Lake County official: Revenues low, not bad

Lake County Forest Preserve District officials anticipate collecting less revenue from taxes and other sources over the next year, but they're not concerned about the change.

Although total revenues are expected to exceed $108 million during the 2009 fiscal year, which begins July 1, operating revenue should total about $65 million, according to district documents. That's down about 14 percent from the nearly $76 million that was budgeted for the current year.

Operating revenue includes money from taxes, interest, rentals, donations and other sources.

The difference reflects a drop in the district's property tax levy, which is going down because loans from 1989, 1997 and 2001 have been paid off, Finance Director Bonnie McLeod said.

Additionally, the current year's budget included a nearly $4 million grant that's not in the new spending plan, McLeod said.

The changes are not the result of the nation's economic woes or declining real-estate values, which have prompted some government agencies to scale back spending proposals, McLeod said.

"We're doing great, due to the conservative financial policies that the board has put in place," McLeod said.

The forest board on Tuesday approved a roughly $134 million budget for the 2009 fiscal year.

The board approved the spending plan 16-3. Commissioners Brent Paxton, Bob Powers and Bob Sabonjian cast the "no" votes.

The difference between anticipated revenue and spending will be bridged by existing savings and two loans, McLeod said.

One loan will raise $30 million for land acquisition. A second loan will raise about $9 million to help fund the construction of a new operations and public safety building in the Fourth Lake Forest Preserve near Lindenhurst.

In addition to the Fourth Lake building, projects in the budget include:

• Habitat restoration at several preserves, totaling $680,000.

• Informational kiosks at the Independence Grove dog exercise area near Libertyville and the Fox River Preserve near Lake Barrington, totaling $40,000.

• The design and construction of a concrete tunnel beneath Gilmer Road north of Route 176 near Wauconda, for Millennium Trail users, at a cost of $1.7 million.

• The expansion of the Greenbelt Cultural Center near North Chicago, at a cost of $2.5 million.

• Improvements to the Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda, totaling nearly $2 million.