Prospect Hts. workers to get unpaid time off

Starting July 1, the city of Prospect Heights is going to trim its budget by requiring all of its employees, including the city manager, to take three furlough days each month for the next 10 months.

The new furlough policy is set to start July 1.

A recent memo from City Administrator Pam Arrigoni announced the decision and outlined the reasons behind the policy. She said there have been significant shortfalls in state income tax, utility and sales tax and RedSpeed fines.

The city faces a $250,000 deficit with no anticipated change in the near future, Arrigoni said.

"Because payroll is the bulk of our expenses, that is the only place we were able to make sufficient cuts to address the problem. Keep in mind that if we did not act now, the deficit would only grow and cause a greater hardship later," she stated in the memo.

Alderman John Styler said Sunday that the decision is unavoidable.

"It has to be done," he said. "The money is not there, and we can't operate with money we don't have."

Gone, he said, are the days when the city received nearly $500,000 in sales taxes from Dominick's before it closed.

This wouldn't be the first time Prospect Heights has taken strong belt-tightening measures.

"To balance our budget, we took a 10 percent decrease in salary already," Styler said.

In addition the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau no longer rents space but, instead, has been relocated to city hall. Also, until recently, the city was only open three days a week.

City Treasurer Rich Tibbits said the pay cuts will undoubtedly affect city services.

"Public works is understaffed to begin with. It could even affect police operations. For instance, if someone needs to report a burglary and that person is not in immediate danger, he or she may be told to visit the police department to make that report," he said. "It makes the work that needs to be done a little slower ... but it's either (furloughs) or lay people off."

The city has tried and failed to raise additional revenue through referendum, including a measure to institute home rule. Tibbits also pointed out that the city's census count is expected to drop, which will result in a reduction in the city's share of state income tax funds.

"I don't know what the voters expect," Tibbits said. "They seem to think that we can continue to provide city services without the revenue stream that's needed to do that."