U.S. Steel to shed up to 1,000 Southern Illinois jobs

By Bryce Hill

07/06/2022

U.S. Steel is cutting up to 1,000 jobs and selling parts of its Granite City plant. The move comes as Madison County employment remains down over 5,600 jobs since the pandemic.

TAGS: employment, Granite City, jobs, Madison County, United States Steel Corp.

Amendment 1 will cost typical Madison County homeowner $646

By Bryce Hill

06/20/2022

See how much more you can expect to pay in property taxes unless voters reject the first question atop Illinois’ ballot Nov. 8.

TAGS: Amendment 1, Madison County

Madison County voters asked about Illinois lawmaker raises, double dipping

By Joe Tabor

11/02/2020

Two advisory ballot initiatives will ask Madison County voters about automatic raises for lawmakers and public worker double dipping.

TAGS: ballot referendums, lawmaker pay, Madison County, pensions

Mail ballots identifying voters by party sent out in Madison County

By Brad Weisenstein

10/06/2020

The county clerk said it was a mistake, and that safeguards are in place to ensure ballots are handled properly and counted, regardless of party affiliation.

TAGS: election, Madison County, vote-by-mail

Pritzker claims statewide economic growth, but these Illinois metro areas are shedding jobs

By Bryce Hill

02/10/2020

Despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker touting growth in “every major region,” Illinois shed jobs in three metropolitan areas and lagged the national average in seven more.

TAGS: Bloomington, BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, budget, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, constitutional amendment, economic competitiveness, economic growth, economics, economy, employment, fair tax, flat tax, government spending, graduated income tax, Great Recession, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, income growth, JB Pritzker, job creation, jobs, labor, Madison County, metro areas, Metro East, Moline, pensions, Peoria, population, progressive income tax, recession, Rockford, spending, spending cap, Springfield, St. Clair County, tax burden, tax hikes, tax increase, unemployment, Urbana, working-age

Madison County home values down 17%, property taxes up 3% since recession

By Brad Weisenstein

09/17/2019

Without true pension reform, Madison County homeowners will only continue to see the gap between their property taxes and home values grow.

TAGS: Madison County, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, taxes

Pension costs push Metro East property taxes up, as population shrinks

06/17/2019

Residents in Illinois’ Metro East area are fleeing a growing property tax burden, fueling regional population loss.

TAGS: Madison County, Metro East, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, St. Clair County, taxes

Southwestern Illinois loses big chunk of population, with one exception

By Brad Weisenstein

04/25/2019

One Illinois county in the greater St. Louis area is losing so many residents it ranks No. 5 nationwide for population loss. Its neighboring county was one of the few in Illinois to grow.

TAGS: Madison County, Metro East, Monroe County, outmigration, population, St. Clair County

Madison County makes history with generous taxpayer support of museum

By Brad Weisenstein

12/04/2018

Most county historical societies in Illinois rely on donations and memberships, but the Madison County Historical Society receives a generous infusion of tax dollars to run its museum and library. County leaders just cut the total, but why do they provide taxpayer support at all?

TAGS: Kurt Prenzler, Madison County, Madison County Historical Society, taxes

Metro East voters dissolve underwater park district

By Brad Weisenstein

11/07/2018

Taxpayers voted overwhelmingly to dissolve Collinsville Area Recreation District – but the debt the district incurred will burden taxpayers for years.

TAGS: Collinsville, consolidation, local government consolidation, Madison County, Metro East, property taxes