Shortened Village Hall Hours to Save Buffalo Grove Thousands

Buffalo Grove's Village Hall will close an hour earlier Monday nights.

Buffalo Grove residents who stop by Village Hall to pay bills or call with questions on Monday nights will soon face a shorter time frame. In an effort to save money, village officials have decided to close Village Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Mondays. For the past decade, the building has remained open until 7:30 p.m. on Mondays to give residents extra time to conduct business. The rest of the week, Village Hall closes at 4:30 p.m. The village pays about $26,000 annually in overtime for two employees to work three extra hours each week, Finance Director Scott Anderson said. The after-hours shift is staffed by one staff member from the building and zoning department and one finance department employee. While traffic volume does not require two …

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District 214 Considers Student Fee Increases

Registration, athletic and extracurricular fees could be raised next year due a projected budget deficit, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Increases in student registration, athletic and extracurricular fees are being considered by High School District 214 school board to addresss projected budget shortfalls of up to $5 million for the 2013-14 school year, the Chicago Tribune reports.  The district has made a number of moves to curtail spending, according to the Chicago Tribune. A cost comparison with neighboring District 211 found comparable registration fees to be nearly $300 more per year in District 214.

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Village Outlines Balanced Budget, Plans for Challenges Ahead

Buffalo Grove's proposed 2013 budget and tax levy will be put to a vote Dec. 3.

A desire to find additional cost reductions remained a theme even as Buffalo Grove officials prided staff members for presenting a balanced 2013 budget Monday night. Village Manager Dane Bragg and department leaders proposed a $61.4 million budget for next year. The total budget, which Bragg called “very lean,” represents a 5.4 percent increase over 2012. “I would describe this year’s budget as both forward looking and sustainable,” said Bragg, who noted that it addresses residents’ needs as well as infrastructure needs. While the budget includes new expenditures for the replacement of ash trees and the new rental home inspection program, it also includes cost savings from reductions in staff. The village will not replace nine full- and …

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Police Chiefs Discuss Challenges with Legislators

Police chiefs from across Lake County, including Buffalo Grove and Vernon Hills, participated in a round-table meeting Oct. 17 with State Rep. Sid Mathias.

Area police chiefs gathered with legislators last week to raise awareness about the challenges they face in law enforcement and to request state support for local efforts.  Buffalo Grove Police Chief Steve Balinksi, Vernon Hills Police Chief Mark Fleischauer and Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran were among the representatives present at the meeting, which was open only to law enforcement officials and the media. They candidly shared thoughts about funding cuts, prescription drug disposal problems and pension issues, among other concerns, with State Rep. Sid Mathias (R-53rd) and Congressman Robert Dold (R-10th). Prescription drug disposal A big challenge for some local police departments lies in carrying out prescription drug disposal …

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Trustees Discuss Finances, Salaries

Wage increases and the tax levy were discussed during the Sept. 24 Committee of the Whole meeting.

Buffalo Grove officials began discussions about next year’s budget and payroll practices last week after reviewing preliminary tax levy figures and a recommendation from staff to grant non-union employees 2 percent raises effective January 2013. The village is working to create a system that will give pay increases based on both longevity and merit, according to a memo from Human Resources Director Art Malinowski. Until it's finalized, he suggested that non-union employees who have not reached the top of their scale receive 2 percent increases. Trustee Jeff Berman said he'd prefer raises to be based on performance, something he said he has long advocated. Trustee Mike Terson agreed, saying that department managers could distribute portions…

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District 214 Approves Tentative Budget for 2012-13

The 2012-13 tentative budget will be on display from Aug. 15 to Sept. 20.

A conservative approach earns Township High School District 214 a balanced budget for the new school year. District 214 Board of Education approved a total operating and working cash budget of $232 million, which includes personnel, purchased services, supplies, capital outlay, tuition and other objects. Last year's budget came in at $230 million.   Superintendent David Schuler said the district's staff was conservative with revenues and collaborated with other buildings in the district as they prepared this year's budget. School Board President James Perkins said he was impressed with the work the administration did because there were no major cuts. Property taxes are the district's largest source of revenue this year, coming in at $188 …

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Buffalo Grove Receives Highest Marks for Financial Management

Two agencies give the village high scores for current and proposed debt. The following information was provided by the Village of Buffalo Grove.

The Village of Buffalo Grove recently received the highest marks for its progressive and stable financial management from three organizations that evaluate and monitor governmental financial conditions on a national and international level. As part of the proposed Series 2012 general obligation bond issue, the village recently sought ratings of its existing and proposed debt through Standard & Poor’s Rating Service and Moody’s Investor Service. Both companies gave the village their highest award of confidence by affirming the existing AAA and Aaa ratings (respectively) for all current debt, as well as assigning AAA and Aaa ratings for the 2012 issuance of $6 million in bonds to provide for street repair and maintenance. Standard & Poor’s …

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Buffalo Grove Outlines 2012 Budget

Village officials say they are pleased with proposed balanced budget.

Buffalo Grove officials reviewed Monday what was described as a balanced “maintenance budget” for 2012. The proposed budget, which includes $59.1 million in revenue and $58.3 million in expenditures, outlines the needs of each village department. More than half of the budget covers salaries and benefits, including a 2 percent salary increase for all employees, with the possibility of another 1 percent mid-year merit increase. The village will again offer a voluntary separation program in early 2012 in a continued effort to reduce expenses. The budget does not take the potential cost reduction into account. Village Manager Dane Bragg said the village’s staff is the smallest it has been in about 15 years. “We are very lean. We’re doing a lot…

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Officials Discuss Creating New Position to Reduce Spending

Buffalo Grove administrators are seeking approval to hire a purchasing agent to help centralize buying.

Buffalo Grove officials discussed Monday night whether hiring a new staff member could help lead to long-term savings. A plan outlined by Leisa Niemotka, assistant to Village Manager Dane Bragg, calls for the addition of an agent who would work to coordinate a centralized purchasing system. While a full-time purchasing agent would earn at least $65,111 per year, the employee’s expertise could help reduce spending across departments, eventually recouping the expense of the additional employee, officials said during a committee of the whole meeting. “Being able to centralize office supplies is an area where a purchasing agent could save money for us,” said Niemotka, who urged trustees to move forward with the approval process. But when …

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Letters to the Editor

Sente Urges Governor To Take Action

Letter to the editor

Our state, like many others across the nation, is experiencing a struggling economy and an unwieldy budget deficit. This situation requires a daily mindset to find effective ways to limit excessive spending and pay off our debts. Last year, I sponsored legislation that was signed into law creating and is known as Budgeting for Outcomes. This innovative measure requires our state to live within our means by setting a realistic revenue ceiling, making debt payments first, discussing the budget in a bi-partisan legislative manner and holding agencies accountable for delivering results. As part of this legislation, for FY13 the Governor must convene a panel to advise him on the creation of statewide goals for next year’s budget and conduct a …

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