I’ve re-visited previously published revenue tables in an ongoing effort to monitor DeKalb’s financial recovery. Are we yet on solid financial ground? Make the jump to see what you think. (FYI this is a long one, folks.)
Category: Payment Due?
Reaction to the New Planters
[Update 6/21: Here’s another reaction to the new planters. The person who took this photo says at least four of the planters had been toppled as of Wednesday.] There’s already been a lot of discussion about the new City of DeKalb/NIU ashtrays urinals planters at the City Barbs Facebook Page. I don’t want to duplicate…
Zorn on Holiday Pay for City Workers Who Don’t Work Holidays
Eric Zorn poses a question on this Sun-Times story in his blog: The Sun-Times story on the rocky negotiations between the city and the firefighters union notes that one area of contention is Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposal that only firefighters who work on holidays be awarded holiday pay: Former union president Bill Kugelman (said)…“ Holiday…
Lyons Township and the Very Large Accrued Leave Payout
Apparently this became a story when an employee of the Better Government Association looked up a salary at Open the Books, an online database of Illinois public employee and government financial information. Open the Books is a project of For the Good of Illinois, a good-government organization founded by former gubernatorial candidate Adam Andrzejewski. Vive…
RIP Without the Inspections
Once upon a time (2008, actually) the City of DeKalb contemplated a massive licensing and inspection plan for rental properties (PDF pp. 15-32) called the Rental Inspection Program, or RIP. The proposed fee schedule for the RIP (PDF pp. 19-20) began at $78 for a building of 1-5 rental units for annual licensing and inspection.…
DeKalb Library Land Purchase is Complete
The DeKalb Public Library closed yesterday on its purchase of land for expansion from Castle Bank, trustee under Trust Agreement #2222 and the sole beneficiary of the land trust, developer Steve Irving. The purchase price is $1,450,000 plus $25,000 for each month/part of month beyond the original target closing date of October 1, 2011, according…
Thoughts on Property and Sales Taxes in DeKalb, and Where We Go from Here
The City of DeKalb is close to setting its property tax levy for the year. It is requesting the same amount as last year. I read in the paper that 2nd Ward Alderman Tom Teresinski is saying we will pay the same amount in property taxes as last year because even though the rate will…
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…
DeKalb’s Limit on Per Capita Debt
As implied yesterday, I’ve got my hands on the City of DeKalb’s Debt Management Policy. The City Clerk is looking into getting this document posted at the city’s website, but meantime you can get a copy of it from him or from me. It’s a 12-page PDF. In continuing our look at DeKalb’s limitations on…