Wauconda to lay off eight

Falling revenue and increasing costs have forced another Lake County community to lay off workers.

Wauconda Mayor Salvatore Saccomanno said Thursday that eight village employees would be laid off, likely sometime this month, to reduce a projected budget deficit for the next fiscal year beginning May 1.

He would not say which positions or departments would be affected, pending ongoing discussions with various unions regarding packages associated with the layoffs.

"It goes across several different areas of the village," Saccomanno said. " Village administration is in discussions with the affected unions and they're working on that now."

The cuts would reduce village staffing from about 90 to 82 and save an estimated $450,000, although the village still would be about $958,000 short for 2009-10. Meanwhile, village department heads are trimming costs on a weekly basis and the village board is considering other options to save money, such as discontinuing brush pick up.

The village also is considering several new fees, such as storm sewer maintenance, leaf collection and maintenance for the Slocum Lake Drainage District. Water and sewer fees also will increase.

Wauconda joins Hawthorn Woods in making staff cuts. Communities across Lake County are bringing in fewer building permits and sales taxes, while gasoline and other operating costs increase.

"We're seeing this countywide where employees are being laid off," Saccomanno said. "It's terrible. If it wasn't for this economy we wouldn't be having this discussion."

Antioch officials also are considering layoffs, although the specific number has not yet been determined.

"It's a sign of the times, unfortunately," said Antioch Mayor Dorothy Larson.

Chris Gentes, executive director of the Lake County Municipal League, said budget concerns are common among municipalities.

"It certainly is an issue. Nobody wants to start with a deficit next year," she said.

Gentes said she may add some material to address those issues for the League's "municipal tuneup" program scheduled for October.

"The issue is that retail sales tax is down so much and you're not getting developer impact fees because projects have stopped essentially," she said.