Arlington Heights cutting budget, staff

The proposed Arlington Heights $62 million general fund budget for the year starting May 1 achieves a 4.4 percent cut by leaving 30 positions vacant, and includes at least 11 layoffs.

And the failure to reach agreement on concessions with the police union will require eliminating two officer positions, which will probably be achieved through attrition, according to a letter from Village Manager Bill Dixon to the village board. These two vacancies are expected to save $184,000.

The firefighters union agreed to postpone its contracted wage increase for six months, which saved $165,000 and achieved a promise of no firefighter layoffs in the next fiscal year.

The budget is expected to be online at the village Web site, vah.com, by Thursday and the board will start discussions on each department and fund next week.

While a few more layoffs might be required, "most of the impact has been felt," said Dixon.

The general fund covers most village services except for water and sewer. The total village budget of $135 million, which includes things like capital projects, debt service and special taxing districts, represents a decrease of 9.2 percent over the current year.

While there are vacancies in the police and fire departments that will not be filled, no layoffs of commissioned personnel are expected, said Dixon.

Tom Henderson, vice president of the police union, said late Tuesday that he didn't want to comment until he has a chance to review the budget.

The police department is down one police commander and two officers and will lose two more officer positions in addition to three civilian jobs that will include two layoffs, according to the proposed budget. The plan calls for an anti-drug program in the schools to be dropped and the police officers in those jobs move into two patrol vacancies.

The village also has raised property taxes, sales taxes and other fees to increase revenue because general economic woes have cut revenues such as sales and income taxes. The surprise closing of the Sheraton Chicago Northwest in December cost the village an estimated $400,000 annually.

Besides the staff reductions, which total $2.7 million of the $3.8 million cut out of the general fund, other savings include delaying raises for non-union employees for six months and cutting their raises for 12 months to 1.9 percent. That will save $282,000, Dixon said.

Raises for department heads, who did not receive increases this budget year, will be addressed later.

The remaining projected deficit of $330,000 will be met from village reserves. Over the last two years, $5 million has been withdrawn from the reserves.

The 30 position cuts are in addition to 10 cut during budgeting for the current fiscal year.

The village board will go over the budget department by department in public sessions, but the public will not be asked to comment. The public hearing with comments will be April 5 or 19.

Here is the schedule, with all meetings starting at 7:30 p.m. in village hall.

• March 8: Overview, Capital Projects, Arts & Entertainment Fund, departments of Human Resources; Legal; Finance, Metropolis Theater, Public Safety Pensions and Information Technology.

• March 9: Teen Center, Building Department, Health Services and Senior Services.

• March 11: Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau; Planning & Community Development, Tax Increment Financing funds, Engineering, Public Works, municipal buildings, grounds and water utility.

• March 17: Fire Department, Police Department, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, boards and commissions including housing, senior citizens, youth, arts, Arlington Ecomonic Alliance and Performing Arts at Metropolis Theater.