Kane Co. studies options to solve budget crisis

Given a rare chance to look at the Kane County's budget situation as one big group, county board members decided Tuesday it's time to talk about the issues that have been dodged in committee.

And they raised two big ideas: digging deeper into reserves to cover budget deficits, or ranking county services to see which should get what money.

The books on the current budget will close Nov. 30, the date by which the county must have a budget in place for 2010. While it appears inevitable the county will finish in the red for the second straight year in 2009, county board members said they were determined not to see it happen again in 2010.

They just disagreed on how to go about it.

For instance, board member Jim Mitchell said he thought it was time for the county to rethink the financial policies that say a certain amount of savings should be in the bank at any given time. That includes at least discussing spending down the reserves in both 2009 and 2010 beyond what's ever been spent before.

"To not do that means we are not responsive to the voters of this county," Mitchell said.

Other members, such as Bill Wyatt, said the financial policies are in place for a reason. And looking at the actual numbers, the county's reserves are already down to $16.5 million. That's below the minimum threshold of three months of expenses as dictated by current county board policy.

"A sound policy is a sound policy in good times and bad," Wyatt said. "They are there so you can run a good ship."

Also placed on the table for the first time was an idea by Deborah Allan to rank all the county's non-mandated programs in order of performance and cost-benefit. Allan said that will give the board the background to cut even the programs that do a lot of good, if necessary.

That also sets the stage for a new battleground where departments themselves will be ranked in order of importance. The board has decided a $3 million, or 4.5 percent, budget cut for 2010 won't be implemented across the board. That means any department that is allowed to cut less than 4.5 percent will trigger a cut greater than 4.5 percent somewhere else.

After the meeting, county board Chairman Karen McConnaughay said she's prepared to baby-sit every committee of the county board from now until a balanced 2010 budget is in place.

"I will do what is necessary to help the board get to the final equation," McConnaughay.

Earlier in the day McConnaughay admonished board members on the Judicial and Public Safety Committee, to which department heads submitted budget requests for 2010 that totaled 12 percent more than the latest 2009 budget. She said the board members have to insist on cuts.

"This is the No. 1 thing you do all year," McConnaughay said. "Make the time, ladies and gentlemen. I'm sorry, but you need to make a recommendation about what each department head needs to run that office. It's an uncomfortable job. Make the decision. Nobody wants to make those tough decisions. You've got to make them."

Deficit: Chairman admonishes board