Mundelein to reduce village hall operating hours

In a cost-savings move, Mundelein officials on Wednesday announced they're reducing the hours village hall will be open to the public.

Village employees' work hours will be trimmed, too.

Starting Monday, May 10, village hall - housing the building and finance departments and other staffers - will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. It now opens at 8 a.m. each day.

Additionally, the public works administrative office will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each weekday. It closes at 4 p.m. daily now.

To go along with these changes, the workweek for village employees will be reduced to 371/2 hours, from 40 hours. Furlough days - unpaid days off - are not being instituted, officials said.

The changes could save the village $160,000 a year, Village Administrator John Lobaito said.

Like many area towns, Mundelein has been struggling financially for years, and those woes aren't going away.

Village officials predict a $4.7 million budget shortfall for the 2011 fiscal year, which began May 1. Lower-than-anticipated sales tax revenue and decreased tax revenue from the state are to blame, they've said.

Layoffs are inevitable, one trustee said last month. Other service cuts and pay freezes could be implemented.

Additionally, some village events, such as the National Night Out gathering, could be eliminated, officials have said. The annual fireworks show could be scaled back, too.

The village board is expected to approve the new budget Monday.

Mundelein isn't the only Lake County community struggling with economic pressures. Antioch, Lincolnshire, Wauconda, Hawthorn Woods, Fox Lake and other towns have fired workers in recent years because of the recession.