Buffalo Grove discusses capital projects for next year
Buffalo Grove trustees got a glimpse of the 2008 budget projections earlier this week when village staff ran through some numbers at a finance committee meeting.
Village Manager Bill Brimm said he talked a bit on Monday about some upcoming capital projects, such as the possible widening of Weiland Road.
Although the road won't be expanded from two to four lanes next year, Brimm said he hopes to get the preliminary engineering done to have it ready when Lake County has funds for construction.
Brimm said that project is one of the last major street widenings in town and may also include creating an "S" curve at the north end of Weiland to create a direct connection to Prairie Road. Currently, motorists have to turn onto Aptakisic Road to reach Prairie.
Brimm said the board might also consider some options for expanding or finding a new location for the public works facility, which has been cramped.
The board talked about the property tax levy for the village next year, which will be a little over $1 million more than this year, mostly due to the eradication of vehicle stickers.
The board decided earlier this year that vehicle stickers were an unreliable source of income and will likely decide to increase the property tax instead.
About $600,000 of the increased money will go toward that initiative, and the rest of the $1 million will be for funding employee pensions.
Brimm said the other concern he wanted to bring forward to trustees on Monday was the increasingly under-funded street maintenance program.
"We're running into a real challenge," he said. "Those programs are costing more and more money."
He said the motor fuel tax and the sales tax just can't keep up with the rising cost of fixing all 120 miles of road in town on a 15-year cycle.
Although this isn't something the board will likely solve in the next year, Brimm said he wanted trustees to consider coming up with additional funding for roads or move to a 20-year resurfacing cycle.
The board will hear a presentation on the 2008 budget Dec. 3. The documents will be up for approval Dec. 17.