Lake in the Hills grounds Air Expo in '08

Lake in the Hills officials have grounded the village's annual Air Expo for 2008, saying the aerial show was a losing proposition.

Village trustees putting the show on hold also cited lagging attendance and complications from airport improvements.

In its 22-year history, the Air Expo has never made money, said Village President Ed Plaza. This summer, the event lost a record $20,000.

"The issue is basically how much do you want to continue to lose?" Plaza said.

Costs for the 2007 Air Expo were $75,000, according to a staff report. The show, Plaza said, was being run on a shoestring budget.

"We provided the air show for residents and to give the airport more publicity," he said. "But this much of a loss can't be acceptable."

According to Plaza, nearby development had forced the FAA to restrict the space above the airport in which acts could maneuver. Future airport upgrades would further limit that space.

Future air shows may very well be reviewed or revisited, Plaza said.

The discussion of the air expo was the only surprise during the village's strategic planning session, held on the weekend, which also included discussion of the village's annexation policy, fees, and Algonquin Road projects.

"The strategic planning session functioned to give direction to staff to prioritize issues when the budget process starts in earnest. Which is now," Plaza said.