Stuff you may not have read...

So besides recall, OTB, dance clubs etc., just what is the Village Board doing. As the late Paul Harvey would say... "Stand by...for NEWS"

At its Nov. 16 board meeting..the Board was presented with a budget -- the village budget -- if you have questions about how the village is being run, all you have to do is watch presentations by the staff. I have always been impressed by the village staff, even the cop who gave me a speeding ticket on Arlington Heights Road.

Village Manager Bill Brimm spelled out the details of the budget to the Board and the smattering of residents who attended. I won't go into details because they're beyond my statistically challenged head -- but the bottom line is the village needs to find ways to balance the books. I'm sure the budget is available for review at Village Hall. If it's not, we have problems.

Aside from the exhaustive details, the highlight of the budget is that the number of rounds played at the golf course is down, but the Arboretum Course had its second best year in 10 years. Not sure why, not sure I care. But it's stuff like that has played havoc on the budget.

But seriously, folks -- we can all expect a tax on gas usage and electric usage. Brimm note the village needs to find new sources of income lost because of the poor economy. A dwindling sales tax is the result and the outlook for the village isn't encouraging -- especially if you take into consideration revenues from car dealers. With the demise of the Chrysler dealership, the village lost between $250,000 - $300,000 in sales tax revenue. With Arlington Toyota moving to Palatine, the projected loss to village coffers is $400,000 - $500,000. And that does not include new accelerator pedals.

If sales tax revenues recover to their previous levels, Brimm has indicated the tax would be re-evaluated. From the looks of the economic forecast, don't get your hopes up too soon.

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Say what? November is Native American Month in Buffalo Grove. Not sure where it came from, but if the village is going to recognize one heritage, it needs to recognize every month for every culture.

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On a roll... Village President Elliott Hartstein made a passionate plea for the extension of Rt. 53. He said 75 percent of the votes cast in the referendum on the topic favored it.

Nice being in the minority. I'd like to see the transportation benefits of extending a north/south road when it's the east/west routes that stink. So we have a nice new north/south road -- but we clog the east/west arteries to get to it. Seems to me there's more traffic heading east and west during rush-hour periods than north and south.

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And finally...

Among the tidbits that were revealed during Bill Brimm's budget presentation was the fact that the average age of municipal employees is 43 years with 15 years of service. But not in Buffalo Grove. The age is 50 years old with 24 years of service.

AARP discounts ahead?