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Managing Lake Bluff resources top priority
Village Administrator Drew Irvin runs Lake Bluff from his office in Village Hall. | Mark Ukena~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: November 23, 2012 8:34AM
LAKE BLUFF — If a town was a private company, a village administrator would be its CEO or CFO.That’s the way Drew Irvin, Lake Bluff’s village administrator, characterizes his job. The description is apt. Just like a CEO would, Irvin reports to a board that makes the policies. Irvin’s job is to carry out those policies.
Q. What are the most pressing issues Lake Bluff faces?
A. Managing our resources effectively is always our biggest challenge. Revenues are tight as we continue to be in an economic decline. We are constantly looking at how much we are bringing in on the one end and then how much we’re spending on the other. Are we putting resources toward the right programs and projects? That’s what we’re focused on.
Q. Given the economy, how would you describe Lake Bluff’s fiscal situation?
A. I would say that, thanks to the policies of current and former Village Boards, the village is in an exceptional fiscal position. We make wise decisions with our resources, as our AAA credit rating reflects.
Q. How is the state of Illinois’ pension crisis affecting Lake Bluff?
A. The state certainly controls how robust the pensions are, but we have a record of funding at the required level and higher. I would say it’s not affecting us tremendously.
Q. What is Lake Bluff doing to promote economic development?
A. We have a sub-committee working on changing the regulatory environment of the Waukegan Road corridor. That area brings in a lot of revenue for us and we need to make it friendlier to businesses. There’s also a branding and marketing initiative in the works that will spread the message that Lake Bluff is a great place to do business. We’re just starting this process and should be done in about five months.
