Lake County to televise finance committee meetings

The opportunity for the public to see Lake County government at work without traveling to Waukegan will expand as of Aug. 3.

That's when the county board's Financial & Administrative Committee meetings will be televised for the first time on LCTV, the county's network. County board meetings have been televised for some time, but none of its nine committees, or the committee of the whole, which is an informal discussion of upcoming agenda items by the full board, have been aired.

The committee voted 4-3 last week to proceed with what is regarded as a test program. Supporters said the move provides residents with better insight on how important decisions are made, but opponents contended the manpower involved may not be worth a limited viewership.

With a $350 million county budget, the seven-member Financial & Administrative Committee is among the most influential. Included in its responsibilities are: budget and appropriations; wages and job classifications; health, life and dental insurance; collective bargaining; general operating expenses; capital improvements; and, economic development.

Lake County Board member Sandra Hart of Lake Bluff, who is not a member of the committee, said she has been seeking the measure for a few years. A former Lake Bluff Park District commissioner, Hart said that body and the village board televise their meetings. People don't trust government, she added, and it is good for the public to to see what's happening.

County board meetings generally move quickly because the background and details of various agenda items previously were discussed in committees, she said.

"How is an everyday resident supposed to understand how their tax dollars are being spent and decisions being made that impact them?" Hart said. "People don't need to take a day off work to sit in committees all day."

However, county board meetings are far from the most popular LCTV offerings. The top-viewed video last year was "Sign up for Property Check at the Recorder's Office" with 8,859 views. In 2016, the top-viewed video is "County Update: What's New in 2016" with 2,287 views. The highest-ranked county board meeting this year was the April meeting with 371 views.

Finance committee Chairman Brent Paxton voted against the measure but was not available Tuesday for comment. Committee member Steve Carlson of Grandwood Park said few people watch county board meetings. He said he opposed the measure because it would divert valuable staff time.

"No one is trying to stifle transparency," said Carlson, who added that audio of the meetings can be made available. Audio recordings are not posted online but are available under a Freedom of Information request. "I think it's extraneous. It's unnecessary," Carlson said.

County spokeswoman Jennie Vana said existing equipment and staff will be used for the Financial & Administrative Committee meetings and there will be no additional expense. However, requests will be prioritized based on resources and there will be some modifications to current LCTV programs, including a move to more short, topical programs rather than longer format programs that often require more time and resources.