Title
Resolution honoring Barry Burton for his years of service to Lake County.
Body
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Barry Burton was appointed Lake County Administrator by the Lake County Board in January 2002; and
WHEREAS, Lake County is the third largest county in Illinois with more than 700,000 residents, a 21-member elected board, eight county-wide elected officials, and more than 20 departments and agencies with 2700 employees; and
WHEREAS, as county administrator, Barry serves as the chief administrative officer responsible for developing and managing a half a billion-dollar budget, providing direct oversight of 10 operating departments and administrative coordination of 14 departments; and
WHEREAS, Barry earned his Master’s of Public Administration from Northern Kentucky University and Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Administration from the University of Cincinnati and served as Deputy County Administrator in Franklin County, Ohio, and County Administrator in Allegany County, Maryland before being hired as Lake County’s Administrator; and
WHEREAS, for more than 16 years, Barry Burton has provided exceptional leadership and management, and the highest commitment to ethics and integrity at Lake County; and
WHEREAS, Barry has earned Lake County a reputation for being fiscally strong and making prudent, data-driven financial decisions resulting in consistent balanced budgets, a consistent AAA credit rating from both major credit agencies, low debt and strong financial reserves, and wise investments in infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, Barry was instrumental in guiding Lake County through one of the largest recessions in American history, directing the Accelerated Retirement Option program, which provided employees a fair option to consider retirement, while saving the County millions of dollars; and
WHEREAS, under Barry’s leadership, the County has constructed many facility projects totaling 471,739 square feet of new space, including the Lake County Courthouse Expansion Project - the largest expansion of our criminal justice system in 40 years and accomplished this without increasing property tax rates by engaging in a collaborative, long-term plan with our criminal justice partners; and
WHEREAS, other infrastructure investments during his tenure include the Robert W. Depke Juvenile Complex Center expansion, the Central Permit Facility, the Lake County Health Department Grand Avenue Health Center, Probation and the Public Defender’s Office, branch courts, and the Lake County Administrative Tower remodeling; and
WHEREAS, Barry has influenced many successes over the last 16 years, advancing sound policy and strategic priorities with one major accomplishment being the new, integrated permit review and development process that streamlines the project approval process, allowing new business construction and expansion projects to move more efficiently from planning to completion; and
WHEREAS, he has also served on the Board of Directors of Lake County Partners, a public-private partnership that focuses on improving economic development and the business climate in the region, and has worked with Partners to create more than 2,000 acres of shovel-ready development sites in Lake County; and
WHEREAS, Barry led a multi-year collaborative community-driven effort to invest into a new Winchester House and those efforts have resulted in the first new skilled facility being constructed in our county in more than 20-years; and
WHEREAS, he directed the response and recovery efforts from four federally declared disasters from widespread flooding and coordinated and collaborated with state and local partners to provide for the protection and safety of our residents; and
WHEREAS, under Barry’s leadership, Lake County is making great strides in improving traffic congestion in Lake County through the implementation of a 5-year, $550-million-dollar transportation plan funded by the ¼ % sales tax; Barry also led a regional planning effort to build IL Route 53 through a new and innovative environmentally sensitive road design; and
WHEREAS, Barry has worked with more than 30 department heads, 50 board members, and a countless number of employees; and
WHEREAS, Barry takes great pride in his exceptional team and truly values all of the incredible employees he’s had the opportunity to work with, giving them credit for their hard work and contributions that have helped position Lake County as a model of excellence in the region, the state and the country; and
WHEREAS, Barry has an authentic leadership style that is real, straight-forward and genuine, and is sensitive to the needs of others; his strong sense of purpose inspires others to recognize the value and importance of their work in serving the public; and
WHEREAS, Barry has created a team culture that blends business and purpose with humor and fun, and he’s often seen laughing and sharing stories with staff; and
WHEREAS, Barry has served his community and the public management profession by serving in various leadership roles including the United Way of Lake County Board of Directors and as President of the Illinois City/County Managers Association in 2017; and
WHEREAS, in 2012, Lake County was recognized by the International City, County Managers Association (ILCMA) for the value Barry brings to the community as a professional manager who runs an ethical, efficient, and effective local government through its Life, Well Run campaign; and
WHEREAS, Barry has accepted a position as the County Administrator of Pinellas County, FL and will soon be moving to the Sunshine State with his wife Cathy; and
WHEREAS, Barry is deeply committed to his family and is the proud father to Chris, Michael and Jenna, and proud grandpa to two grandchildren; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Lake County Board thanks Barry Burton for his 16 years of service to Lake County and wishes him the best at his new position with Pinellas County.
Dated, at Waukegan, Illinois, on October 9, 2018.