calls, the caller requests to verify your personal
information in order to receive a new card, and others claim you need to
pay for your new card and threaten benefits. Medicare will never email or call
asking for your personal information, and the new cards will be free. Visit
the Federal Trade Commission's website to learn more.
|
Forest Preserves News
|
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
Annual Fund Spotlight Engaging Volunteers at Greenbelt is exactly the kind of
project the Preservation Foundation Annual Fund was created to support. With
limited staff, the District cannot reach into every Lake County community to
engage volunteers we need to help care for our preserves. With a grant in 2016,
Audubon Great Lakes got off to a great start in North Chicago. To build on that
success, the Foundation Board awarded a $20,000 grant so the District can
continue working with Audubon Great Lakes. The goal is to build a
self-sustaining volunteer corps to support our ongoing work at Greenbelt.
|
2017 Hike Lake County Challenge Get active outdoors for your good health by taking our Hike
Lake County Challenge. Enjoy fall breezes and autumn colors while exploring designated
“Hike Lake County” trails. Complete seven of the hikes through Nov. 30 to earn
a commemorative shield. View the 2017 hike location on our interactive trail map, or visit our website for more information. |
|
|
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.
|
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 Deeds
Office Offers Information to Our Veterans
The Lake County Recorder of Deeds 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.
|
Veterans Day pancake breakfast
Veterans and their families are invited to join a Veterans Day pancake
breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, 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. Saturday, 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. Tuesday, 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,
To increase efficiency and make the Lake County
Circuit Clerk’s Office more accessible to the public, the office will now
accept payments online for certain criminal and traffic cases. Individuals who
owe outstanding fines and court costs may pay online by visiting the Circuit Clerk’s website. The website offers instructions in over 50 languages, and
the service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In addition to online payments, the Circuit Clerk
also has established a call center that can help individuals who may not have
access to a computer or may require additional assistance in making their
payments over the phone. Learn more
|
|
|
The
holiday season is right around the corner with festivals, live entertainment, tree
lighting ceremonies, outdoor excursions and more. Shed the Halloween
costume, and head into our most thankful month by checking Visit Lake County’s top 10 things to
do in November.
|
|
|
There’s no better way to support the election process than
by being an election judge. Election judges are responsible for administering
the proper and lawful conduct of all elections by serving in local voting
sites. Watch this
video as election judges share why they love the job, and learn how you can
join them. |
|
|
Lake County businesses, schools, churches,
non-for-profits and units of government are invited to bring broken and
unwanted electronics to be recycled at a special collection event from 8 a.m.
to noon Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Ela Township Center, 1155 Route 22, Lake Zurich.
The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County provides free
opportunities for residents to recycle electronics through a network of drop
off locations. However, State law limits these locations to accept only
residential electronics. Learn more about this collection,
including what items will be accepted.
|
As your County Board Member, I continue to enjoy the opportunities to recognize individuals who are serving the community as well as opportunities to speak about issues that are important in District 14 and in Lake County.
Recently, I had the opportunity to present Joshua Randolph Sr. with a County proclamation, recognizing his five-year anniversary as the pastor at Salvation Praise Ministries. Born and raised in North Chicago, Randolph also was recognized for his service as a motivational speaker and author.
|
|
|
|
|
I also had the opportunity to join public officials as well as members of the community to discuss gun regulations at a community forum held this past weekend in Waukegan. Among the officials who also took part were Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran and Waukegan Police Deputy Chief Gabe Guzman. |
|