Huntley braces for lean year

Huntley's purse strings will continue to tighten in 2010 as the village copes with high unemployment and a weak housing market.

The Huntley village board on Thursday approved a 2010 budget that includes almost $571,000 in cuts.

Among the savings in the $18.7 million budget are:

• $200,000 from leaving vacant positions unfilled

• $123,000 from deferring equipment replacement

• $100,000 from reducing the use of consultants, contractors and lawyers

• $80,000 from cutting the village's road salt budget

The village's 2010 budget is 17 percent smaller than its 2009 budget, almost in line with last year's cuts, which trimmed Huntley's 2008 budget by 20 percent.

Even with the 20 percent reduction for the 2009 budget, revenues still came in 4 percent under budget this year, according to the village.

Revenue from building permits - which the village uses to upgrade its infrastructure - dropped 61 percent this year.

According to an analysis by village staff, the drop in building permit revenue "has essentially cut off the primary revenue source the village has used for capital projects and equipment purchases over the last ten years."

Still, the village has several major projects slated for 2010:

• Engineering work on a full interchange at Route 47 and the tollway

• The widening and resurfacing of Reed Road

• Design work on the extension of Kreutzer Road to Main Street

• An ongoing downtown revitalization plan

• A sidewalk improvement plan

Despite the challenges, Village Manager Dave Johnson was positive in his budget memo to the village board Thursday, writing, "Huntley continues to survive and be successful in what has been referred to as the Great Recession."