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It has been an honor and a privilege to represent you on the Lake County Board. My term expires at the end of this month, and this will be my last newsletter from me to you.
I've had the privilege the past four years to represent your district on the County Board. I have advocated for fiscal responsibility, transportation improvements to reduce traffic congestion, and transparency, such as communicating with you via this e-newsletter and attending local events. I am so proud to work with such talented and dedicated people in Lake County and am proud of all we have accomplished.
I have been humbled to serve as an elected public servant for over 30 years, including as Buffalo Grove's village president and as an Illinois state representative. I again thank you for entrusting me to represent our community and thank my family and friends for all their support.
I wish my successor, Adam Didech all the best as he takes over as your County Board representative.
The Lake County Board approved a balanced budget at its November meeting. The FY19 operating budget—which funds the County’s day-to-day operations—is $3.3 million less than last year (or 1%). In an effort to provide some relief to taxpayers, this budget does not take the allowable property tax levy increase based on the Consumer Price Index. This keeps $3.4 million in taxpayers’ pockets. The only increase in property tax revenue will come from growth on new property.
It’s important to remember that Lake County receives revenue from a variety of sources. Lake County’s portion of your property tax payment is about 7%. The rest goes to other taxing bodies, including municipalities, townships, park districts and schools – with schools getting about 69% of your property tax payment. See exactly where your property tax dollars are going by visiting our Property Tax Distribution website.
Lake County’s budget invests in many service areas, from transportation and public safety to health and economic development/jobs. The County Board is committed to fiscal responsibility and delivering cost-effective, efficient services. As a result, the County has implemented operational efficiencies, leveraged technology and cut costs by sharing services between governments, which has made a difference to our bottom line. Lake County government has maintained a AAA credit rating (the highest possible) for more than 20 years due to our strong budgetary performance and well-managed financial operations, along with our strong financial policies and practices, healthy reserves and manageable debt.
To read the budget and learn more about County services and programs, visit www.lakecountyil.gov/budget.
 The Lake County Sheriff’s Office is conducting extra traffic safety patrols during the Thanksgiving holiday now through Nov. 26. Thanksgiving can be one of the deadliest times on roadways because of impaired and/or distracted drivers, speeders and seat belt violators. The Sheriff's Office is doing their part to ensure everyone makes it to the table this Thanksgiving.
Request a House Watch
Are you heading out of town for Thanksgiving? Do you receive law enforcement services from the Lake County Sheriff's Office? Contact the Lake County Sheriff's Office 911 Communications Center at 847-549-5200 and request a House Watch.
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 Forest Preserve News
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#OptOutside This Black Friday
Skip the stores and #optoutside in your forest preserves on Friday, Nov. 23. Share your photos with us using hashtags #LCFPD and #optoutside. Learn more »
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 Burn off Thanksgiving Dinner with Forest Fitness
Join us at Old School in Mettawa on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 8 a.m. for Forest Fitness. Walk a new preserve each week with a group of outdoor enthusiasts. Learn more »
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 Lunchtime Tour at the Dunn Museum
Make the most of your lunchtime break on Friday, Nov. 30 at noon. Learn about local history on a 30-minute tour of the Dunn Museum. Then, bring your brown bag lunch to enjoy in our cafe. Learn more »
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 The holiday season is among us and it’s that time of year where we take the family out to see the bright lights! Lucky for all of us in Lake County, there are plenty of holiday trees around the area decked in festive illumination. View the list of Lake County’s tree lighting ceremonies.
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 It’s the time of year for holiday parties, and the Lake County Sheriff's Office wants you to understand the risks of hosting teen parties at your home. Become familiar with the social hosting law to protect your teens and your reputation:
- If you allow or host a party at your house and provide alcohol to people under age 21 (or if you know or should have known that they are drinking alcohol), you are guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. This will result in a fine. Note that you are held responsible regardless if you are the one who provides the alcohol AND regardless if you are home or not.
- If a minor who was drinking at your house injures or kills someone, you are guilty of a Class 4 felony. This could result in both a fine and/or jail time.
- You will not be guilty of violating the law if you request help from the police to help remove underage drinkers and stop the gathering. This only holds if you are the first one to make the call — not if the police show up after a complaint from a neighbor and then you ask for help.
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 The Stormwater Management Commission has hidden four geocaches (boxes) around Lake County to teach you about stormwater best management practices and introduce you to a few of the beautiful areas our county has to offer!
Inside each box, find information about your current location, a question you must answer, and coordinates to the next location. Visit the geocaching website to get coordinates to the first location. Once you have them, you can put them into any map application. Geocaches can be located up to 30 feet from the posted coordinates.
As with any good treasure hunt, there’s a prize. Visit all four sites and correctly answer the questions at each location to win an SMC geocoin. Please note there are a limited number of geocoins.
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 Water is a critical resource in our lives and the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) is committed to reducing flood damages and improving water quality. To specifically address water-related issues impacting communities within the Des Plaines River Watershed planning area, the County Board approved an ordinance to adopt the Des Plaines River Watershed-Based Plan as an amendment to the Lake County Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan. The Watershed-Based Plan identifies more than 3,000 projects in the Des Plaines River Watershed that can improve water quality, reduce flood damage, protect and enhance natural resources, provide watershed education opportunities, and improve community cooperation and participation in watershed improvement activities.
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 The Pace bus North Division in Lake County launched a new clean diesel fleet of 52 new buses which will replace the aging previous fleet from 2002 and 2003. Diesel provides more power and more fuel efficiency than alternative forms of energy. The County Board recognizes that a good transportation system is critical to supporting a high quality of life and economic growth. Environmental Stewardship is one of the core values in Lake County’s strategic plan, and improving transportation remains a top strategic goal of the County Board. Watch this video to learn more.
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 The Lake County Board recently approved funds for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to introduce a new tablet system to the Lake County jail in early 2019. The new tablets eliminate funding fees for phone, video visitation, and tablet use. The tablets cannot access the internet, but instead contain such as law library applications, educational materials, mental health service information and jail forms/grievances. Learn more
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Vernon Area Public Library ranked among leading U.S. libraries
The Vernon Area Public Library is counted among America’s Star Libraries for 2018. This distinction ranks the library among the top 30 libraries nationwide with a similar annual budget and the top 3.5% of libraries in the U.S. overall. For more information about the library and the services provided, visit the library's website.
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If this newsletter was forwarded to you, please sign up to continue to receive news about Lake County and District 20.
Thank you,
Sidney Mathias
Mr. Mathias, County Board member and Forest Preserve Commissioner, serves on:
Lake County Board, 20th District:
Ad Hoc Legislative Committee, Co-Chair
Ethics and Oversight Committee, Vice Chair
Planning, Building and Zoning Committee
Public Works and Transportation Committee
Lake County Government Reform Implementation Committee
Lake County Forest Preserves, 20th District:
Diversity and Cultural Awareness Committee, Chair
Planning Committee, Vice Chair
Rules Committee
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