CROWN POINT | The Lake County Council is giving senior government employees more time, but no new incentives, to sign up for its early retirement program.

Council members voted Tuesday to give county employees -- who are 65 or older and have at least 10 years seniority -- until Nov. 1 to apply for a program in which they can give up their full-time jobs with a guaranteed return to a part-time job with the same hourly pay and insurance benefits.

Council members rejected a plea by Jim Petro, a 69-year-old technician in the county surveyor's office, to expand the program by reducing the age and service eligibility by five years so employees could collect early pensions.

"The program hasn't been accepted because it misses the people it needs to target," Petro said.

Fewer than 30 of the 140 eligible county government employees opted in before the original sign-up period ended late last month.

Council members said they need more early retirements and a smaller full-time payroll to meet the goal of cutting $15 million from current spending levels.

Councilman Larry Blanchard, R-Crown Point, and Tom Dabertin, county government's personnel consultant, said they believe many more will take part in the program given a second chance to sign up.

Blanchard said he doesn't consider the program a failure, despite the low initial turnout.