Other towns in county watch expenses closely

If Hawthorn Woods officials seek guidance on tightening credit card rules, they could look to other Lake County municipalities that uphold stricter policies.

At the county level, board members are given a debit card with a set amount. They also are given a cell phone and a BlackBerry separately, according to county officials.

Lake County Administrator Barry Burton said all county commissioners have a total of $4,500 to spend for a year's worth of travel, food, office and miscellaneous expenses.

"They must bring us a receipt," Burton said. "It has to include detail, and it has to be an itemized expense."

More Coverage Stories Hawthorn Woods trustee questions mayor's credit card use

Burton said alcohol cannot be charged to the county board member's card.

The village of Lake Zurich has an even more restrictive policy for its mayor and board members' expenses, according to officials there.

Lake Zurich has a population of about 18,104, more than double Hawthorn Woods' population.

Deputy Village Clerk Susan Ragsdale said there are no credit cards for trustees or the mayor to use. She said there is a total of about $250 a year available for meals with developers and incidentals. That money must be split among all eight board members.

"Most of them don't take advantage of that," she added.

Expenditures such as travel and Lake County Municipal League dinners, she said, are budgeted in advance. They cannot exceed $3,000 per year for all board members combined.

Vernon Hills, with a population of about 23,000, gives its mayor and trustees a $45-per-day travel limit for food, beverages and incidentals.

Village Manager Michael Allison said such trips are infrequent.

"It's been about six months since I traveled," he said.

Allison said village officials rarely take developers out to eat, and even more rarely for dinner.

"We've done that a couple of times," Allison said. "I've been here nine years. I can count on one hand the time we've gone out with developers at night."

He said the village doesn't expressly prohibit alcohol from being charged to expense accounts or village credit cards, which are held by the village manager, police chief and the public works director.

Hawthorn Woods Mayor Keith Hunt said economic development directors do most of the courting of developers in those municipalities. He said the job in Hawthorn Woods falls mostly to him.

"Places like Vernon Hills and Lake Zurich have staffs that are devoted to economic and planning issues. We do not," he said. "If we had a $10 million budget and hired some person who was savvy at these matters, I wouldn't have to do as much of it."

Vernon Hills does not have an economic development director. Neither does Lake Zurich, which has discussed hiring one.

In response, Hunt said though neither have economic development directors, they have staff working at least some time on economic development and budgets for related expenses.

"(The Vernon Hills) mayor is out doing the same thing I'm doing," he said, adding Vernon Hills has a community development director.

Vernon Hills Mayor Roger Byrne said he meets when necessary with business executives and developers interested in his village. He annually attends the International Council of Shopping Centers convention in Las Vegas, where he said contacts are made.

Byrne estimated he spent about $400 in village money last year for meals or other expenses related to luring development. However, he added, it's understandable how Hunt would be out and about more because Hawthorn Woods needs commercial development to expand its tax base.

"In all fairness to Mayor Hunt, they're trying to offset the expenses homeowners over there have," Byrne said.

Hunt also said Lake Zurich budgeted $3.9 million for economic development.

Lake Zurich Village Administrator Bob Vitas said his town has no money set aside specifically for economic development. He said funding for those expenses comes from the general budget and all of the top elected and appointed officials participate in trying to boost the village's fortunes.