As a Home Rule community, DeKalb has no state-imposed legal limit on its indebtedness. Non-Home-Rule municipalities (at least those under 500,000 population) do have a limit. It’s 8.625%* of the taxable value of the properties within their boundaries, and they must report compliance with the limit by computing Legal Debt Margins for their Comprehensive Annual…
Our Newest Boondoggle
You thought they learned their lesson with the skating rink? Hah!
TIF Lawyer Convicted of Theft
An attorney who worked primarily on Tax Increment Financing (TIF) related issues for Calumet Park was sentenced in Cook County to six years in prison for overbilling the village for several years. A state’s attorney’s investigation of [attorney Mark] McCombs was triggered in 2010 after Community High School District 218 Superintendent John Byrne started questioning…
My Views on Home Rule
Since it appears the issue of Home Rule could easily be revived in DeKalb, I’m going to indulge myself by setting straight my position on it. For those of you who don’t know: I ran for mayor of DeKalb in 2009, and from all indications was generally known to oppose Home Rule. This belief was…
Vindication
From the 1973 Assembly on Home Rule in Illinois (my emphasis): Municipal home rule referenda are dependent on implementing legislation as well as on constitutional authorization. Section 28-4 of the Election Code (“Referendums required by Constitution in respect to units of local government”)* sets forth the requirements for all referenda authorized by the local government…
Corn Fest Financials
[table id=31 /] 2004-5: No grants were allocated as such for these years but there were expenses listed as “contributions,” of $2,500 and $3,064, respectively. 2006: Yowza. 2007: There was rain and flooding. 2008: This was Corn Fest’s first year at the airport. 2009: Lady Antebellum probably saved their hash. Source: Grant Space Tools
DeKalb Threat Data by Neighborhood
A member of the City of DeKalb’s Safe/Quality Housing Task Force recently offered me copies of the crime data the group has been poring over this summer — but only if I promised not to publish it, because it’s not for public consumption! Perhaps we should be training these committees, commissions and whatnot in the…
Chicken Petition Gets Mixed Reception at Farmers’ Market
The Holly House Chicken Lady sat all afternoon at the DeKalb Farmers’ Market yesterday. See what happened to her there.
Town Hall Next Week at Conexion Comunidad
Third Ward Alderman Kristen Lash will hold a town hall meeting next Wednesday, August 31. So far, participants are: Kristen Lash, 3rd Ward Alderman Jim Luebke, DeKalb Township Trustee Paul Stoddard, County Board, District 9 Julia Fauci, County Board, District 9 Alderman Lash hopes also to include a representative of the District 428 school board.…
The Holly House
Citybarbs is pleased to add to our blogroll another local voice, The Holly House, a blog devoted to “green living on a blue collar budget.” The blog owner, a 4th Warder like me, has begun developing a proposal for amending DeKalb’s municipal code to allow residents to raise a few hens for eggs, as well…