2019 PAFR2019 Popular
Annual Financial
Report
Village Trustees
Andrew Stein
Lester Ottenheimer
David Weidenfeld
Joanne Johnson
Eric Smith
Gregory Pike
A Message
from the
Village
President
It is with great pleasure that the Village of Buffalo
Grove present s the annual “A Citizen’s Guide to
Local Financial Activities” for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2019. It is my desire to deliver to the
residents of Buffalo Grove an overview of the
Village’s progress and financial performance that is
transparent and easily understood. This report
summarizes the financial activities of the Village and
is not intended to replace the Comprehensive
Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The full disclosure
financial statements, or CAFR, can be found on the
Village’s website at www.vbg.org.
The analysis conducted within this report outlines
growth drivers, capital projects, and summarized
financial and trend data. The presentation of
financial information in the report has been derived
from the audited financial statements and conforms
to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)
and related reporting standards.
The Village continues to make financial
transparency a priority and providing open
communication with its residents and businesses. It
is my hope that the information and data contained
in the 2019 guide to local financial activities will
provide the reader a snapshot of the challenges and
opportunities the Village of Buffalo Grove is
managing today and into the future.
Sincerely,
The Village Clerk's office maintains all of the Village’s
official records, meeting minutes, documents as well as
a range of services including business and liquor
licensing, voter registration and municipal code updates
are provided daily.
Budget Overview
The Buffalo Grove 2020 Budget is designed to provide residents and other
interested parties with an easy to navigate format that clearly explains how
the Village allocates its resources. Each program strives to make BG more
responsible, resilient, or safe. Every program consists of major services the
Village provides for its residents and the business community. The budget
document is therefore organized by areas, programs, and major services. The
gray boxes on the following pages provide an overview of each area .
Each program provides oversight over the services that are provided either
directly to the community or indirectly as an internal support function. How
resources are allocated within the annual budget provides the reader insight
as to what the strategic priorities are and what services are valued by Village
stakeholders. The FY 2020 Budget supports 17 programs that deliver 47
services.
Each year, the Village determines its level of service, strategic goals and
expectations and staffing levels based upon the demand for services,
anticipated revenues, and progress toward long-term operational and capital
development goals.
Responsible
Resilient Safe
BG is...
BG is...
Households in
Buffalo Grove
15,650
is the median household income in
BG
$106,564
Single family homes in
Buffalo Grove
11,326
is the median year a home in BG was built
1982
A Closer Look at BG
Responsible
BG is committed to
being prudent
stewards of the public
dollar.
To achieve this
commitment the
village takes the
following actions:
Innovating the
administrative,
personnel, and
legislative functions
Managing the village's
finances, pensions
funds and debt
service
Overseeing the
strategic use
of information
technology resources
The Village’s net position increased by $2.8 million (or 4.8 percent) during the
fiscal year ending December 31, 2019. The governmental net position increased
by $2.4 million (24.2 percent) and the business-type activities net position
increased by $0.4 million (less than one percent).
Equalized assessed valuation increased by $28 million or 1.7 percent to $1.69
billion for the 2018 levy year. The increase is due primarily to the triennial and
quadrennial assessments in Cook and Lake Counties as well as new property and
development experienced during the year.
Did you know?
Open BG provides a landing page with direct access to
the village’s financial, historical, and contractual data.
Anyone can use this data to participate in and improve
government . Check it out at vbg.org/openbg!
BG Fast Facts
Where Your Property Tax Dollars Go
BG has a distinctive local economy with an employment
base of 20,000 daily workers.
BG has over 10 million square feet of commercial, office,
and industrial space.
BG is home to several advanced manufacturing centers
as well as many high profile firms such as Flex, Siemens
and Yaskawa.
2020 Top Employers and Tax Payers
BG is...
Resilient
BG strives to provide
and maintain the
highest quality
infrastructure.
To achieve this
commitment the village
takes the following
actions:
Maintaining the
village's streets,
grounds, water,
drainage, and
sewer systems
Improving the
quality of municipal
buildings, parking
lots, and vehicles
Directing the long
term structural
needs through
engineering
The property tax levy for 2019, to be collected in 2020, funds police and fire
protection.
Revenues for the Village’s governmental activities for 2019 were $48.9 million
,an increase of 6.1 percent. Property taxes continue to be the Village’s largest
source of revenue (33.3 percent) at $16.3 million. Other taxes and
intergovernmental revenue including sales tax, state income tax, utility tax,
prepared food and beverage tax, hotel tax, and real estate transfer tax total
$20.9 million, or 42.7 percent of total governmental activities revenue.
Revenue Overview
Did you know?
BG has been recognized as one of
the top places to live US by Money
magazine and is consistently
noted as being one of the safest
communities.
Local Economy
External economic factors at the national and state level continue to impact
the Village’s revenue profile and, subsequently its ability to manage operating
and capital resources.
Property tax collections totaled $16,321,876 which is an increase from the
previous year’s total of $15,980,771, an increase of 2.1 percent.
Water and sewer collections decreased from $11,074,840 in 2018 to
$10,938,035 in 2019. A total decrease of 1.2 percent.
Sales taxes [net of rebates], both state shared and home rule, generated
$9,945,743 in 2019 versus $10,159,866 in 2018, a decrease of 2.1 percent.
The Village’s unemployment statistics have consistently been lower than the
national and state averages, with an unemployment rate at the end of the
year at 2.8 percent, besting the state rate by 0.9 percent
Buffalo Grove 2019 Revenue by Governmental Activities Source
When a TIF district is created, the property values of the parcels within the
district are set at a base equalized assessed value (EAV). Taxing bodies (Village,
county, township, school districts, etc) continue to collect property taxes based
upon the base EAV. Any increase in the EAV generates the TIF increment, which is
then available for projects within the TIF district. At the end of the TIF district's
23-year life, all real estate tax revenues are again shared proportionately by the
taxing bodies based on their individual tax rates.
Tax Increment Financing
BG is...
SafeBG knows that the
community expects to be
safe in their homes, at
work, and around town.
To achieve this
commitment, the village
takes the following
actions:
Insuring the public's
safety through
emergency medical ,
fire, and police
services
Inspecting the
environmental and
heath impacts of
businesses
Developing standards
for the permitting and
zoning of the village's
built environment
Town Center
Kensington Development Partners seeks to redevelop
the 20-acre Town Center property into a new, mixed-
use development, to be anchored by retail,
restaurants, and multi-family residential. Kensington
was attracted to the redevelopment project due to
the Corridor Plan’s bold vision and the Village’s
willingness to consider a Tax Increment Financing
(TIF) district. Kensington's investment will exceed
over $100M.
Northwest Community Hospital
The existing Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH)
medical offices at 15 S McHenry Road and 125 E Lake
Cook Road will be redeveloped into a new 4-story
70,000 sqft medical office building to accommodate
NCH. The project would also include a 4,900 square
foot retail component at the northwest part of the
site.
The Village Board has authorized the establishment of a TIF district which
includes the Town Center project and encompasses most Lake Cook Road
properties. Preliminary projections show that the taxable EAV, which is currently
$18 million, will grow to over $80 million. The preliminary TIF budget is
projected at $100 million.
Lake -Cook Road TIF District
A TIF is a commonly used tool,
which helps municipalities
make needed improvements
(such as roads and sewers) or
helps attract private
development. TIF generates a
pool of revenue used for
reinvestment within the
district. Property owners within
the district continue to pay
their normal property taxes.
Did you know?
The Buffalo Grove Community
foundation was founded in early 2020
and is a 501c3 dedicated to raising funds
for projects that improve the quality of
life of the Buffalo Grove community.
BGPD Quick
Facts
Expense Overview
The cost of all governmental activities this year was $47.7
million, an increase of 0.6 percent from 2018 ($47.4
million). The largest increase was made in Public Works
expense or $1.0 million in 2019. Public Safety and
General Government expenses decreased by $0.1 million
(0.3 percent) and $0.6 million (7.9 percent).
Expenses from all business-type activities decreased by
$0.4 million or 2.9 percent. The Water Fund expenses
decreased by $0.4 million due to less Lake County tap on
fee expenses. Golf expenses were reduced in 2019 to $1.9
million in total.
Affirmative Action
Recruiting Plan has been
in place since 1986 and
updated every 3 years.
Biased Based Policing
Annual review revealed
the 17th consecutive
year without any
complaints of biased
based profiling.
Officers complete an 8
hour Mental Health First
Aid and a 40 hour Crisis
Intervention training.
Village Pensions Obligations
The Fire Pension Fund was 73% funded as of the
12/31/18 actuarial valuation. The annual interest
rate assumption is 7% with projected 2019 returns
of 17.6%.
The Police Pension Fund was 65% funded as of the
12/31/18 actuarial valuation. The annual interest
rate assumption is 7% with projected 2019 returns
of 18.7%
For 2019, the Village funded an additional
$290,000 above the 2018 contributions. Pension
fund contributions total $5.4 million for the year.
BG by the numbers
27%
of residents were
born outside of the
United States
of residents have
some level of post-
secondary education
of residents have
access to 4+
acres per 1,000
residents
According to 2014-2018 American Community Survey five-year estimates.
87%
79%96%
of residents in the
labor force are
currently employed
Buffalo Grove 2019 Expenditures by Function
Saxon & Downing Improvement
Melinda & Hiawatha Improvement
Green Knolls & Gail Improvement
Apple Hill & Tenerife Improvement
Thompson & Brandywyn Contract 1
Maintenance Projects
Learn More About Key IMP
Projects
Stay
Connected
The Infrastructure Modernization Program encompasses
the largest initiative in the Village’s history to replace and
rehabilitate core infrastructure assets. Due to the
development patterns of the Village since 1958, much of the
water and sewer infrastructure as well as road deficiencies
exist in the Cook County portions of the Village. However,
given the desire to balance the needs of the entire village
with this initiative, several projects are planned village-wide
over the next five years and beyond.
Key IMP Project Impacts and Results
2020 Project Street
Miles
Water
Miles Total Cost
Apple Hill/Tenerife 1.75 0.0 $1,425,374
Gail/Green Knolls 1.06 0.0 $2,090,587
Saxon/Downing 0.70 0.70 $2,812,500
Hidden Lake/Checker 0.42 0.0 $201,608
Thompson/Brandywyn 4.87 0.0 $7,630,069
2021 Project Street
Miles
Water
Miles Total Cost
Melinda/Hiawatha 0.79 0.79 $2,889,400
Vintage 0.77 0.0 $918,935
Cambridge 0.75 0.70 $5,426,744
Thompson/Brandywyn 4.48 0.0 $12,235,079
Factors Regarding the
Infrastructure Modernization Program
Buffalo Grove will...
5
Make significant Investments into infrastructure upgrades and replacements.
Embark on the largest infrastructure project in the Village's history.
2.
1.
Complete planned Capital Improvements over time.3.
Minimize resident disruption.4.
Secure sustainable funding into the future.5.
November 4 2019, the Village Board approved
two significant revenue streams for this
purpose, the implementation of a fixed facility
fee and water/sewer rate increase for water
and sewer main replacement and a local
motor fuel tax to fund road improvements.
In 2020, the Board approved a bond issue
totaling $24 million - $14 million for
water/sewer and $10 million for streets, to
begin our infrastructure modernization
project, with minimal impact on the
property tax levy.
Over the next five years, the Village
projects investing over $50 million into
water, sewer and streets.
To the extent possible, project sequencing
will be arranged such that entire
neighborhoods will be completed within one
to three years based on outside funding in an
effort to reduce service interruptions and
overall disruption.
The Village Board and staff have devoted a
great deal of time to developing sustainable
practices to improve and maintain our core
infrastructure.