Fuel Costs Wrecking Budgets Everywhere

Not just me and you getting hammered by high fuel costs, government agencies everywhere are feeling it and reeling from it.

Soaring Fuel Costs Draining Government Budgets

WSJ: SEIU Docking Paychecks for Politics

Update: Right wing website Hot Air has also written up the curious political activities of the SEIU here, and ref’s the same WSJ story. Thanks Red Fred.

SEIU is the nations second largest public services union, with 850,000 local and state government workers, public school employees, bus drivers, and child care providers. They are actively organizing in Illinois, targeting non-management government public employees as a growth area.

DG already has three unions: Police, Fire, and Public Works, all non-management level.

The Wall Street Journal published this opinion article today:

DG Budget Problem On One Page

Budget crunches can hit two ways; budgeted expenses come in higher than planned, and budgeted revenues come in lower than planned. DG has the unpleasant trend of both together.

One quarter into the fiscal year, Staff could see the trend, and raised the alert to council, outlining some steps they would initiate right away to shorten the gap.

You can read the entire monthly report, including the financial breakouts, here.

The 1% tax rate hike for the DG Telecommunication Tax has not yet kicked in on these reports. The local rate was 5% and is going to the maximum allowed by law 6%, same as many communities, That 1% rate hike is a 16.67% (oops) 20% increase in the local tax portion of your phone bills, anticipated to bring another $70,800 each month, or $850,000 into the coffers.

Click on image for a larger version.

The Strange Case of 63rd & Leonard: Intermezzo

According To State: Bradford Real Estate=Not Good Standing

Bradford Real Estate, Inc, the company behind Bradford 63rd LLC, has been listed as not in good standing as a corporation by the state. Bradford 63rd, LLC, is listed as in good standing.

Which company is developing this property and why can’t they keep their names straight?

Click on pic for larger image.

The Strange Case of 63rd and Leonard: Part 2

The residents of Hobsons Triangle may be in two land fights. Do they even know it?

Why would Bradford 63rd LLC pursue a development at 63rd and Leonard that fits almost none of the zoning ordinance requirements? Why would residents be subjected to almost a year of uncertainty?

Well, residents of Hobson’s Triangle, I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is you’re not alone.  A neighborhood west of Fairview Village is going through the same kind of uncertainty and frustration as you are as a development gets strung out again and again. The bad news is, there is no other good news.

Bear with me…

… I have a pretty full plate between work and family matters right now.

I had meant to do a bit on the citizen meetings. John Schofield has it, all right, over at DGreport-thanks John.

Short form: Streets, Flooding, Budget; these are essentials as I see them. Everything else is negotiable.

Red Light Cameras: Letter To Council

Active d Red Light Camera Enforcement Systems green sheets here.

My letter to council is after the break. Any questions?

Red Light Cameras: Dissing Chief Porter? NOT.

More than a couple of people have said that they have taken my comments as seeming to belittle Chief Porter and his department, and applying dark motives to his request for RLCs.

Those comments misunderstand the three posts on Red Light Cameras, and the analysis of the Chief’s report, and also the breakdown on the green sheets prepared by staff for council.

Staff Asks Council For Permission To Rein In Spending

This is an unexpected turn that shows a staff willing to bring bad news to the public light. It would be nice if it’s always good news, but good news or bad news; what matters is that it’s accurate news so informed decisions can be made based on that accurate information.

Two items of note regarding budgeting and spending coming up for discussion at this week’s council workshop that reflect that mindset:

The Strange Case of 63rd and Leonard

This is a google aerial view of 63rd and Leonard. On the south side is a Woodridge shopping center; a Target Greatland on the east, fronted by a small “mini strip”; with Dominick’s in the middle, fronted by a recently leveled and empty lot and a restaurant, and capped on the west end next to I-355 by a popular Thornton’s/McDonald’s. On the north side a quiet tree filled neighborhood that has existed unchanged for 40+ years.

There’s a light at Leonard so cars can get in and out of the shopping center, and in and out of the neighborhood. Bradford Realty LLC sees that traffic light as a green light to move businesses north into the residential neighbrhood.

Acting Out

This is the brochure created by the village for the search for a new Village Manager. It’s very nicely done, and appears to be prepared in advance of a nationwide search. Will we hire an outside agency to do the search? Can we just kick Acting Village Manager Dave Fieldman’s “Acting” off his title and get on with it? Anyone else hired has a steep learning curve.

He knows the current public agenda, staff knows him, etc.

P.S.- Note the zooty swooshy branding curves on the brochure.  Who needs consultants!?

Some 2000-2007 Budget Numbers

Compiled from the village budgets, and required standardized annual reports filed with the State Comptroller. These graphs represent select information, not everything. Trying to find “tells” of expenses for specific future purposes by going through the budget is all but impossible. Our budget reporting is not unique in being dense and difficult to understand; in fact DG does better than most communities. Someday it will be searchable, but that day is not now.