Alorton is an Illinois village near East St. Louis of about 3,000 people, a median household income that is roughly the same as DeKalb’s per capita income and a median home value of $47,000. Its government is being investigated by the feds for “systemic corruption.”
Some village officials have been indicted. The mayor hasn’t been charged with anything, though his home was raided last month:
McCallum said [after the raid in January] federal agents told him they were looking for documents related to tax increment financing.
Agents took boxes and several safes from the McCallum home and the Village Hall. The agents searched outside the home where a boat was parked under a carport, inside a garage where a silver Hummer was parked, and inside a white truck that was parked on the lot and all around the house.
The publication hasn’t shared what McCallum’s day job is. He resigned from office Monday over being too busy to do the mayor’s job anymore.
By the way, Mayor McCallum tendered his resignation publicly, to the Alorton Village Board. That’s more consideration than what we’ve been getting lately.
Tiny Alorton apparently does have a TIF, though its administrator doesn’t seem to be submitting annual reports to the Illinois Comptroller.
Maybe that was the start of the trouble?
Anyway, it’s always good to see the Feds venture out of Chicago sometimes.