Elk Grove Village adopts 2013 spending plan

The Elk Grove Village Board this week approved spending nearly $86 million in fiscal year 2013 starting May 1 — roughly $9.7 million less than what the village has spent in 2012.

The decrease is largely due to the completion last summer of infrastructure projects funded by $13 million in federal Build America Bonds, Mayor Craig Johnson said.

“It’s the third straight year of cutting our budget,” Johnson said. “Our general fund budget pretty much stayed about even.”

The village’s operating budget has gone down from $42 million to $40 million in the last three years.

Officials were expecting to borrow $1.8 million from reserves to balance this year’s budget, but are now projecting a year-end surplus of $600,000 due to stronger than anticipated sales tax receipts and increased revenue from building permit fees, Johnson said.

“We’re not looking to reduce any of our programs, no staffing changes,” Johnson said.

Village Manager Raymond Rummel said the approved budget maintains existing service levels, existing infrastructure, programs and community events.

During the previous budget cycle, the village reduced its staffing by 12 percent — 32 employee positions — through attrition and consolidation of jobs, and without laying off any employees.

Some reorganization of the village’s public works, and engineering and community development departments is expected this year, Johnson said.

“All public projects now will be handled through the public works department,” Johnson said. “That will free up our engineering and community development department to be more responsive and work harder with the residents and businesses on the permitting process, inspections. Our goal is to become the most business-friendly community in the country. That’s our motto for this year.”

Johnson said he will offer more details about upcoming stormwater management and infrastructure projects within the village’s industrial park during his annual “State of the Village” address to the business community, noon on Thursday, May 17, at Belvidere Banquets, 1170 W. Devon Ave.

Village crews will be resurfacing six miles of streets and rehabilitating concrete curbs and sidewalks along those streets next year. Planned projects include rehabilitation of underground water and sanitary sewer lines throughout the village, and replacing deteriorated storm sewer culverts at various locations in the business park, Rummel said.