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PRINCIPLE # 2 HOW TO "HOLD THE LINE ON TAXES" 
MANAGE THE GOVERNMENT EFFICIENTLY

SMART LEADERSHIP HAS "MAINTAINED THE NATURE OF THE VILLAGE of OLYMPIA FIELDS & "HELD THE LINE ON TAXES"

 

  • NO NEW VILLAGE DEBT IN EIGHT YEARS

     - Debt Has Been REDUCED From $15.7 million To $4.9 Million In Eight Short Years

     - Village Reserves Have Grown To TWICE The Recommended Government Accounting Requirements

     - Pre-Plan Capital Projects / Don't Commit To Projects If We Do Not Have The Money / Every Project Is Open To Competitive Bidding 

  • THE VILLAGE HAS NOT BORROWED A DIME IN 8 YEARS...we do not chase grants, spend your money and wait years for reimbursements

  • THE VILLAGE GENERAL FUND EXPENSES ARE 82% OF WHAT THEY WERE TEN YEARS AGO 

  • EVERY PROJECT MUST BE COST JUSTIFIED AND COMPETITIVELY BID

  • ALL CAPITAL PROJECTS / OBLIGATIONS ARE FOR THE GOOD OF THE ENTIRE VILLAGE 

  • DEPARTMENT HEADS MANAGE BY OBJECTIVES AND HAVE INCENTIVES TO CUT COSTS

  • THE VILLAGE of OLYMPIA FIELDS HAS NOT RAISED ITS TAX LEVY (RATE) IN THREE YEARS

  • NO INCREASE IN WATER RATES IN EIGHT YEARS

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PLANNING, INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY, ELIMINATION WASTEFUL SPENDING & BUSINESS CONTROLS HAVE ALL HELPED TO

 "HOLD THE LINE ON TAXES"

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01

SMARTER MORE EFFICIENT & EFFECTIVE POLICE DEPARTMENT

  • Upgraded OFPD's Fleet to Hybrid cars that have help to reduce our fuel bills by more than $6000 per month

  • No longer participate in special police task forces like SWAT, major crime or federal task forces outside of Olympia Fields

  • Police officers no longer take cars home over night and on the weekends

  • We have replaced our code enforcer / pool car with an all electric car which have helped to further reduce fuel cost

  • The OFPD has installed and operates 12 cameras to leverage and serve as a force multiplier to protect our residents

  • Additional stop signs have been installed to curb speeding 

  • Olympia Fields Police Department is now one of only 58 police departments CERTIFIED & ACCREDITED in the entire state of Illinois

02

DEPARTMENT PUBLIC WORKS 

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  • DPW has reduced its dependance on vendors and outside contractors.

  • It now uses technology and software like iWorQ, a task management program, to track project assignments and completions.

  • The purchase of a trackhoe mini-excavator for in-house repairs of water main breaks and swale remediation.

  • This new mini-excavator more than pays for itself by enabling DPW to be more efficient, surgical, and causing less damage to streets, driveways and lawns. 

  • Phase I covers Graymoor Lane, Corinth Road, Oakwood Drive, and Brookwood Drive. Phase II covers sections of 203rd Street. Click for more (Over $3,000,000 Improvement Project.)

  • DPW staff now remediates and creates new swales, a task previously outsourced, which has saved the village over $150,000.

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03

ELECTRONIC WATER METERS

  • We used technology to transition to a monthly billing program for water and sewer usage.

  • It helped to lower monthly payments, enabling better expense management, and reduced the burden of large lump sum payments.

  • The Village now has the ability to remotely read every water meter on a real time basis, 24 hours a day. We now can do early detection of leaks, plumbing issues, and other problems, preventing costly water bills, thereby saving both our public works team and residents time and money.

  • Two years ago, we installed our Sensus FlexNet Tower to aid in water cost reduction and improved efficiency. The tower reads water meters in real-time, enabling our department to identify unusual high-water use, equipment failure, and system outages. This reduces expenses and prevents unnecessary water loss, which is a significant cost and resource savings for customers. Olympia Fields’ average municipal water system water loss, like the national average, was around 16%, while today it is down to approximately 3 to 5%.​

  • Efficient management equates to no water rate increases for 8 years.

04

CLOUD BASED ELECTRONIC RECORDS

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We’ve adopted Key cloud-based platforms to streamline workflows and manage essential functions:

 

- BS&A Software: An enterprise resource planning system for local government, managing budgeting, licensing, permitting, and utility billing.

- ClearGov: A public-facing budget and financial management software for local governments, providing transparency in financial reporting.

- Laserfiche: A searchable content management program that interfaces with BS&A, archiving important records like contracts, invoices, purchase orders, personnel files, ordinances, and resolutions.

- InTime: A scheduling software for law enforcement agencies to track time and attendance.

- Paylocity: An all-in-one human resource program managing benefits, time and labor, and payroll.

 

These cloud-based systems are more efficient, secure, and accessible than traditional methods. They’ve increased staff productivity and enabled residents to make and manage online payments more efficiently.

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COLLECTIVELY, THESE AND NUMEROUS OTHER TECHNOLOGIES HAVE ENABLED YOUR GOVERNMENT TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE NATURE OF THE VILLAGE OF OLYMPIA FIELDS AND "HOLD THE LINE ON EXPENSES & TAXES"

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