Village President Tom Strickland took a nod from Charles Dickens Monday during his State of the Village address.
“This is not the best of times, but it is not the worst of times,” Strickland said, describing the village’s economic standing.
He boasted cost-saving measures enacted by the village, including his own choice not to accept such perks as village health insurance or a work-issued cellphone or car.
The creation of a part-time public safety coordinator and elimination of the full-time position will save the village $121,000 annually, he said.
“Making cuts to our cost of government while keeping services at a high level is a No. 1 priority for Village Hall,” Strickland said.
Changes Machesney Park will see soon include outsourcing fewer services.
The village recently decided to end its street repair contract with Municipal Maintenance after the company requested an increase in its contract.
Strickland said the move will save the village money, though an exact figure is not yet known because the salaries of the technicians to be hired have not yet been released.
“There comes a time in the life of a village that it is more advantageous to outsource most of its services,” Strickland said. “And as the village grows and develops, it makes more sense for the same village to perform more of these services in-house.”
Strickland highlighted upcoming construction on Illinois 173 as one economic challenge Machesney Park will face.
“This will bring much traffic congestion and frustration to drivers and businesses,” he said. “But the village is working on marketing and promoting the area, encouraging shoppers to stay with us through that tough time.”
Healthy retail business is vital to Machesney Park because the village doesn’t levy a property tax and receives nearly half of its revenue from sales taxes.
Source:http://www.rrstar.com/top_stories/x1425879918/Leader-Outsourcing-among-ways-Machesney-Park-can-cut-costs
