Machesney Park wins fourth consecutive distinguished budget award

By Bob Balgemann
Reporter
Make it four in a row and counting.
The village once again has been recognized by a state organization for the quality of presentation of the annual budget.
Since 1984, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has presented the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to governments that have prepared and distributed budget documents of the highest quality. Those documents reflect both the guidelines established by the National Advisory Council on State and Local Budgeting and the GFOA.
Budget and Human Resources Manager Michelle Johannsen announced during the Dec. 2 village board meeting that Machesney Park has won the award for the fourth consecutive year. She and Village Administrator Tim Savage prepare the budget with help from department heads, who provide their projected needs for the coming year.
The village’s budget is an extensive collection of information.
Required numbers are presented in readable fashion in the 27-page budget. There also is an 85-page budget document that contains those numbers plus a lot of reports starting with an explanation of the budget process. There also is an overview of the village with its history, an executive summary of where the money comes from and the percentage of the spending plan it makes up; a budget analysis; details of each department and its budget numbers; bond indebtedness; and financial policies.
More than 1,000 governmental entities receive this award nationally, with about 100 in Illinois.
Holiday giving
Also Dec. 2, Mayor Steve Johnson gave his bimonthly report that included a reminder of the deadline for dropping off new, unwrapped toys at Village Hall for the annual drive to benefit children. Toys will be accepted at 300 Roosevelt Road from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Friday. The many families served by Helping Hands Food Pantry, 7620 Elm Ave. in Loves Park, will benefit from this effort.
Another deadline coming up Friday has to do with the village’s annual Holiday Lighting Contest. Nominees will be accepted until Friday by calling village hall, 815-877-5432, with the three winners announced at Monday’s final village board meeting of 2019.
The village’s student liaison from Harlem High School, Hannah Herrera, will be judging the nominated properties again this year.
In addition, Mayor Johnson gave a recap from two holiday highlights – the 23rd Light Up The Parks Holiday Parade – which is followed immediately by the village’s annual tree lighting ceremony.
He said there was a record number of entries in the parade with the following floats winning awards: Best Business, Schnucks; Best Community, Loves Park Lions Club; Best Youth, Manchagi District Scouts; and Mayor’s Award, Harlem School District 122.
The tree lighting was “a huge success,” he said.
And he concluded: “This year the parade was a joint effort between the village and city of Loves Park. A big thank you to all who made the event a success.”
Donation
The mayor also presented a financial donation to the director of the Helping Hands Food Pantry, Jerry Gibson, “in recognition of all they do for the community.” The pantry, located adjacent to North Park Church of Christ, serves about 400 families each month.
“This has been a long-standing relationship we’ve had with the village and we’ve been able to be the distribution arm of your toy campaign for, I think, at least 10 years,” Gibson said. “We’re honored to be able to do that, and make Christmas brighter for a lot of kids in the community. We do thank you!”
Also in a holiday vein, Community Development Director James Richter II reminded everyone to follow the village’s Destination Machesney promotions on social media, encouraging people to shop locally during the holiday season.
One contest has been held, he said, and another one is planned before Christmas.
Village Engineer Chris Dopkins provided an update on construction of the village’s new Public Works Department building on the north side of town. Work is continuing, he said, though it has been challenged due to the recent wind and rainy conditions. Still, Commonwealth Edison and NiCor are planning to be on site this month to put in their utilities. “That’s really good news for us,” he said.
Previously, it was hoped village Public Works employees could occupy the building in February 2020.