S. Elgin basks in budget health

While municipalities across the suburbs are sweating out their spending plans for next year, South Elgin's budget for 2008-09 is in relatively good shape.

"There's certainly nothing surprising about the numbers," said Village President Jim Hansen.

The village is on pace to spend about $25 million from last May through April 2009. So far, sales tax receipts are about $150,000 less than what officials expected to collect.

"It's certainly not panic time for the village. We are moving forward," said Larry Jones, the village administrator.

"It just calls for us to be a little more conservative,"

While South Elgin leaders talked about "ripples" Monday night at the halfway point in their budget year, it was nothing compared with the tidal wave that Elgin officials dealt with last week.

Elgin leaders laid off 16 workers and will cut 54 total positions as part of an 18 percent reduction in spending.

Some large Elgin projects will be postponed, and larger purchases, such as new vehicles, will be delayed until the second quarter of 2009.

Art Skibley, South Elgin's finance director, said no such large cutbacks or layoffs are planned for the village and projects will proceed as planned.

Skibley said department heads have been instructed to limit any employee overtime. Also, large expenditures that already have been budgeted for must be double-checked by Jones.

"All things considered, this budget year will probably be fine for us," he said, noting the village's share of the state's income tax and telecommunication tax were actually up and could cancel out the drop in sales tax.