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The County Board recently approved the 2018
budget that spends $437 million on core services, including transportation and
infrastructure, health services, courts and public safety. The budget is up
less than 2% from last year. The county board maintains a strong track record
of practicing fiscal responsibility, which means making prudent, data-driven
decisions, using resources efficiently and maintaining sustainable, financial
operations. As a result, this budget is balanced and Lake County is fiscally stable. The
County has been able to hold the line on its budget because across the
organization, departments are implementing operational efficiencies, leveraging
technology, and sharing services that are making a difference to our bottom
line.
Learn more by visiting our online Budget
Story, and watch the budget presentation and discussion from the board
meeting by going to lakecounty.tv and
clicking on items 60 & 61.
 Delivering Exceptional, Financially Sustainable
Services
Lake County works to
improve the quality of life in Lake County and provide services that benefit
more than 700,000 Lake County residents. Our mission is to deliver exceptional,
financially-sustainable services that promote a safe and healthy community
while enhancing economic vitality. Our core values of fiscal responsibility,
exceptional service, operational excellence, leadership and environmental
stewardship influence everything we do. Watch this
video to see how we are delivering on our mission and values
every day!
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 Homeowners and business owners impacted by the July 2017 flooding
in Lake County may be eligible for loan assistance from the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA). A Disaster Loan Outreach Center has opened at the Lake County Emergency Operations Center, 1303 Milwaukee Ave.,
Libertyville where SBA customer service representatives will issue loan
applications, answer questions and help individuals complete
applications. Find
out more by viewing this SBA news release.
Tax Credit Bill to Help Property Owners Affected by July Floods
Lake County property owners, along with those in 18 other Illinois
counties who were affected by the July 2017 floods, may be eligible for a $750
tax credit under a new law recently approved by the Illinois Legislature and
signed by the governor. If eligible, the natural disaster credit may be applied to the resident’s 2017 Illinois income taxes.
More information about how property owners can apply for this credit will be
forthcoming. Read news release.
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FEMA Denies Governor’s Request for Federal Disaster Declaration
In September, Governor Bruce Rauner sent a request to the president of the United States asking that he approve federal assistance to help people in the northern Illinois region, including Lake County, recover from record flooding and severe storms in July. Lake County has been notified that FEMA has denied this request. For information on the July 2017 flood, including a breakdown of the Disaster Declaration Process, visit the county’s flood information page. |
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As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to thank you for
the opportunity to represent District 2 on the Lake County Board and wish you a
holiday filled with happiness and good health.
To help celebrate the
holiday, I invited my readers to share your best drawing of a Thanksgiving
turkey, and I thank you for the wonderful response. We have many creative
artists in our district! Congratulations to Elden for submitting the winning turkey drawing, and also enjoy some of the other entries submitted. Happy Thanksgiving!
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This Thanksgiving, you can get everything you
need by shopping local! Lake County has more than 30,000 businesses and you may
be interested to learn how some have a surprising connection to Thanksgiving
and preparing a fabulous dinner! Watch video
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 Thanksgiving is time to think about all that we’re thankful
for and enjoy a home-cooked meal with family and friends. But sometimes the
meal can contain unhealthy amounts of calories and fat. You can enjoy the
holiday season and be healthy too! Here’s some tips from Elizabeth, a dietitian
from the Lake County Health Department.
- Find recipes which are carbohydrate controlled, low
sugar, low sodium, and low fat.
- Eat a light snack, such as raw vegetables or a piece of
fruit, and consume adequate water to help prevent overindulging at parties
and family gatherings.
- Find fun ways to incorporate physical activity with the
family both indoors and out. Go on a walk together, try lunges and chair
exercises, or play charades with the family.
- Go to the health department’s Healthy Eating Active
Living page
to find more tips to eat healthy and stay active all year long.
Here’s some healthy holiday recipes that you can make for
your Thanksgiving table.
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 Enjoy
the Holiday Season Across Lake County
As the holidays approach, a great way to relax and unwind is
to go to one of Lake County’s tree lightings and other special holiday events.
Check out Visit Lake County’s
listing of tree lightings and special holiday events to enjoy
time with family and friends.
Winter Wonder Walk
Enjoy a 30-minute walk through downtown Waukegan as part of the Winter Wonder Walk at 4 p.m. Dec. 2. For information, call Shelby at 847-782-3628.
Holiday train is coming to Gurnee
The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train will be stopping in Gurnee on Dec. 2. The train is scheduled to arrive near Viking Park, 4374 Old Grand Ave. The train is nearly 1,000 feet long with 14 rail cars, each decorated with lights and holiday designs. Learn more
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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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 Telephone
Scam
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is receiving reports of Lake
County residents getting fraudulent telephone calls from individuals
representing themselves to be from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Learn more
Join
Town Hall Meeting
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office will discuss issues such as
the opioid crisis, “A Way Out” program and other programs offered by the
Sheriff’s Office at a town hall meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. Nov. 28 at the Woodland
Elementary School West cafeteria, 17371 W Gages Lake Road, Grayslake. The event is free and open to the public. For information, send an email
to RepSamYingling@gmail.com or call 847-231-6262.
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 Canine Team Successfully Tracks Two People
Deputy John Forlenza and his K-9 partner, Dax recently helped
assist and were able to find a missing man in mental distress in Ingleside.
Tracking the scent of the missing man, the two located the man sleeping in
a wooded area about 50 yards from where he initially fled. He was
transported to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation.
Later that month,
Deputy Forlenza and K-9 Dax also helped to track a man who
attempted to enter a person’s home in Round Lake and fled the scene. The man
was arrested without further incident. Learn more about Lake County's K-9 team.
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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. Learn more |
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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Since 2006, the Stormwater Awards Program has
recognized outstanding efforts by organizations, communities, groups, and
individuals for projects and other proactive and innovative efforts to improve
water quality, reduce flooding, and help restore the natural drainage system.
If you know of something or someone who fits this description, please nominate
them for one of the award categories. The deadline to submit
nominations is Dec. 1. Learn more |
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 Forest Preserve News
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2017 Hike Lake County Challenge
Get active outdoors for your good health by taking our Hike
Lake County Challenge. 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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 Our
Favorite Fall Preserves
There’s still time to view fall color in Lake
County. While all of our forest preserves are beautiful and
unique, we asked staff to share their favorites.
Nan Buckardt, Director
of Education
Favorite Preserve: Van
Patten Woods, Wadsworth
Great Plant: “The colors on oak leaves are so saturated and rich.”
Fun Fall Fact: “Colors are brightest when the fall frost strikes early.”
Allison Frederick,
Assistant Public Affairs Manager
Favorite Preserve: Rollins
Savanna, Grayslake
Great Plant: “Virginia Creeper! This vine slowly morphs from green to deep
burgundy–and every color in between.”
April Vaos,
Environmental Educator
Favorite Preserve: McDonald
Woods, Lindenhurst
Great Plants: “Maple trees, Virginia creeper, and little bluestem.”
Ken Klick, Restoration
Ecologist
Favorite Preserve: Captain
Daniel Wright Woods, Mettawa
Great Plant: “Sugar maple.”
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 Documenting Species in
Lake County
To document the richness and diversity of species present in the Lake County Forest
Preserves, our wildlife biologists began a formal wildlife
monitoring program. Since the late 2000s, the biologists
with the help of trained wildlife technicians have monitored the presence of
reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. They have already collected more
than 200,000 wildlife records. Visit
the Forest Preserves’ blog to learn more!
Annual Fund Spotlight
Engaging volunteers at Greenbelt Forest Preserve 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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