SURPRISING STUFF

Economic inflation, throughout the Lake Geneva area (and the country), has been the primary burden that came in with a rush following the effects of the pandemic.
The effect has not excluded city departments. Budget season is here, and the different Lake Geneva Departments are trying to get the year budgeted while funding projects and having all needs met. The Manager of Lake Geneva Public Works, Tom Earle, recently shared this difficult struggle. Earle started budgeting two and a half weeks ago and it has been a full-time job. The problem is the cost of everything has continually increased over the last few years. The increased cost over the last year has been significantly substantial and is making it hard to not eliminate projects and cut corners.

One example from the public works is the cost for the needed street cleaner and the increased cost being then estimated $160,000 and now estimated at $286,000.  Of course, that kind of predatory increase cannot be credited to inflation alone…there is plenty of indirect legal thievery going on, as well. The equipment replacement fund last year had $200,000 in it and was expected to be more than enough to cover the sweeper cost. In one year, with no good reason, and inflation really isn’t it, the cost has jumped dramatically. Public works is not the only department with this kind of nightmare and the havoc it is creating with budget season. Immediate needs are being prioritized and projects or services that are not at the top of the list may need to wait.

Lake Geneva has high standards and is working hard to live up to them. The residents, along with visitors, expect things to get done and don’t necessarily look at or care how this is accomplished.

Meeting of the Whole Wasn’t