Oak Park Adopts 2011 budget

The Oak Park Village Board unanimously approved the village's 2011 budget, a hold-the-line spending plan of about $125 million.

For the first time in three years, village officials avoided layoffs and instead found other ways to shore up the bottom line. 

Five new employees will be working for Oak Park this year — two in human resource employees, a civilian training officer position to free up a policeman for patrol duties and two firefighters hired with federal grant money.

Vacancies will be filled on a case-by-case basis, said Craig Lesner, Oak Park's chief financial officer.

Slumping revenues resulted in the elimination of 70 jobs over two years and other austerity measures.

Budget and revenue reviews will be conducted regularly to assess whether adjustments may be needed, Trustee Ray Johnson said.   

One revenue source of particular concern is the real estate transfer tax, which is projected to rise this year from $1.750 million to $1.950 in 2011, according to revenue projections provided by the village. Sales tax receipts are also anticipated to increase by nearly $100,000.

Spending in the general fund, which provides money for police and fire, public works and other functions, will rise 6 percent to $49.602 million in 2011, up from $44.931 million in 2010.

Salary increases, rising employee health insurance and pension contributions, and additional money to replace trees damaged by this summer's storms, also contribute to the spending increases, Lesner said.

Covering the cost of many of the general fund expenses will be property taxes, which this year are projected to be $29.417 million, for an increase of about 2.5 percent.

Fueling board concern, particularly from Trustee John Hale, were levies to help fund police and fire pensions, which will be $803,486 and $57,293, respectively, or about 33 percent of the total levy.

Hale said these pension costs were unsustainable and feared that rising costs could lead to staff decreases in police and fire and other departments in the future.

Also included in the 2011 budget are a series of fee increases, including:

• Water rates – 2.5 percent
• Sewer rate — 2.5 percent
• Garbage pickup — 2 percent, based on the size and number of containers used by a household.
• Permit parking — 6 percent average rise, based on location of parking spaces.

A total of $8 million will be spent this year for capital improvements, with nearly $6 million paying for street, alley and sidewalk paving. Village officials say grant money will pay for continued .

Improvements are also slated for Madison Street and the South Marion Business District. Viaducts at Marion and Ridgeland will also be improved for a cost of nearly $800,000; a grant will cover the costs.

Editor's note: Oak Park-River Forest Patch contributor Deborah Kadin is the administrative assistant for the Oak Park Firefighters' Pension Fund.