Lake County closer to collection agency for court debts

Pay up now, or pay more later.

Lake County has taken another step toward getting a collection agency to go after people who fail to satisfy their court obligations.

The county board's Law and Judicial committee has approved spending $188,616 on technology that will allow the court system's computers to work with the computers at the collection agency.

Finance Director Gary Gordon told the committee this will allow the collectors to access the information on who has not paid their court costs, fines and other expenses.

The agency, which Gordon said has already established successful programs with other counties in the state, will then take over getting the money.

Gordon said the county expects to collect three times what it spent on the computer upgrade within 18 months of turning the collection agency loose.

The good news for taxpayers is that the collection work itself will not cost the taxpayers a dime.

Gordon said the agency makes its money by tacking a 30 percent surcharge on the amount owed to the court and gets paid by the people it collects from.

He said he expects the collection agency will begin working for the county early next year.

Casino affair

The Zarcharias Sexual Abuse Center's annual "Casino Affair" is scheduled for Sept. 26 at the Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park.

The center provides sexual assault survivor assistance training, a crisis intervention hotline and counseling for individuals and groups

The event features dinner, mock gambling, live music and live and silent auctions as well as social and business networking opportunities.

The club is located at 700 Vine Avenue and tickets are $250 per person.

For tickets, call Linda West at (847) 244-1187 or go online to Zcenter.org.

Petition packets

Petition packets are available for candidates in the Feb. 2 general primary election.

Candidates can pick up the packets at County Clerk Willard Helander's office in Waukegan or download them from LakeCountyClerk.info.

Offices to be nominated include county clerk, regional superintendent of schools, sheriff, treasurer, county board districts 4, 7, 8, 13, 15, 18, 19, 21 and 23 and north shore sanitary districts 1 and 4.

The filing deadline is Nov. 2.