Illinois special interests seize power through low voter turnout

08/22/2022

Illinois mandates off-year municipal elections, but they result in lower voter turnout that gives powerful special interest groups more influence and diminishes local voters’ concerns.

TAGS: municipal government, voter suppression, voting

Illinois pensions 101: Paltry contributions yield million-dollar payouts

01/17/2020

Across all five state retirement systems, typical career workers pay for about 5% of the cost of their pension benefits. They receive an average of $1.7 million to $3.6 million.

TAGS: Edgar Ramp, firefighter pensions, GARS: General Assembly Retirement System, government employees, government services, government unions, government workers, IEA-NEA: Illinois Education Association, IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, Jim Edgar, JRS: Judges’ Retirement System, municipal government, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, police pensions, public sector, retirement age, Rod Blagojevich, SERS: State Employee Retirement System, Social Security, social services, Springfield, SURS: State Universities Retirement System, tax hikes, tax increase, TRS: Teachers’ Retirement System

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

61 Vernon Hills village employees earn more than $100K

By Vincent Caruso

05/07/2018

More than half of the full-time village workforce takes home total compensation over $100,000 annually.

TAGS: Lake County, municipal government, municipal pensions, pensions, property taxes, salaries, Vernon Hills

East St. Louis police and fire pension fund crises risk state intervention

By Brendan Bakala

04/29/2018

East St. Louis’ police and fire pension funds experienced large funding shortfalls in 2016, putting the city at risk of revenue garnishment from the state comptroller’s office.

TAGS: East St. Louis, IDOI: Illinois Department of Insurance, municipal government, municipal pensions, pensions

Elgin residents facing multitude of tax and fee hikes

By Brendan Bakala

12/08/2017

A 2018 budget proposal for Elgin includes a new gas tax, an increase in water and sewer rates, and other tax hikes.

TAGS: Elgin, municipal government, municipal pensions, pensions, property taxes

Decatur passes budget out of balance by $3 million

12/06/2017

As its population and tax base erode, the city of Decatur passed a budget for fiscal year 2018 more than $3 million in the red.

TAGS: budget, Decatur, municipal government, municipal pensions

Palatine passes property tax hike to pay for pensions

By Brendan Bakala

12/06/2017

Palatine homeowners will see higher property tax bills in order to pay for higher local pension costs, as well as a dip in state funding.

TAGS: municipal government, municipal pensions, Palatine, property taxes

More than 250 Peoria city employees receive over $150K in compensation

By Brendan Bakala

09/12/2017

Lucrative compensation for government workers stands in stark contrast to the city’s budgetary struggles and a flagging local economy.

TAGS: local government, municipal government, pensions, Peoria, property taxes

Oswego hikes taxes on fuel and prepared food and beverages

By Brendan Bakala

09/07/2017

The new taxes are planned to pay for road maintenance and improvement as well as general use. As is the case in communities throughout Illinois, pension costs are crowding out other spending in Oswego.

TAGS: budget, municipal government, Oswego, pensions, property taxes