Union says deputies willing to sacrifice to help budget

GENEVA -- Formal talks began this week between the Kane County sheriff's deputies union and the county on contract concessions to help balance the sheriff's budget for 2010.

Union representative Dennis Carroll said discussion in the county labor- management meeting was the first time the union had been approached formally about helping find a solution to budget issues.

Carroll said the union was prepared to defer some compensation until after 2010.

"Our membership had a meeting, and we're willing to defer a lot of things, but not just willing to give them up," Carroll said.

Failing to reach an agreement on concessions could mean layoffs of deputies.

Carroll said that he was told about $817,000 would need to be cut from the 2010 budget.

"I hope and pray we don't have layoffs," Carroll said.

County board representatives, including Catherine Hurlbut, R-Elgin, said she thought deferments would be putting off the budget issues until next year and compounding the deficit.

"It's unmanageable," Hurlbut said.

Sheriff Pat Perez, who also is participating in negotiations on the management side, has proposed using a $500,000 fund set aside for new police vehicles from the county's Regional Transportation Authority sales tax to cover a budget overage.

Perez said the department is expected to receive more than $200,000 in grants for vehicles.