Headline: “Quinn: Approve borrowing or lose local tax revenue”. Legislative leaders are considering a proposal that would authorize [Illinois Governor Pat] Quinn to shift money from other state accounts if he is not granted permission to borrow the money. The plan also includes a proposal disclosed Friday to suspend local income-tax payments to cities and…
Category: Payment Due?
Workers Comp in DeKalb
You may recall that DeKalb would like to join the Municipal Insurance Cooperative Agency (MICA) instead of continuing to self-fund its liability “insurance,” but MICA calculated the premium at $1.1 million per year up front and we can’t seem to find the money. The premium was based in part on a five-year average of actual…
Council to Vote on More Econ Development Help
Council members will vote Monday on a resolution to outsource economic development services from Hopkins Solutions, LLC. Hiring an economic development director was recommended by the financial consultants’ (EPI) report released May 2009. The Roger Hopkins who established Hopkins Solutions last year is probably none other than the past director of the DeKalb County Economic…
TIF Protest in Chicago
Chicago Sun-Times: “Anti-TIF marchers demand $4M from N. Side auto dealer”: About 150 teachers, parents and activists marched into the Grossinger City Autoplex and demanded a check for $4 million Saturday. That would be the “TIF” money — protestors called it “The Mayor’s Slush Fund” — diverted from the public schools and given to developers…
FPC Discussion of High School Track Expansion & Stadium “Infrastructure”
This is Part 3. Current candidates are highlighted. Click on any image to access larger versions and the whole album.
New High School Going Short on Custodians
So begins systemic neglect at the new high school — my interpretation of an article in the Daily Chronicle today: The all-day kindergarten would also be paid for by not filling four custodial staff positions at the new high school until the district has more revenue. In 2008, the Facilities Planning Committee (FPC) voted to…
FPC Vote on High School Core Capacity
As noted earlier, District 428 cannot find a way to fully staff the new DeKalb High School with custodians. Decisions made in 2008, as detailed in the following Facilities Planning Facility meeting minutes below, helped lead to today’s failure.
Extended Comment on the Advisability of a South 4th Street TIF
I left a comment at DeKalb County Online in response to 5th Ward candidate Rob Fischer’s possible support for a new TIF. Says Mr. Fischer: TIF’s are one of the most powerful tools municipalities have at their disposal to renovate neighborhoods. My wife and I were just talking the other day about how the city…
What’s Wrong with Corn Fest is the City of DeKalb
There has always been a group that embraces Corn Fest and another that leaves town. However, public sentiment against Corn Fest Committee seems to be reaching an all-time high with the latest decision to continue it at the airport. But the real problem here is not so much the Committee as the City of DeKalb,…
Underfunded Pensions in Chicago
Hinz at Crain’s: The City of Chicago and related local governments like the Chicago Park District collectively under-funded their worker pension plans by $5.1 billion in the past decade, according to a new report by the Civic Federation. As a result, the retirement plans now have as little as 36.5% of the assets needed to…