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Village discusses hiring freeze  Share
Beecher Village President Paul Lohman requested that the board institute a hiring freeze until February 1 and department heads closely watch expenses in response to uncertain funding from the State of Illinois. The board will vote on the issue at its next board meeting. Lohman said he learned, at a Will County Governmental League legislative reception last week, it's possible that municipalities may wait a year without receiving revenue from the state. The state is required to disburse sales tax revenue, but it can postpone or even change the percentage of income taxes paid to local governmental bodies. In the last nine months, Illinois only has paid income tax to the village for four of those months. ''The legislature is under no obligation to make these payments (income tax),'' said Village Administrator Bob Barber. ''They can change the formula, delay payment...''
Lohman read a new's release from the state in which State Comptroller Dan Hynes called the state's fiscal situation ''grim and getting worse.'' At the end of the first fiscal quarter, on September 30, Illinois had nearly three billion dollars in unpaid bills Ð a record development for the first quarter of any previous fiscal year. The huge unpaid balance resulted even after the state had borrowed 2.25 billion in short-term loans that must be paid back by June 30, 2010. ''This is a crisis unmatched historically, and the downward spiral is accelerating,'' Hynes said in the news release. The hiring freeze comes at a time when the board recently began reviewing applications to hire a new police officer and has been advertising for an employee for the Public Works Department. Although he agreed that the budget needed tightening, Barber commented, ''We're running an engine with low oil right now.'' The police department has seven full-time police officers, including Chief Jeff Weissgerber, compared to nine in the past. The Public Works Department has six employees, including Public Works Director, Bud Cowger. It lost three employees in the past three months. Just recently, Joe Spainer left the department to take a position with the Elwood Fire Department. The board did authorize Cowger to pay $25 per hour for a stand-by, call-out person for snow removal at a total cost not to exceed $2,500. Barber discussed a recent meeting the village held with Bonita Royster of Royster Management, the company hired in 2006 to provide homeowner's association services until the developer, MGM Construction, turned the project over to the residents upon 75 percent completion of the subdivision. At Sunset Cove, Royster said there is sufficient funding to maintain properties, but not to replace roofs, siding, painting, etc. Royster said she is willing to meet with the 11 homeowners on Sunset Cove to advise them of the current status of the situation, bank balances, and budgets and to answer any questions. The village agreed to set up a meeting at Cardinal Creek Clubhouse sometime in late October. At Cardinal Creek subdivision, Royster told the village that only 35 of the 70 homeowners are current on their association fees ($600 yearly). If all 70 paid their dues, she said it would bring in $42,000, but estimated that would fall nearly $8,000 short of the nearly $50,000 needed to maintain the common areas each year. She also said the homeowners would be responsible for maintaining the ponds if Cardinal Creek Golf Course changes ownership. The owners recently posted a sign on the door that says, ''Temporarily closed until further notice'' Royster said MGM also may stop maintaining the model homes at Cardinal Creek. She said the homes have been emptied of all furnishings, the lawns were not mowed in September and the power has been shut off in the homes. The board approved a motion authorizing the drafting of a property tax levy not to exceed five percent. Lynn Dill is a reporter for Russell Publications.
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