Shortened Village Hall Hours to Save Buffalo Grove Thousands

Buffalo Grove residents who stop by Village Hall to pay bills or call with questions on Monday nights will soon face a shorter time frame.

In an effort to save money, village officials have decided to close Village Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Mondays. For the past decade, the building has remained open until 7:30 p.m. on Mondays to give residents extra time to conduct business. The rest of the week, Village Hall closes at 4:30 p.m.

The village pays about $26,000 annually in overtime for two employees to work three extra hours each week, Finance Director Scott Anderson said. The after-hours shift is staffed by one staff member from the building and zoning department and one finance department employee. While traffic volume does not require two staff members to work overtime, the plan ensures that residents' needs will be addressed and serves as a safety measure, he said.

However, Anderson said this week, "We're getting less and less traffic at the front counter" on Monday evenings. He attributed the decrease to the fact that the village offers more services online and that residents no longer need to purchase vehicle stickers.

A recent review of Monday evening visitors revealed that 92 percent of them arrive before 6:30 p.m., Anderson said. "Generally, from 6:30 to 7:30, there's very little phone activity and maybe one person [who visits]. The data just doesn't drive staying open until 7:30."

The shortened Monday hours will go into effect June 1, the village announced this week in its email newsletter. The building will remain open until 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.