Lake Council approves 2021 budget, awaits state approval

The property tax levy for 2021 will increase by 1.8% as the Lake County budget increased from approximately $167 million in 2020 to approximately $170 million in 2021, officials said.

The Lake County Council on Tuesday approved the proposed budget, which also includes a 3% salary increase for all employees other than those with state-mandated salaries and those in a union, said Finance Director Scott Schmal.

Throughout the budget process, council members have reiterated that department heads should maintain their 2020 budgets while preparing their 2021 budgets – and to prepare for shortfalls to the 2022 budget – as the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic begins to surface.

Before the final vote, the board approved moving money from maintenance and services to free up money for shift differential in the jail budget, Schmal said. The shift in funds will offer an additional $3 an hour for the part-time night shift mental health workers in the jail to entice workers for the position, he said.

The 2021 budget also includes a shift in $1 million in the jail budget from the property tax-sourced funds to income tax-sourced funds after the state increased its income tax forecast, Schmal said.

Of the $15.7 million allocated to Lake County in CARES Act funds through the state, the county filed approximately $550,000 in reimbursements as of Tuesday, Schmal said. The state recently expanded CARES Act funds rules stating that payroll for certain public safety and public health workers can be reimbursed, so Schmal said the county is reviewing the budget to determine which payroll items can be submitted, he said.

The budget has been finalized by the council, and is now pending state approval, Schmal said.

At its monthly meeting Tuesday, the council approved refinancing the Crown Point Community Public Library bond refinancing, which will save the library approximately $1.2 million.

The approximately $8.9 million general obligation bond was issued in 2011 to build the Crown Point Community Library at 122 N. Main St., said Director Julie Wendorf.

The library is refinancing and reissuing the bond, similar to refinancing a mortgage, to $7.7 million at a lower interest rate, Wendorf said. The $1.2 million in savings means there is no cost to taxpayers, she said.

The $1.2 million will go toward COVID-19-related expenses, such as adding air purifiers to the library’s HVAC system, buying a washer and dryer to sanitize cleaning materials “because of the lack of access to sanitary wipes,” and upholstering cloth furniture to vinyl, Wendorf said.

Library officials also plan to use a portion of the money to upgrade LED lighting that, within two years of installment, will save the library $20,000 a year on energy cost, Wendorf said.