| Last week we conducted a budget hearing for the 2021 fiscal year which I will summarize. The village is projected to lose approximately $7.5 million in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 2020 is projected to be $5.3 over budget. The good news is we have been able to keep a 30% reserve in 2020 and a projected reserve of 25% in 2021 (our target is 20%). This in spite of lower revenues in 2020 and 2021. We were able to do this because since I took office in 2017, we have reduced debt approximately $40 million and reduced our operating expenditures by over 13% (including a 9.5% cut in full time employees). The implementation of these sound fiscal polices allowed us to weather the COVID storm without making drastic cuts. The 2021 budget will include the extra investment in roads and parks that we have seen the last 2 years. We are behind in road repairs and park upgrades due to a decade and a half of kicking the can down the road, primarily to fund the triangle project. This was bad fiscal policy that has been corrected over the last 3 years. The capital budget also included a $6.7 million project that was originally planned in 2014 with MWRD kicking in $3.7 million (at that time, this was the expected cost). Because this project was also kicked down the road, we are spending $3M more than we should have. The budget also included a property tax reduction of approximately $137,000. There is no doubt that COVID-19 will continue to impact next year’s budget and we have prepared accordingly. To date we have received approximately $490,000 from Cook County and Will County from COVID relief funds. According to the federal guidance received by Cook County and the State of Illinois we should be getting about $9 million. Instead Cook County and the State of Illinois are using that money to shore up their budgets. More fiscal irresponsibility from those organization. I will also point out that our police pension obligations increased over $700K in 2021. This is paid for out of property taxes. Yet, this time we were still able to find a way to cut property taxes. However, the state must address pensions or pension payments will drown out other spending completely, even at the local level. By now you are also aware of the governor’s stay at home recommendations. The facts surrounding these recommendations are still not available to the public or local municipalities. Moreover, the governor points the finger at citizens and elected officials as being at fault for the virus spread. At some point, he needs to point the thumb at himself, because his policies have not worked. We are doing the same thing now that we were doing for 3 months with no increase. Logically, there are other drivers of this disease that we are either not addressing, or that we simply cannot control. The governor also says that his models say that these actions will save 17,000 to 45,000 lives by March. Just like before, this math does not add up. Since July 1st, the case fatality rate is less than 1% in Illinois. Applying a 1% fatality rate to 45,000 lives, means that we will have an addition 4.5 million cases in the next 100 days, or 45,000 cases a day. That tells me all I need to know about his models. They are meant to scare people not present facts. These numbers do not pass the common-sense test. In order to effectively address the COVID-19 pandemic we need all of the data shared so we can make data driven decisions, accept that we are going to need to learn to live with COVID-19 and be willing to change course rather than continuing to double down on failed policies. For this reason, several mayors and I sent a letter to Cook County Department of Public Health asking them to release information that we know exists, such as:Outbreaks by site type including long-term care facilitiesApproximate number of total locations for site type in Suburban Cook CountyNumber of cases for each outbreak listed aboveOccupation for each caseUnique cases (not positive tests, to eliminate duplication)COVID-19 hospitalizations by date (Not COVID like symptoms. This will allow local officials to evaluate the burden on the system from COVID, separate and apart from seasonal flu impact.)Flu hospitalizations by dateICU beds and ventilators used as a result of COVID-19Total ICU beds and ventilatorsICU beds and ventilators used as a result of the flue The information above exists, yet all we are seeing are cases (and now we are including probably cases – whatever that means), testing positivity and COVID-LIKE illnesses. As I have been saying from the beginning, this data is not the best information available to make decisions. This week we also had a board meeting and a committee of the whole. At the committee of the whole meeting we honored the businesses and individuals who sponsored village events for over $500. We appreciate their support of the village, particularly at this difficult time. Now, we need to do the same and support our local businesses! By far the best part of the board meeting was honoring Carter Schott from Carl Sandburg High School with a Community Pride Award. He is a great representative for his high school and for Orland Park. Next, we approved a sales tax incentive for Moran Family of Brands, a non-traditional sales tax user in our industrial zoning areas. Moran Family Brands has 50 to 60 employees plus approximately 60 visitors per month using hotels and restaurants. This incentive program that we passed earlier this year, made the difference. Finally, the most important business of the night was decreasing the tax levy by $137,000 for 2021. Trustee Dodge made a motion to amend this and raise property taxes by $137,000. Trustees Fenton and Calandriello voted for this increase. However, Trustees Healy, Katsenes, Milani and I voted against the amendment to the motion, thereby killing this increase 4 to 3. Having lost this vote, the three trustees who voted to increase the levy, changed their vote to approve the $137,000 decrease that was part of the budget plan. This is the maximum we can now levy. Trustee Fenton made the point that this is only $9 to $17 per household. I pointed out that if every taxing body did the same each household would save over $150. In a time of COVID-19, losing $7 million in revenue every little bit helps and the village is leading by example. The Village of Orland Park has not lowered its levy for as far back as I could find, over 30 years. In board comments, Trustee Fenton decided to give a campaign speech as it is that time of year again. I won’t bore you with the details, but I corrected her misstatement. Her comments can be found here at approximately 40 minutes in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sswLEVf8t6c Several events are coming up:Turkey trot on 11/22Tree lighting festival on 11/29Mayor Keith Pekau, Bring on 2021 fundraiser. Tickets can be purchased here. www.keithpekau.com/2021-2 Have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the time with your families and friends. |
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