Schaumburg Uses National Citizen Survey to Guide Fiscally Responsible Budget

Members of Schaumburg's village staff will present the Fiscal Year 2015/16 proposed budget to the Village Board at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, April 21.

The budget, which will be presented by Village Manager Brian Townsend and Director of Finance Lisa Happ, demonstrates a fair and balanced plan that not only continues to reduce the property tax levy by 1 percent, but also includes a 1 percent reduction in expenditures and other financing uses. The budget does not include any new taxes.

The FY 2015/16 budget has projected total revenues and other financing sources at $219 million, which is an increase of 4.2 percent over last year's amended budget. The General Fund, which is the village's main operating fund, has projected revenues (without transfers) of $93 million and projected expenditures (without transfers) of $87 million. General Fund expenditures remain stable as compared with last year's expenditures.

"Considering the uncertainty of Gov. Rauner's State budget proposal to reduce the Local Government Distributive Fund, we have demonstrated fiscal responsibility by reducing the tax burden where possible, utilizing conservative revenue projections and scrutinizing all expenditures," said Director of Finance Lisa Happ. "We also developed a plan for dealing with major revenue disruptions that could result from State budgetary decisions."

The budget is guided by five core areas that were determined in part from the results of the National Citizen Survey™ in which residents identified areas in the community that they thought needed the most attention. The five areas include improving village streets, reducing the tax burden, enhancing community engagement, increasing transit awareness and continuing efforts to improve process efficiencies.

Some of the key projects planned for FY15-16 include:

• A redesigned website that will be more user friendly, including implementation of an online chat customer service feature.

• Studies of the Prairie Center and the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center to measure the economic impact of these facilities on the local economy.

• New document and agenda management software that will allow easier retrieval and access to documents.

• Development of a new comprehensive plan that will provide vision for future planning, land use, housing and transportation decisions.

Significant community projects include the continued construction of the I-90 Rebuilding and Widening Project which will add ramps at Meacham and Roselle roads-a project that is poised to provide positive, long-term effects on the local economy.

In addition, the budget includes about $25 million in Capital Improvement projects. Of that amount, $18.7 million, or 61 percent, is dedicated to roadway and bikeway improvements in the village. The top 3 capital projects for FY15-16 are:

• The Residential Street Repair Program of $5.5 million. An expanded number of pavement rehabilitation strategies will be available to apply to village streets allowing more miles of streets will be completed than in years past.

• Implementation of a 4-year process to replace aging water meter transmitter units to help ensure uninterrupted meter reading throughout the village.

• Continued implementation of the Village's Emerald Ash Borer Management Program. The village has dedicated $1 million to the removal of Ash parkway trees and the reforestation process in FY 2015/16.

"The proposed budget is a fair and balanced financial plan," said Village Manager Brian Townsend. "The budget includes conservative revenue expectations and reasonable expenditures to guarantee the residents and businesses of Schaumburg will continue to experience a level of service that further enhances our village's high quality of life."

The annual budget is a policy document that sets the financial course for the village and defines the service priorities for the community. It is the culmination of months of effort by the entire village staff to balance available resources with the services provided to Schaumburg residents, businesses and visitors. By focusing on the five initiatives derived from the National Citizen Survey™, the village will continue to improve upon a place that is already recognized by 95 percent of its residents as a great place to live.

For more information, visit the Village of Schaumburg website at http://www.ci.schaumburg.il.us/Docs/Finance/Pages/Budget.aspx or contact Lisa Happ, Director of Finance, at lhapp@villageofschaumburg.com or dial 311 within Schaumburg.