Hoffman Estates board mum on layoff proposal

Hoffman Estates officials aren't commenting on labor talks between the unions from the village's police and fire departments.

Last week the village unveiled its proposed budget which included layoffs to four police officers and six firefighters. The village board needs to finalize its budget by the Dec. 7 meeting. It appears any new talks will wait until after Thanksgiving.

Village officials asked the unions in July to renegotiate the contracts to help plug about a $1.8 million projected budget deficit or face the personnel cuts. Hoffman Estates officials said their budgetary qualms aren't any different from neighboring towns and they have already reduced spending. Union officials have said they've submitted cost-cutting plans to avoid layoffs, but have been ignored.

Police department spending was a topic during Monday's board meeting even though the union situation never was formally addressed. Police Chief Clinton Herdegen presented a plan so police officers could print traffic citations from their squad car.

A small printer would attach to the officer's laptop and print citations. Herdegen reasoned the printers, which are used by some neighboring departments like Palatine's, would cut down on improperly filled-in tickets. It would also free up village workers from data entry duty. A finance department worker earning a $17,683 salary to enter data would no longer be needed.

"This would be a cost savings in a lot of ways," Trustee Karen Mills said.

The ticket-printing system would cost about $138,000 and come from Administrative Tow Fees, rather than the general fund. The tow fee would eventually be repaid in 2010 with any money made by the village's new red-light cameras, Village Manager James Norris pointed out. Trustee Cary Collins favored waiting until the economy strengthened to pursue the system. Given the proposed layoffs, Collins questioned the expenditure.

"Perhaps we wouldn't have to lose a police officer," he said.

The board tabled that measure as well as another regarding how much it would ask Schaumburg Township Elementary School District 54 for a school resource officer at Eisenhower Junior High School. School districts often receive discounts. District 54 receives a 50 percent discount from the current contract. Meanwhile, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 pays 9/12ths of a salary for officers at Conant and Hoffman Estates high schools. Trustees want to ask District 54 for the same compensation it receives from District 211.