Kane Co. budget woes not getting any better

While the Kane County Board works to close a budget gap, the latest report from Finance Director Cheryl Pattelli indicates the shortfall might be widening instead.

The report shows the county continues to burn the budgetary candle at both ends with expected expenses and forecast income headed in opposite directions.

Sales taxes are more than $740,00 off forecast. Income tax revenue is nearly 43 percent down from what it was last year, and expected "to come in dramatically under the budgeted amount," Pattelli wrote. Interest income on the county's savings will probably be more than $700,000 less than forecast. The development department, where the county previously reaped income through various fees when the building market was booming, looks to be $460,000 short of income expectations.

Beyond that, the county board's Public Health Committee Tuesday will discuss the possible impact of deep cuts to grants the health department was expecting. Most of the department's budget - which pays employees' salaries - comes from grants.

On the expense side, the picture is almost as dire - if not worse - according to concerns listed in Pattelli's report.

The listed budget overages in the report include:

• Salary, contractual and election-related expenses in the Kane County Clerk's office to date show that office might run as much as $225,400 over budget. State reimbursements are expected to offset some of the overrun.

• Salary expenses in the judiciary budget might send that budget $50,000 over its allotted amount. The office also has yet to detail how it will make $74,290 worth of budget cuts per the county board's request.

• Salary costs in the state's attorney's office will be $100,000 over budget if current trends continue.

• Salary costs in the public defender's office are also running $50,000 over budget. In addition, the office has yet to detail $143,504 worth of budget cuts.

• Capital costs in the sheriff's office are already 4 percent beyond the total budget for the year. The sheriff also has yet to detail nearly $590,000 of budget cuts.

• Overtime costs at the jail are already $68,000 over the amount allotted for the entire year because of reduced staffing. Officers in training should cut down on that ongoing overage. The jail also has yet to detail $756,267 worth of budget cuts.

• The county budgeted no money to house jail inmates outside the county, yet has spent $249,000 to send inmates to other jails.

• The costs of housing juvenile inmates outside the county are also running high. Current trends put that budget $305,000 over by the end of year.

• The Kane County Circuit Court Clerk, court services and the coroner also join the list of departments yet to submit their budget cuts.

All of that amounts to unbudgeted expenses of more than $1 million, a gap that does not include the budget cuts that have yet to be detailed by several departments. Budgets, including the cuts, are due in July.