Wheeling avoids layoffs in budget talks

Unlike several other towns in the area, Wheeling will not have to lay off employees to balance its budget for next year.

While the village is working with a $1.3 million deficit in 2009, it also has about $20 million in reserve funds to make up the difference.

Some items will be cut, such as the Fourth of July celebration. There will still be fireworks, but the event won't be as big as it normally is.

"I think the staff did a phenomenal job of cutting back," said acting Village President Dean Argiris.

The village board met for a budget session Saturday, where Wheeling was initially facing a $3 million deficit.

"We got hit like everyone else," Argiris said.

He said sales tax revenues for the year were down by 9.6 percent, representing about $1 million less for the village.

Argiris said trustees agreed on Saturday to forego a raise in their own pay scheduled for 2009, and no more employees will be hired for village services, at least for next year.

The majority of the village's expenses go toward employees, but Argiris said the situation wasn't dire enough to cut anybody from the staff.

Property owners will, however, have to pay more this year; last year, they got a bit of a reprieve when the board backed away from an increase in the village portion of the property tax levy.

At the time, the village received a windfall of sorts from unexpected tax revenue from new development such as the Westin Chicago North Shore hotel complex. A 5.25 percent increase in the village property tax was on the table. This year, the increase is likely going to be 6 percent.

Revenues for the 2009 budget are projected at about $31 million, and the expenditures are about $1.3 million above that. The board is expected to vote on the budget in early December.

"We're in good shape," Argiris said. "The economy's tight and the dollars are down, but overall it's nice to have a healthy fund balance."