Lake County Council 2027 Budget Workshop and First Reading - September 8, 2026

The Lake County Council held a budget workshop and first reading for the 2027 fiscal year on September 8, 2026. The council approved several ordinances, including salary, longevity, clothing allowance, per diem expenses, and the Lake Ridge Fire Department budget, while hearing detailed discussions on the fire department's financial challenges, the Solid Waste District's budget, and the Crown Point Library's budget. All votes passed 6-1 with one member absent.

Consent Calendar

• Ordinance No. 1 (2027 Budget First Reading): Approved with motion and second. Vote 6-1 absent.
• Ordinance No. 3 (Salary Ordinance for 2027): Approved with motion and second. Vote 6-1 absent.
• Ordinance No. 4 (Longevity Ordinance for 2027): Approved with motion and second. Vote 6-1 absent.
• Ordinance No. 5 (Uniform Clothing Allowance Ordinance): Approved with motion and second. Vote 6-1 absent.
• Ordinance No. 6 (Per Diem Expense Ordinance for 2027): Amended to increase breakfast from $10 to $15, lunch from $15 to $20, and dinner from $25 to $30, citing inflation. The amendment passed 6-1 absent, then the ordinance as amended passed 6-1 absent.
• Ordinance No. 7 (Lake Ridge Fire Department Budget for 2027): Approved on first reading with motion and second. Vote 6-1 absent.
• Ordinance No. 9 (Crown Point Library Budget for 2027): Approved with motion and second. Vote 6-1 absent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were recorded during the meeting.

Discussion Items

• Lake Ridge Fire Department Budget: Fire Chief and district advisor Trista Hudson presented the district's perspective. The fire department's contract with the district is currently at $250,000, but the chief requested an increase to $350,000. The district's 2027 budget shows expected property tax revenues of approximately $525,000 after circuit breaker losses, with expenses including $250,000 for the fire contract, $112,000 for a building loan to Centier Bank (outstanding payoff of $469,000 as of December 2025), $90,000 for operating expenses, and a $150,000 emergency reserve. The ambulance service budget has grown from $150,000 to $840,000 proposed for 2027, with projected billing revenue of $350,000 for 2026 and an expected $500,000 spend. The chief expressed frustration that the ambulance service receives constant increases while the fire department is denied, and noted that the ambulance spends 75% of its time in Gary, leaving the district uncovered. Council discussed the possibility of using county funds to pay off the building loan to free up $112,000 annually for the fire department, and asked for run data to be presented at the next meeting.
• Lake County Solid Waste District Budget: Councilman Brewer expressed constituent concerns about the value of the $6.5 million district budget. District representative Kara explained that $2.5 million is returned to communities based on household counts, and services include household hazardous waste collections (9 per year), computer/TV recycling (9 drop locations), tire recycling (18 locations), and educational programs. Cost per household is approximately $14, with a minimum for Schneider of $5,000. Councilman Brewer requested further evaluation of the district's efficacy but did not oppose the budget.
• Crown Point Library Budget: Director Wendorf presented the 2025 annual review, noting a 4% increase in visitors (over 236,000), a 7% increase in circulation, and a 19% increase in program attendance (over 47,000 attendees at 1,300 programs). The library requested a 4.5% budget increase, exceeding the 50% growth quotient limit under HEA 1406, but emphasized they are not asking for additional funding from the county. The budget includes planned emergency reserves and capital funds, and the library serves Crown Point, Winfield, and portions of Center Township.
• Veterans Service Officer Position Restructuring: Jason, the CVSO, requested permission to use a vacant position (unfilled for two years) to provide pay increases to other staff, noting his salary is the lowest among comparable county CVSOs. He manages five employees with three VSOs and serves 24,000 veterans. Council deferred the request, asking for a written proposal and further discussion with the budget chair, while expressing caution about repurposing vacant positions.

Key Outcomes

• All ordinances listed under Consent Calendar were approved on first reading with 6-1 votes (one absent).
• The council agreed to consider using county funds to pay off the Lake Ridge Fire Department's building loan ($469,000) and directed the fire chief to provide run data and call statistics before the next reading.
• The county Solid Waste District budget was approved despite concerns about its efficacy; further review was promised.
• The Crown Point Library budget was approved without additional funding requests.
• The council voted to cancel the Thursday, October 8 budget workshop (previously scheduled for 11:30 AM) with a 6-1 vote.
• Council directed Jason (CVSO) to submit a written restructuring proposal for the vacant position, with further discussions to follow.