Balanced Mt. Prospect budget comes with cuts

Mount Prospect trustees Tuesday approved a 2011 budget that is balanced and will not increase the village's tax levy.

They also avoided a projected $3 million deficit.

But in the process, the village will pay a heavy price including employee layoffs and an unavoidable reduction in services.

The general fund budget, which pays for public safety and public works, is projected at more than $40 million.

The only fee increase in the budget is an adjustment of 4 percent in the water rates.

The estimated tax bill for a home with a market value of approximately $350,000 will be $854 to the village and $535 to the library.

Every department had to cut its budget, with 34 positions eliminated, many, but not all of them, through layoffs. Building inspections will be outsourced and even crossing guards are not being hired.

The board emphasized that those who are being laid off are not losing their jobs because of poor performance.

“It's strictly economics,” said Trustee John Korn. “Everybody that we are going to be letting go has been important to our citizens someplace along the line.”

Mayor Irvana Wilks sounded a note of optimism when she mentioned that the village's revenue picture should improve with the redevelopment of Randhurst.

But there was no indication that an improved economy would restore lost jobs or stem the tide of outsourcing.

Trustee John Matuszak said “There is no doubt that residents will see some decrease in services.” He said the positions that were eliminated were not extraneous. “They were real jobs that performed real services.”

Wilks said that in her 19 years on the village board as both trustee and mayor, she has never faced such difficult budget issues.

Trustee Michael Zadel said “The hardest part of this entire process was the human part, knowing that certain people were going to be losing their jobs in this type of economy. I have family members who have been almost two years without work. Not for lack of effort. Simply because there is just nothing out there.”

But Zadel said he is proud the process was not conducted in a vacuum and that residents cannot complain that the village was not forthright about its decisions.

Two residents, Audra and John Mitka showed up to express their concern about the village laying off the four building inspectors in May.

Audra Mitka said that in her experience with the outside firm the village currently uses to supplement the regular inspectors, “It's a night-and-day difference from the outside agency to the inspectors that work for the village.”

Village Manager Michael Janonis, however, said that the company that gets the contract will have to meet strict performance standards.

Trustee Paul Hoefert said the village is required by law to balance the budget. He said the $3 million deficit could only be avoided by targeting personnel, which is 80 percent of the budget.