Village Anticipates Increased Budget for New Fiscal Year

Lemont officials continued budget discussions this week as they analyzed projected revenue and proposed expenditures for fiscal year 2012.

The proposed budget shows expenses of $20 million, up from $16.1 million in fiscal year 2011. The nearly 25-percent increase is due to bonds and a grant the village will use for water and sewer projects — a one-time occurrence, village officials said at a committee meeting Monday night.

In revenue, the proposal shows $22.3 million in the new year, up from $17 million last fiscal year — a 31-percent increase because of the water and sewer bonds and a grant.

In his budget statement, Village Administrator Ben Wehmeier,  said factors in the new year have allowed “one of the most opportune budgets for this community in recent history.” Extra revenue is being saved to re-invest in the village’s operations fund,  and bond and grant money is available for improvements to roads, and the water and sewer system, he said.

“Signs are emerging that, as a whole, economic conditions have at least stabilized” and the village has a baseline level for what revenue it will get consistently, Wehmeier said in his statement.

A chart in the proposal details where the village gets its money. The largest chunk is property tax (23.5 percent) followed by sales tax (18.4 percent), and licenses and permits (11.6 percent). Other sources include state-shared revenue, fines and charges for services.

A municipal budget is divided into funds that cover different components of running a village, such as payment of debt, TIF districts, retirement for employees, capital improvement and road improvement.

The general fund is the largest of the funds and covers such departments as police and public works. In 2011-2012, the village proposes to spend $8.3 million on operations, a 3.37 percent increase.

“Department heads have limited spending to basic core functions,” Wehmeier said in his budget statement. The village has 64 employees, down from 78 in 2007-2008.

Most of the money in the general fund goes to the Police Department (40.4 percent). Much smaller shares of the pie go to the Public Works Department, and administration and finance.

The police budget of $3.4 million includes $75,000 for new vehicles and one part-time clerk. The department had requested two clerks.

The village hopes to get two new patrol cars and a pickup. “Ten of 23 vehicles have more than 100,000 miles,” Wehmeier said.

A $16,000 increase, or nearly 100 percent, is shown in the police budget for crossing guards because of “unknowns related to District 113A school transportation,” he said.

Officials were also concerned about public works vehicles. “We  have an aging fleet and fuel costs will be the wild card,” Wehmeier said.  

Wehmeier noted that the February blizzard accounted for 85 percent of overtime costs claimed by public works.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency  declared Cook County a disaster area after the snowstorm, Wehmeier said, and Lemont will be able to request reimbursement for expenses incurred during a 48-hour period in the storm.

The Public Works Department will have $75,000 to buy mowers and trailers out of a budget of $820,517.

The village’s fiscal year runs from May 1 to April 30.  A public hearing on the new budget will begin at 7 p.m. April 11. The board will formally approve the budget after the hearing.