Excerpts from the Chicago Tribune:
Earlier this month, Mundelein made a bold move by not filling its vacant fire chief position and instead promoting its police chief to oversee both departments. This decision marks the beginning of potential government consolidation in the area.
Village Administrator John Lobaito explained that the new structure will be a 12- to 24-month trial, during which the village will explore ways to share resources with nearby municipalities. Countryside Fire Protection District has already shown interest, according to Fire Chief Jeff Steingart.
"When everything started [with Mundelein], we opened the door to take a peek and begin a dialogue on what we can do together in the future," Steingart said. "It’s still really early on, and they’re reviewing all their options, but once things get settled, our two leaderships will be sitting down together."
Steingart's interest is partly driven by Senate Resolution 760, approved unanimously by the Illinois Senate on July 15. The resolution calls for local government units in Lake County to consolidate in order to save taxpayer money and create a committee to study possibilities, with a report due by October 2016.
Mundelein’s leadership change came after more than three months without a fire chief or deputy fire chief. Tim Sashko retired in April due to a recurring neck injury, and Deputy Chief Tim Leidig later took a job in West Chicago, leaving the department without top leadership.
On August 10, village trustees created a new role called public safety director, promoting Police Chief Eric Guenther to lead both departments. This move saved the village one administrator from the payroll.
“This is not necessarily the end game,†Lobaito said before the vote. “It is intended to be in place until we decide it doesn’t work or until we find a better way.â€
Battalion Chief Ben Yoder, who had been handling administrative duties for three months, was promoted to deputy fire chief during the same meeting. Internal promotions are expected to result in only one firefighter opening, according to Guenther.
The ordinance specifically states that the jobs of fire chief and police chief will not be eliminated, but left vacant in case the old system is restored in the future.
By not replacing Sashko, Mundelein is saving over $135,000. Sashko’s final salary was $147,113 per year, while Guenther’s new stipend is $971.66 per month ($11,659 annually). However, Guenther’s salary as police chief is $153,340, which represents a 7.6% annual raise.
Countryside already shares a lot of coverage with Mundelein’s fire department, and Steingart believes sharing more administrators would not be too complicated. The Countryside fire station along Midlothian Road is actually located in Mundelein, though the fire district does not cover surrounding homes and shopping centers.
Countryside serves approximately 35,000 residents across 24 square miles, including parts of several neighboring towns. In the mid-1990s, an agreement was made between the two groups: Countryside would assist Mundelein along Midlothian Road, and Mundelein would assist Countryside along Route 45.
“I think we can work toward full consolidation, not just Mundelein and Countryside, but other agencies too,†Steingart said. “That’s a long haul because there are many moving pieces involved, such as needing to go to voters. But we all want to save lives, and many of us help each other already.â€
Consolidation is already taking place in the dispatch area. Vernon Hills police have operated a dispatch center that also coordinates services for Countryside, Lincolnshire, and Libertyville for years. This arrangement reduces costs and improves communication during emergencies.
A study is underway to see if even bigger mergers can occur. Further consolidation could lead to better pricing through bulk purchasing, reorganization of lower-level jobs, and improved service without raising taxes.
Vernon Hills Police Chief Mark Fleischhauer highlighted this during a July 7 village board meeting, where he discussed a $350,000 study for a countywide dispatch center. The Lake County Emergency Telephone System Board also contributed $2 million in August 2014 toward new radio towers, designed and operated by Motorola.
Once these towers are in place, anyone with the new handheld radios and dispatch equipment can use the network. The Vernon Hills dispatch center is already using this system.
On July 7, Fleischhauer convinced Vernon Hills trustees to support the study and approve spending to switch the current dispatch center onto the Motorola network. Previously, Vernon Hills used a small series of radio towers maintained by local municipalities. Now, the cost is being shared among state agencies and participating municipalities throughout Illinois.
Fleischhauer noted that if a countywide dispatch center is built, crews in Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, and Countryside will already have the necessary radios. However, Mundelein police and fire services are not part of the current consolidated dispatch center, and officials say they're still exploring their options regarding radio networks.
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