Lake Co. adopts leaner spending plan

Concerned about the economy and slipping revenue, the Lake County Board has adopted a leaner spending plan for the next fiscal year.

The $498.6 million budget calls for $6 million less spending than the current year's plan. It's even smaller than the roughly $502 million version that was publicly reviewed in September.

"I think what you'll find with this budget is that it's a realistic number," County Administrator Barry Burton said Wednesday, one day after the county board adopted the plan. "We're not playing games."

The budget covers the 2010 fiscal year, which begins Dec. 1.

Fearing the impact the troubled economy would have on the county's ability to spend money in 2010, Burton and the county's financial planners launched the budget planning process in December 2008, earlier than usual. Unprecedented drops in sales and business taxes were particular concerns.

So was the decline of the housing market and its impact on new construction, which hurts property-tax revenues.

To compensate, administrators in every county department trimmed anticipated spending for 2010, Burton said.

Officials renegotiated contracts with vendors, eliminated employee raises, kept vacant positions open and made other cuts, he said.

In perhaps the most public move, 18 employees were laid off this summer.

"Everybody tightened their belts," Burton said.

The county board adopted the 2010 budget with a 19-3 vote. Democrats Terry Wilke of Round Lake Beach, Melinda Bush of Grayslake and Diane Hewitt of Waukegan cast the "no" votes.

Bush said she voted against the budget because some employee unions had not yet agreed to salary freezes, and she's concerned about those workers' futures.

Even so, all the unions should agree to such a concession, she said.

"I hope that each of these unions realize that this is an extraordinary time," Bush said.

Wilke said the county shouldn't force workers to renegotiate contracts.

"It just seems like we are not being forthright to our employees," he said. "It's not right."

Even though the ink is still wet on the new budget, Burton and other county officials already are concerned about 2011.

"What next year will bring will depend on the economy," Burton said. "If our economy is not doing well, (neither) is the county budget."