Along with many other residents, I’ve noticed the new Lake Bluff signage appearing throughout town. The new signs are blue and white; you might have seen one in front of the train station. The design is nice, but the new signs are fairly small. The old green signs were doing their job perfectly well.
I also attended the Village Board meeting this past Monday, November 28, where next year’s taxes were discussed. At that meeting, we learned that the Village’s police pension fund is projected to be only about half-funded (52 percent as of April 30, 2016) and the Village Government is considering a tax increase for 2017.
After that Village Board meeting, I became curious about the cost of these new signs. I searched records of the Village Board to find out. It’s wise to know how the government is spending your money.
Fifteen new signs cost $84,437.01 to fabricate, and that work was awarded through a no-bid contract. The Village estimated an additional $15,000 to install the signs, for a total of $99,437.01. Using the Village’s installation estimate, the average cost to make and install each sign was $6,629.13.
When you get off the train after a long day at work, and you see that new sign when you’re crossing Sheridan Road, don’t forget how much it cost. Your hard-earned tax dollars paid for it.
Mark Stolzenburg
Lake Bluff
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