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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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.
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Property owners residing in unincorporated Lake County may be eligible
to save an average of $271 a year on their flood insurance policies.
Through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Community Rating
System program, residents who meet certain requirements are eligible for up to 20
percent savings on flood insurance premiums. Property owners should contact
their flood insurance agent to obtain individual savings information. Visit the
FEMA Flood Smart website as
well as the county’s flood information website to
find more resources.
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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 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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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. |
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Forest Preserves News
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Thanksgiving for Nature
Scavenger Hunt Experience an afternoon
discovering the gifts we receive from nature as you walk a designated trail
searching for clues on Nov. 19. Afterward, enjoy a hot beverage. This activity
is self-paced. Arrive anytime between 1 and 3 p.m. to begin. Registration is
recommended. Dress in layers with outdoor wear. This program is held primarily
outdoors, but there is access to a warm indoor space. Learn
more
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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.
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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
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.
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Used book sale Discover
books in a variety of subjects as well as books on CD, VHS videos, DVDs, music
CDs and more at the next used book sale from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12 at the Fremont Public Library.
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