Politics & Government
Lemont Grapples with Faltering Economy
Village Board considers new sources of revenue, including a red light camera and annual vehicle stickers.
Despite making significant cuts to spending in recent years, the Village of Lemont is now considering other sources of revenue to grapple with the effects of a faltering economy.
According to a detailed report presented to the Village Board of Trustees at a committee of the whole meeting Monday, the village's operational expenses continue to outpace revenue streams. In order to keep maintain the current level of services, the village will consider a number of options to generate revenue.
One such option would be a red light camera at Main Street and Illinois Highway 83, an intersection identified by police as having a high rate of infractions. Revenue from tickets would be spent on public safety needs, village officials said.
Find out what's happening in Lemontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Another option is for the village is for its two-year vehicle stickers, now $48, to become an annual purchase for residents, resulting in more village revenue in 2013.
During the presentation, village officials also considered possible reductions to current expenditures.
Find out what's happening in Lemontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Mayor Brian Reaves asked staff to investigate how the village could exit Southwest Central Dispatch, which connects 9-1-1 calls for several area towns. Lemont paid nearly $300,000 last year for the service — “a big line item,” Reaves said.
“Let’s look around to see what other municipalities and fire departments have done to get out of their contracts,” he said.
Village Administrator Ben Wehmeier said employees are already contributing more for their health insurance as a way to save the village money.
“Everyone’s being a team player," he said.
Other expense-saving moves include freezing non-union wages and using part-time help instead of hiring full-time employees. The village had 78 employees in 2008-2009, has 66 currently and projects 64 in 2012.
Since expenses continue to outpace revenue, Wehmeier discussed ways the village could maintain basic services, such as infrastructure repairs. One idea is to charge residents half of the cost of sidewalk and road repairs in front of their houses.
“We’ve never done this before,” Wehmeier said, adding that the cost of fuel and health insurance continue to be a burden on the village.
"We have to keep plugging away," he said. "That’s the bottom line."
