Tough journey ends with balanced budget in Libertyville

Libertyville trustees made months of tough decisions official by approving a balanced budget for 2010-11.

The action Tuesday followed more than six months of moves to counter declining revenues with spending cuts.

Ultimately, those included the lay off four employees, the shift of four more from full- to part-time, the continuation of a hiring freeze and a day off a month without pay for all nonunion employees.

The village board also approved a local utility tax on natural gas and electric bills, and increased the telecom tax to offset drops in sales tax, state income tax and other revenue sources.

"We faced a lot of challenges," said Trustee Rich Moras, who chaired the village board's finance committee. Last fall, the group decided to increase the frequency of its meetings because of the number of issues being faced.

Moras said the utility fees were unfavorable, but "something we had to do." The utility tax and telecom increase are scheduled to end Dec. 31, but can be extended.

Overall, the village expects to spend about $42 million in the next budget year beginning May 1, which is about $8 million or 16 percent less than this fiscal year.

But it was a relatively small expense that drew attention during the public hearing immediately preceding the vote.

Libertyville resident Tim Anderson questioned spending $9,200 for maintenance at the Libertyville Civic Center, 135 W. Church St.

The village owns the building but leases it for no cost to the Libertyville Civic Center Foundation, which runs programs and events. The village funds a senior program there and pays for an employee.

Anderson said he was sensitive to layoffs and furlough days for village employees, noting the Civic Center was a "cash cow" that was $300,000 in the black.

He suggested the foundation pay the maintenance bills as well as a "fair and equitable rent." It was insensitive, he contended, to make employees take furlough days but not tap this resource.

"It wouldn't affect their operations at all. Ask them to pay some rent," Anderson said.

Mayor Terry Weppler, a Civic Center board member since 1994 and past president, said the foundation is a charitable organization that operated in the red for years.

He said the Civic Center does a good job of providing service to seniors at a much lower cost than government could.

"There's a big trade off," he said.

No village funds are budgeted in 2010-11 for capital improvements at the Civic Center, village hall, public works or park and recreation buildings.