Strategies for Challenging Budget Times

Lake County's proposed 2011 budget is balanced and is $9 million less than 2010. The FY2010 budget was $6 million less from the previous year, which means Lake County reduced its total operating budget by $15 million in two short years. The County Board will spend the next several weeks reviewing the budget and the Board will make a final decision on the budget at its Nov. 16 County Board meeting.

Due to the economic downturn, Lake County had to make budget cuts to bring expenses in line with declining revenues.  Lake County has experienced sharp declines in sales and business taxes, and other revenue sources. We also continue to face budget challenges due to the lack of State funding for certain services.

To address these challenges, Lake County closely analyzed spending across departments and optimized opportunities to achieve maximum efficiency and reduce spending. We were able to balance our budget because all departments made sacrifices and cuts to their respective budgets.

Since the start of the economic downturn in 2009, Lake County has reduced its workforce by 113 positions saving a total of $9 million in salary and benefit costs. Most departments reduced staff levels by holding vacancies, and some departments eliminated positions due to decreased workload, or to attain other operational efficiencies. The proposed budget also does not include funding for employee wage increases. We are doing everything we can to address these challenges with the goal of preserving services.

The County Board's continued focus on fiscal responsibility, core mission and strategic goals allow the County to manage challenging budget times and maintain fiscal stability today and into the future.

More information on the budget is available at www.lakecountyil.gov.