Well, now, looky here: Communications which pertain to the transaction of public business, and are sent or received on personal electronic devices during city council meetings or study sessions fall within the definition of “public records” under FOIA. In the interest of full disclosure to the public, denying the records would be inconsistent with the…
Category: City Watch
IAFF Contract to be Voted on Tonight is Not Available for Online Perusal
So get this, the notification of the agenda came out Friday and if you want to take a look at the 70-page contract proposal and tell your alderman what you think of it, you have to somehow squeeze in a visit to the city manager’s office before 6 p.m. this evening. It’s not a part…
The Housing Task Force, Its Surprise Consultant & Trust
The last full meeting of DeKalb’s Safe/Quality Task Force was November 16 and I attended. A funny thing happened there. The meeting started out with members expressing dismay that the city had unilaterally brought in a consultant to work on some of the same issues the Task Force is addressing, namely property maintenance code enforcement…
Find Illinois TIF Annual Reports Online
The State of Illinois Comptroller’s Office has begun posting annual Tax Increment Financing (TIF) reports from FY2010 on. Go here and click on “View Submitted TIF Reports.” You’ll find the City of DeKalb’s FY2010 report there so far. FY2011 should be along soon.
Comment on the Approval of the Library Expansion
People are starting to ask me why I’m against the DeKalb Public Library expansion. I’m not against AN expansion of DPL. I’m against THIS expansion because I disapprove of secrecy, corrupted processes and the lack of proper public participation. I’m against letting the current library board, a group of proven lawbreakers, run the show. Pick…
DeKalb’s Pension Rebound & Tax Games
This is a belated response to a November 12 story in the Daily Chronicle, “Police, fire pensions reportedly on rebound”. Instead of posting here at the time, I sent a letter to the editor. Three days later I still haven’t heard back. The article makes it clear the City of DeKalb Finance Division knew all…
Addressing Media Coverage of the DeKalb’s Latest “Surplus”
The Daily Chronicle is irritating me this week. DeKALB – It wasn’t long ago that DeKalb had only a $22,000 surplus in the general fund. Now, with the Fiscal Year 2011 audit almost complete, city officials say they are looking at a $6.3 million surplus. The DeKalb City Council on Monday will be asked to…
Depending on City Officials for Truth about Legality of Library Expansion? Please.
It was a toss-up whether to focus on DeKalb Public Library’s ongoing coyness about its expansion plans, or the role of local media in covering for it. How about a bit of both. Today’s WTF moment is brought to you by the Daily Chronicle in “DeKalb officials expand on library land process, say everything appears…
DeKalb’s Ratio of Debt Service to General Fund Expenditures
Once again I am pulling from DeKalb’s Debt Management Policy. This time it’s a limit on debt service expenditures as a percentage of General Fund expenditures. 3. Ratio of Annual Debt Service to General Fund Expenditures The formula for this computation is annual debt service expenditures divided by General Fund expenditures (excluding certain interfund transfers).…
How Close I Came in Estimating the VSP Payout Breakdown
I recently asked a City of DeKalb employee in the Finance Division how accrued payroll was accounted for in the budget and was told it is reflected in regular payroll line items (e.g., 8101, 8102). I was in despair that there apparently wasn’t a “clean” number reflecting just the separation payouts. Then I accidentally discovered…