According to Pro Publica, Illinois is the 16th state to have to borrow to keep paying out unemployment benefits, but — just as is true of the City of DeKalb — the primary problem apparently is not due to the state of the economy: Going into the recession, Illinois had a dangerously low level of…
Category: Payment Due?
City: Breach of Contract? No problem!
Near the end of the Council meeting tonight, I argued against Re:New DeKalb’s getting another agreement with the City of DeKalb because of breach of contract. Re:New has not been turning in the documentation called for (which could then be accessed via the city through the Freedom of Information Act) nor has it been following…
SE Side Would Bear Brunt of Firefighter Layoffs
Somewhere in the pile of creative thinking known as “the blogs” it was suggested that, if three firefighters should really be laid off, perhaps the fire station closest to campus (#3) could be closed during the summer session when most of NIU is gone. Though I don’t think I wrote this down anywhere, it’s been…
City of DeKalb to Honor Contracts When It Feels Like It
Last night I once again spent four hours in Bizzaro World. It was very hot inside and about the same hot outside, yet the exit from the city council meeting felt like a breath of fresh air. Well, it did until a certain city official tracked me down as we stood outside in little groups…
Firefighters Rally Tomorrow
The DeKalb firefighters’ union, IAFF Local #1236, is putting out the word to their brethren in Aurora and Bolingbrook to join them in a rally preceding the Council meeting tomorrow evening. The members of DeKalb L-1236 need your help!! The city council is planning a vote at their meeting on June 22 concerning citywide layoffs,…
If You Like TIF, You’re Gonna Love STAR
This is STAR as in Sales Tax Anticipated Revenue bonds, and it’s a plan only big developers and pocketed or ill-informed legislators could love. I’ll put links to other articles after the jump so you can further clarify for yourself exactly how STAR financing works, but if you understand Tax Increment Financing (TIF) — and…
Municipal Morality
If you peruse the city’s check registers you start getting a feel for certain patterns. Based on a sample of five months over the past 15, DeKalb on average pays out about $5000 per month on cell phone service, $600 for locks and keys, maybe up to $1000 or so for janitorial supplies and sometimes…
All This Budget Input
The Chronicle notes Tuesday’s budget hearing. The city has held a series of public workshops during the past two weeks, with each one addressing individual, or in some cases several, city departments and their fiscal needs. Tuesday’s hearing will be another chance for residents to comment on the budget, City Manager Mark Biernacki said during…
EPI Letter
Appearing today in the Chronicle: To the editor: In a controversial action late last year, the city of DeKalb hired a financial consultant, Executive Partners Inc., to analyze our finances and make recommendations for putting the city on better financial footing. EPI’s evaluation, “Strategic Financial Evaluation & Planning Process,” was distributed to council members May…
Budget Workshop Open Thread 2
Last night the Engineering budget was scrutinized. There were some good questions, I learned a thing or two, and there was much less shouting at the TV. However, I observed a fundamental error in thinking and that is the tying of salaries to permit revenues. This is one reason we got into such a mess…