Lake County Gazette

The Village of Grayslake Board of Trustees held a special meeting recently to consider the details of the 2016 capital improvement program.

Village Manager Mike Ellis said the village would be wise to continue to invest in infrastructure projects, citing the benefits of previous investments in expanded transportation, water, building facilities and downtown Grayslake.

How to continue paying for infrastructure projects amid the state's financial difficulties and an uncertain forecast was a more complicated issue. Ellis said Grayslake is in a strong-enough financial position to weather up to a 75 percent cut in state income tax dollars, as well as several other expected losses in revenue, at least into 2022, but beyond that, the village would need to explore additional revenue sources in the event of a larger cut, a concern many other towns share. Trustee Bruce Bassett said revenues from construction permitting, utility tax and sales tax all could be explored.

The trustees proceeded to review all capital projects for the coming year and decided to seek bids for building a curb and gutter on Park Avenue, a sidewalk on Second Street, improving Seymour Street in downtown Grayslake, a sidewalk and planning work along Route 83, a Washington Street bike path, a sidewalk on Lake Street, and general road resurfacing.