Budget season begins for Lake County
Lake County officials submitted their wish lists Tuesday on the first day of the 2024 budget process.
Scott Schmal, Lake County’s financial director, said the county is in good shape as it moves into the 2024 budget season. He said his department has worked with most department heads to create budgets that would stay within 3% of 2023′s actual expenses. Combined budget requests total $186 million and the maximum useable levy is $192 million.
“The overall financial health for the county is probably better than it has ever been,” Schmal said. The challenge officials face right now is not knowing the actual cash balance due to a snafu with how data was entered into the county’s new accounting system.
The data was entered in a way that prevents it from being generated into a report. As a result, the State Board of Accounts in August ended a routine audit of the county’s finances after investigators could not find the information needed.
At the time, county officials said investigators could not find the information available or the cash balances they needed to successfully complete the audit.
Kendra Leatherman, SBOA general counsel, said at the time SBOA policy is to not comment on audits before they are complete and the office considers the Lake County audit ongoing.
“Theoretically, you can approve everybody’s request,” Schmal said, adding however, that he would not advise it.
Approving everything as requested would cut into any reserve used for unforeseen expenses. A 10% swing one way or the other could derail the budget if all requests are approved as submitted, he said. It would also penalize the officials who worked to stay within the 3%-increase range over the 2023 budget requested by the council versus those who did not, he added.
“We need to be mindful of rewarding the behavior we deserve,” Schmal said.
Treasurer John Petalas was the first to come before the council. Petalas said his budget stays within the 3% requested by officials, including a 3% salary increases for his staff.
“We stayed within our parameter,” Petalas said.
Coroner David Pastrick said he used to stay within what was requested, the first time he was coroner, but this time he needs more.
“Just like every other office in the county, we’re overworked,” Pastrick said, adding he probably should have sat down with someone from the financial office in figuring out his budget, but he did not. Along with boosting a few line items, Pastrick seeks a 5% increase for his staff.
Most increases in the various offices and departments involved staffing and an attempt to make county pay competitive in order to help with worker retention. Department heads sought overall pay increases of 3% to 5%. Some officials also sought to adjust pay scales on some jobs, which they say are underfunded.
Prosecutor Bernard Carter said he struggles to retain prosecutors because his are among the lowest paid in the state. When his deputy prosecutors leave, usually it is not to go into private practice, but to go to a different prosecutor’s office or department where attorneys are paid at least $15,000 a year more and in some cases $40,000. He was seeking two new positions, pay adjustments and pay increases.
The Sheriff’s Department also is seeking a 3% across the board pay increase for its staff. Chief of Police Vincent Balbo said the collective bargaining agreement with officers is still being negotiated, so that figure could change. He said the department was able to stay within the 3% increase requested by county officials for general fund revenues. The department is seeking $3.5 million from the public safety fund, about $2 million more than its usual request. Those funds will be used for construction projects at the jail.
Council members say they understand the challenges retaining and hiring employees when competing with the private sector. Council Vice President Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, and Councilman Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, after the meeting said they supported pay raises but the amount would need to be determined.
“The growth quotient is 4%,” Cid said, adding she was not yet sure where other council members stood.
Bilski said officials have been trying to deal with pay disparities, such as they recently did with the 911 dispatchers.
“We are having a hard time finding people,” Bilski said.
There was no push back from any council members on requests for employee pay raises from department heads and elected officials regarding pay increases.
