Burr Ridge Assesses 'Total Damage' To Budget

BURR RIDGE, IL — Burr Ridge is assessing the "total damage" to the village budget caused by the pandemic, Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso said in a message over the weekend. Village staff, he said, have been busy preparing a new financial plan.

In his public bulletins Sunday and Monday, Grasso noted the pandemic will have economic effects on government entities everywhere, including Burr Ridge.

"Going forward, we will have to assess the total damage and rebuild — possibly creating a new financial structure that did not exist before the virus struck the US," Grasso said in his statement.

The village board, the mayor said, would have to assess what revenue can be counted on and determine what the village can afford.

In Monday's message, Grasso cited his experience as mayor during the Great Recession. He also named five of the six trustees whom he said held the credentials to help with the village's finances. He left out Trustee Zach Mottl, a regular critic of the mayor who recently stated he thought the mayor was a mobster.

"We have five experienced and qualified trustees and highly experienced and capable staff to tackle the fiscal challenges we will have to solve," the mayor said.

Grasso said he would speak more about financial issues later.

Unlike other mayors in the area, Grasso has been issuing daily bulletins to residents during the coronavirus epidemic. He has been touting Bo Jackson's "The Cure is Us" as the village's slogan in fighting the virus.

Read more:

Illinois Coronavirus Update April 6: 11,256 Cases; 274 Deaths

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