Kane County to lock in budget cut

In a cut-em-all, let-a-task-force-sort-it-out move, the Kane County Board is set to lock in a 5.5-percent budget cut for all departments next week, a symbolic vote affirmed Wednesday by the county board's executive committee.

The vote will commit the county to slashing the $3.8 million from the budget it needs to stay out of the red for a second consecutive year by stripping departments of the authority to spend what they were originally allocated when the current fiscal year began in December.

That said, the county board always has the ability to amend the budget throughout the year. That will allow the county to accommodate whatever solution the special budget task force comes up with to address the problem. Right now the task force only has a partial solution of early retirements in the sheriff's office and what the county is deeming a "voluntary early severance" plan for all other county employees.

"It's not going to be the answer, but it's a piece to the puzzle," said task force Chairman Mike Kenyon, of South Elgin. "It's probably the best piece."

The details of those solutions should be known soon as the savings generated by either of those options shrinks with every day the employees who would buy into the plans stay on the payroll. With roughly a dozen sheriff's employees likely eligible for whatever early retirement plan is offered, Kenyon has said there's a good chance the county would have to immediately hire at least some replacements, further cutting into the savings.

County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay said Wednesday she would not hesitate to call a special meeting of the full county board to pull the trigger on any savings measures whenever the task force is ready. Ultimately, that solution may include furloughs and unpaid holidays for county employees, as those are the only other options on the table right now.

"The citizens are telling us that we have to reduce the size of government," said task force member John Fahy of West Dundee. "We have to feel the pain just like everyone else."