2013 PAFRA Citizen’s Guide
to Local Financial Activities
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2013
Images provided by John Kleeman
A Message
From the
Village President
Transparency is a high priority
of your elected leaders.
Your Elected
Officials
Digital Village Services
Water E-bills
You can now receive
and pay your water and
utility services bill elec-
tronically. By enrolling
in the e-Pay system,
your water bill will be
delivered to your
account inbox with a
notice email. You can
also set up convenient
automatic payments!
To enroll, click:
http://www.vbg.org/742/
Online-Payments
Public
Records
Looking for meeting
information, to contact
elected officials, review
financial information or
request public records?
One visit to the Village’s
Transparency Portal
web page brings all of
this information and
more at the click of a
mouse.
http://www.vbg.org/817/
Village-Transparency
As part of the Village’s strategic plan, several digital services
have recently been launched or will be available soon. The
Village wants you to be able to conduct your business from the
convenience of your home computer or mobile device!
Village Clerk’s Office
The Village Clerk and Deputy Village Clerk maintain all of the
Village’s official records, meeting minutes and documents on
behalf of our residents. In addition, a range of services includ-
ing business and liquor licensing, voter registration and munici-
pal code updates are provided daily.
Contact the Village Clerk’s office at (847) 459-2511.
Welcome to the first edition of the Village of Buffalo Grove’s “A Citizen’s Guide to Local Fi-
nancial Activities” for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013. On behalf of our Village
Board, I would like to thank you for taking a moment to review this report. It is intended to
provide the residents of Buffalo Grove an overview of the Village’s financial performance and
progress during the past fiscal year. This report summarizes the financial activities of the
Village and is not intended to replace the full disclosure financial statements that can be
viewed in our Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) at www.vbg.org. Rather, by
reading this report, you will be able to gain a general understanding and summary of the Vil-
lage’s major initiatives and financial activities as of year-end 2013. Individuals who wish to
review information on a more detailed basis should refer to the Village’s CAFR.
The Village Board and I appreciate your input regarding the contents of this report. It has
been prepared as a tool for its readers regardless of financial background or training and we
hope evidences our commitment to maintaining open communication and transparency with
our residents.
Although a condensed report, the presentation of financial information in this Citizen’s Report
conforms to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and related reporting stand-
ards.
I hope you gain a clear and transparent view of our government while reviewing this report
and I encourage all residents to take an active part in our local government and community.
Our community gains strength every time a person, who calls Buffalo Grove home, invests
their resources, time, and talents to make Buffalo Grove one of the best places to live.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey S. Braiman
Village President
Jeff Berman, Trustee
Lester Ottenheimer, Trustee
Andrew Stein, Trustee
Beverly Sussman, Trustee
Mike Terson, Trustee
Steven Trilling, Trustee
Get the Buffalo Grove App
Available in the iTunes
Store and Google Play,
the Buffalo Grove App
gives you full access to
news and events going
on in your community.
Pick your subscriptions to feeds from the
Village, Buffalo Grove Park District, Steven-
son and Buffalo Grove High Schools, Indian
Trails and Vernon Area Public Libraries,
Vernon Township, Kildeer Countryside and
Aptakisic-Tripp School Districts.
Find Property Information
The Village has
launched its new
map server on the
website, featuring
access to parcel information, distance
and area, assessment data and state and
federal congressional districts.
Using the interactive mapping tool, you
can overlay aerial photos, parcel lines
and find out information about any prop-
erty in Buffalo Grove!
www.vbg.org
Quality of Life in Buffalo Grove
Village Named to
CNN Money Top 50
CNN Money’s 50 Best
Small Places ranking for
2013 included Buffalo
Grove. The rating, which
covers education, income,
access to recreation and
other factors, cited Buffalo
Grove as the only Illinois
community on its list for
2013!
Buffalo Grove in
Top 20 Safest
Places to Live
Neighborhood Scout
named Buffalo Grove to its
100 Safest Cities in the
U.S. Based on criteria
such as crimes per 1,000
residents, total crimes and
population greater than
25,000, Buffalo Grove con-
tinues to be a great place to
live!
Enjoying Buffalo Grove
Buffalo Grove
Days
Labor Day
Weekend
Enjoy food, fun, music,
carnival games, fire-
works and more at this
four-day celebration.
Located on the munici-
pal campus at Lake
Cook Road and Raupp
Boulevard.
Arts Festival
July
Currently rated as one
of the top 50 art festi-
vals in the country, the
Buffalo Grove Art Festi-
val hosts more than 100
juried artists from
around the globe.
The Village of Buffalo
Grove is located approxi-
mately 33 miles northwest
of downtown Chicago and
20 miles north of O’Hare
International Airport. The
Village’s land area is 9.3
square miles, with 21.7
percent of the area in Cook
County and 78.3 percent in
Lake County. Neighboring
communities include Ar-
lington Heights, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Riverwoods, Vernon Hills and Wheeling. The
Village’s current population is 41,778 (2012 U.S. Census Bureau estimate).
Buffalo Grove was incorporated in 1958 and experienced strong growth in population
and land area for several decades. The Village’s Comprehensive Plan projects the Vil-
lage’s land area could reach approximately 11.2 square miles with a total population of
48,000.
The Village has excellent
transportation access for
residents, businesses, em-
ployees and visitors. The
Village is served by the
Metra North Central rail
line connecting to down-
town Chicago and O’Hare
airport. Pace bus service
provides access to adja-
cent communities, the
Metra Milwaukee District
North rail line and the
Skokie Swift CTA Yellow Line. The regional road system serving the Village includes
Aptakisic Road, Buffalo Grove Road, Lake Cook Road, and state routes 21, 22, 45 and
68, with direct links to Route 53 and Interstate 94.
The Village’s commercial
base includes several cor-
porate business parks, a
diverse retail sector and a
wide range of professional
services, including medical
facilities. The Village’s resi-
dential areas include single
-family neighborhoods,
townhomes, condomini-
ums and apartments. The
housing stock is very di-
verse, with units of differ-
ent sizes and designs
available at various price
points to serve the commu-
nity’s population.
From January through December, Buffalo Grove
offers many opportunities to enjoy community.
Statistical Trends 2013 2012 2011
Income Per Capita $45,057 $44,687 $44,244
Unemployment % 6.8% 7.1% 7.6%
Debt Per Capita $271.43 $289.64 $171.49
Street Resurfaced 10.84 mi 5.51 mi 2.90 mi
Population 41,778 42,330 41,911
Buffalo Grove vs. the State
of Illinois
Buffalo
Grove
Illinois
Median Income $93,567 $56,853
Median Housing Unit Value $314,400 $190,800
Homeownership Rate 81.9% 68.0%
Unemployment % 6.8% 8.9%
Persons Below Poverty Level 3.9% 13.7%
Buffalo Grove residents place a high
priority on quality events and programs for
their families. During the warmer summer
months, many events are going on
throughout the Village, such as:
Rotary Village Green concerts
Lawn Chair Lyrics concerts
Movies Under the Stars
Farmers Market
Green Fair
Buffalo Grove Symphonic Band
Buffalo Grove Singers
Invitational Arts Festival
Buffalo Grove Days
National Night Out
Fourth of July fireworks
Golf at Buffalo Grove and Arboretum golf courses
And, in the winter, there is plenty more to do inside, with many sports and extracur-
ricular activities offered by the Buffalo Grove Park District, Buffalo Grove Recreation
Association, township, library and local school district programs.
Did You Know?
Buffalo Grove boasts more
than 800 acres of parks
and open space—or 834
square feet of space per
person. That’s 4.5 times
more than Chicago!
Farmers Market
June - September
Ranked Illinois’ best farmers market, come out to
Mike Rylko Park on Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30
p.m. for the best in local food!
Emergency
Management
Agency
The Village maintains an
emergency management
agency to provide re-
sponse to natural or man
-made disasters in our
community. Working
throughout the year and
behind the scenes, EMA
volunteers prepare for
worst case scenario
events, network with
other EMA local and re-
gional agencies and pro-
vide support services to
other events throughout
the Chicagoland area.
The Emergency Man-
agement Director is Fire
Chief Terry Vavra.
Reverse 911
Do you want the Village
to be able to contact you
in the event of a commu-
nity emergency? If so,
make sure to sign up
through the Village’s
web site:
http://www.vbg.org/830/
Everbridge-Citizen-
Portal
You can choose to receive
email, text and phone
alerts, and your contact
information will never be
sold or used for another
purpose.
Emerald Ash
Borer
Removal
Continues
The Emerald Ash Borer
infestation is in full
swing in Buffalo Grove.
The Village has re-
moved more than 3,000
dead or dying Ash trees
since 2011, with more
than 4,000 remaining to
be removed by 2016.
The total cost of the
EAB response program
is more than $4 million.
Street
Maintenance
and
Reconstruction
The Village maintains
more than 115 miles of
local and collector
streets. The largest
street repaving and re-
construction program in
the Village’s history
occurred in 2012 and
2013, with more than
20 miles of streets re-
furbished.
As a full service organization, the Village of Buffalo Grove pro-
vides critical water, wastewater, storm water, street, pedestrian
and pathway, forestry and grounds maintenance services.
Public Safety is a high priority for the
Village and its residents. Comprising
65 percent of Village employees, the
Buffalo Grove Fire and Police Depart-
ments provide the highest quality
safety services to residents and busi-
nesses. Some of the programs of-
fered by the departments include:
Coffee with a Cop
Infant/Child Seat Safety Checks
Home Security Inspections
School Crossing Guards
School Resource Officers
Citizen & Junior Police Academies
Bicycle Registration
Care Trak Program
Premise Alert Notifications
K-9
Police Social Worker
CPR Classes
School Fire Drills
Smoke Education Trailer
Open House
Block Parties
Station Tours
Public Safety Services
Police Department Number
Physical Arrests 759
Parking Violations 2,984
Traffic Citations 13,171
DUI Arrests 124
Vehicle Crash Responses 1,507
Fire Department Occurrences
Ambulance Calls 2,613
Service Calls 483
Fire Calls 865
Auto Aid/MABAS 654
Infrastructure and General Services
With a dedicated staff of 41 professional maintenance personnel, the Public Works De-
partment provides around the clock infrastructure services, ranging from maintenance of
Village facilities to providing clean, high-quality Lake Michigan water. Always there to
serve, our team of professionals strives to maintain a clean, attractive and high-functioning
network of streets, sewers, mains and paths for your enjoyment!
The Village also provides administrative support to its residents and departments through
its Building and Zoning, Finance, Information Systems and Office of the Village Manager
personnel. Comprising 12 percent of the Village’s staffing complement, these profession-
als specialize in the building and construction trades, architecture, technology, accounting,
finance, technical analysis and management fields.
Budgeted Employment
by Department—2013
30
84
61.5
41
34
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Administration Police
Department
Fire Department Public Works Golf
Equalized
Assessed
Valuation
2013 Village EAV
$1,456,040,510
Total EAV
Per Capita
$34,852
Aaa Bond Rating
Affirmed
Moody’s Investor Ser-
vices recently affirmed
the Village’s Aaa bond
rating for its existing
debt. The prior rating of
Aaa by Moody’s was
assigned in 2012. The
Village is also rated AAA
by Standard & Poor’s.
GFOA Bestows
Awards
Budget, Audit
Honored
The Government Fi-
nance Officer’s Associa-
tion (GFOA) honored the
Village with its Certificate
of Excellence in Finan-
cial Reporting for the FY
2012 Consolidated An-
nual Financial Report
(CAFR) for the 31st con-
secutive year.
In addition, GFOA
awarded the Distin-
guished Budget Presen-
tation Award to the Vil-
lage for the FY 2013
Annual Budget, for the
second time.
Public Safety
39%
Public Works
27%
General
Government
13%
Water/Sewer
14%
Golf Course
5%
Refuse
2%
More commonly referred to as
EAV, is the ratio of the total value
of real estate compared to all
other properties in the jurisdiction
of the government, which the gov-
ernment has set as a basis for
levying taxes.
EAV calculations are different for
residential and commercial prop-
erties. In addition, Cook and
Lake Counties use differing for-
mulas to establish EAV.
Buffalo Grove By the Numbers
Top Ten Real Estate
Tax Payers
Equalized
Assessed
Valuation ($)
Chevy Chase Business Park Ltd. 20,464,998
Hamilton Partners 10,137,535
Millbrook 9,215,125
Penobscot Management 8,467,934
Riverwalk South LLC 8,223,173
Arthur J. Rogers and Co. 7,793,556
Aptakisic Creek Corporate Park
LLC
7,743,800
Rexam Consumer Plastics Inc. 7,471,298
MFREVF– Windbrooke LP 7,415,247
Riverwalk II LLC 5,913,136
Tax Collection
By Source Property 14,504,750
Sales & Home Rule 7,803,749
Income & Use 4,737,656
Telecomm 1,943,811
Utility 2,629,997
Property Transfer 760,164
Other 1,052,788
Total 33,432,915
Tax Type Amount ($)
Property Taxes Collected by Agency—Lake County
S c h o o l D i s t # 1 0 2 - $3 8
H i g h S c h o o l D i s t # 1 2 5 - $3 0
V ill a g e o f B u ff a l o G r o v e - $1 0
V e r n o n A r e a L i b r a r y D i s t - $3
B u ff a l o G r o v e P a r k D i s t - $6
L a k e C o u n t y - $7
L a k e C o F o r e s t P r e s e r v e - $2
C o m m C o ll e g e D i s t # 5 3 2 - $3
V e r n o n T o w n s h i p - $1
S c h o o l D i s t # 2 1 - $4 5
H i g h S c h o o l D i s t # 2 1 4 - $2 3
V ill a g e o f B u ff a l o G r o v e - $1 0
I n d i a n t r a il s L i b r a r y D i s t - $5
B u ff a l o G r o v e P a r k D i s t - $5
C o o k C o u n t y - $5
W h e e li n g T o w n s h i p - $1
M e t r o W a t e r R e c l a m a ti o n - $4
N W M o sq u it o A b a t e m e n t - $1
C o m m C o ll e g e D i s t # 5 1 2 - < $1
C o o k C o F o r e s t P r e s e r v e - $1
Use of Taxes
By Function
Property Taxes Collected by Agency—Cook County