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Crain's Chicago Business: Chicago households could pay much more for heat this winter
Chicagoans are about to feel in their wallets what natural gas traders have been seeing for the past several weeks—higher prices.
Peoples Gas’ cost of natural gas in December, which it is passing along to ratepayers, is 45.49 cents per therm, 13 percent above the utility’s charge a year ago. The average Chicago household will pay $9.27 more for gas this December than they did last December if they use the same amount. And that doesn’t include the rising charges Peoples is imposing to deliver the fuel.
Northwest Herald: Cary School District 26 Board, union reach 4-year agreement
After months of negotiations, the Cary School District 26 Board has reached a four-year agreement with its teachers union, the Cary Education Foundation, according to a news release from the district.
The agreement – which calls for average salary increases of 3.48 percent, 3.26 percent, 3.01 percent and 3.36 percent, respectively – was ratified by the teachers union Friday and approved by the board Monday.
Northwest Herald: Woodstock TIF No. 2 plan approved by Joint Review Board
Woodstock’s proposed downtown TIF No. 2 passed the Joint Review Board this week, with two representatives voting against it and the remaining five supporting it.
Representatives from Woodstock School District 200 and McHenry County College voted no. Monday’s vote sought only to establish whether the proposal met state guidelines, but both taxing bodies have voiced opposition to the city developing another tax increment financing district.
Rockford Register-Star: Winnebago County Board OKs $1.7 million for Costco, others
The Winnebago County Board by a vote of 11-8 approved a resolution Tuesday to fork over nearly $1.7 million to the city of Loves Park to help pay for infrastructure improvements to East Riverside and Interstate boulevards to accommodate future commercial developments, including a new Costco store.
The county will dip into its host fee fund to pay Loves Park $280,000 a year for the next six years for a total of $1.68 million.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Little change likely in Heartland tax bills
The Heartland Community College board approved a $13.2 million tax levy Wednesday night, nearly identical to last year, and tax bills from the district are expected to stay about the same or decrease slightly for homeowners whose property assessments haven’t changed.
In preparing the 2018 levy for taxes payable in 2019, the district assumed the total tax base of five of the six counties in the district will grow by 3 percent. For the sixth county, Livingston, the equalized assessed valuation is assumed to have 5 percent growth.
Champaign News-Gazette: Champaign district, teachers union reach tentative deal in 11th session
There’s little to no chance of a teachers strike at Champaign schools this year.
Following a marathon five-hour negotiating session with a federal mediator present Tuesday, the Champaign Federation of Teachers and the Unit 4 school board reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract. It was their 11th bargaining session over the proposed deal.
State Journal-Register: Council approves raises for future city officials
With Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder breaking the tie, City Council on Tuesday night narrowly voted to increase the salaries of elected officials in 2020.
With little discussion, the city council voted 6-5 to tie the salaries of city officials to the consumer price index, which accounts for inflation. Increases would be capped to 1.75 percent. In years in which the CPI is negative, salaries would remain the same.