Where you can and can’t buy recreational marijuana in Illinois

11/15/2019

Many Illinois municipalities have voted to ban or restrict marijuana sales when it becomes legal for sale. Here’s a list of where pot will, won’t and might be legally bought.

TAGS: Arlington Heights, Bolingbrook, Buffalo Grove, cannabis, Carbondale, Carol Stream, Chicago, City of Springfield, collar counties, Collinsville, Danville, Decatur, Downers Grove, DuPage County, Edwardsville, Elmhurst, Grayslake, Highland Park, Joliet, Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, legalization, Libertyville, Lombard, marijuana, Mundelein, municipal government, Naperville, Northbrook, Oak Park, Plainfield, prohibition, Schaumburg, Urbana, Waukegan, Wheaton, Winnetka

Pritzker ‘fair tax’ could hike taxes on typical Decatur family by up to $274

By Vincent Caruso

02/27/2019

While progressive tax proponents champion their “tax on the rich,” middle-income families in Decatur could see a tax hike under the income tax models praised by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

TAGS: Decatur, income tax, JB Pritzker, progressive income tax, taxes

These Illinois Halloween laws might scare you

By Austin Berg

10/18/2018

Scraping through a few hundred municipal codes in Illinois didn’t turn up any trick-or-treat ordinances allowing for jail time. But fines associated with age limits, curfews, masks and more were aplenty.

TAGS: Belleville, criminal justice reform, Decatur, overcriminalization

New Bloomington city manager to outearn 49 U.S. governors

07/03/2018

Decatur City’s city manager is on his way to take the same post in Bloomington, and with it a raise that will push his income above 49 of the nation’s 50 governors.

TAGS: Bloomington, budget, Decatur, taxes

In a shrinking state, Census sheds light on struggling cities

By Austin Berg

05/24/2018

When people can’t find good job opportunities in Illinois, they are too often forced to leave. And to take their place, too few have enough confidence in the state to move in from elsewhere and build a future.

TAGS: Belleville, Decatur, jobs, outmigration, progressive income tax, property taxes, Robert Martwick, Rockford, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau, unemployment

Chicago was the only major U.S. city to lose population from 2016 to 2017

By Austin Berg

05/23/2018

In a shrinking state, half of Illinois’ largest cities have shed population since 2010.

TAGS: Belleville, Chicago, Decatur, jobs, Metro East, outmigration, Peoria, population, Rockford, spending, spending cap, U.S. Census Bureau

Decatur’s fiscal bind may lead to police and fire layoffs

05/19/2018

Reductions in state subsidies are one reason for Decatur’s predicament, but long-running pension woes are an even larger source of pain.

TAGS: budget, Decatur, municipal pensions, pensions, property taxes, taxes

In budget bind, Decatur cuts golf sponsorship

05/15/2018

The Decatur City Council moved to stop paying $20,000 to sponsor a golf tournament with the village of Forsyth, a sensible move for a shrinking city operating on a budget deficit.

TAGS: budget, Decatur, deficit, Macon County, outmigration, property taxes, taxes

As Macon County shrinks, property tax rates grow

05/01/2018

With countywide population dipping, remaining taxpayers in Macon County are being left with an ever-increasing property tax bill.

TAGS: Decatur, gas tax, Macon County, outmigration, population, property taxes, taxes, workers compensation

Illinois’ metro areas shed 3,600 jobs in March

By Bryce Hill

04/30/2018

Seven metro areas across the state lost jobs over the month.

TAGS: Bloomington, Champaign, Decatur, Elgin, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, jobs, labor force participation rate, Peoria, Quad Cities, Rockford, Springfield, unemployment