Fox Lake officials will add to subtract

Fox Lake Mayor Cindy Irwin said a financial consultant will be hired to determine where the village board can cut costs.

The target is unnecessary spending in the village's 2007-08 budget, Irwin said, but the consultant also will be asked to develop short- and long-term financial goals, and develop potentially new revenue sources.

"Due to the fiscal issues facing the village, the trustees believe a consultant could help us locate new revenue," she said. "So, we'll look into hiring one and see what that person can do."

The idea was proposed by Trustee Ed Bender, but he said he and Irwin have been debating it for awhile.

While board members are great at business financing, Bender said, few understand government financing.

"It could only help us to bring in a government financing consultant to try and discover more revenue," he said. "It's no secret that we are low in the general fund. So, we bring in a consultant to help us find additional revenue."

Fox Lake officials approved a budget in July that is $492,000 in the red. More than $700,000 of that money covers the cost of the village's 911 emergency dispatch center, FoxComm.

Bender favors keeping FoxComm, while Irwin has stated she would like to merge it with one operated by neighboring Round Lake to save money.

The village hired a second consultant to help the board make a decision on the center. That report is expected to be released in November.