Some are under the impression that the City of DeKalb’s Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) for Public Works and management employees allows for early retirement under Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) rules. That is not the case. IMRF does have an Early Retirement Incentive (ERI) and it’s a pretty good deal — so good, in fact,…
Verbic Does Work for Barb City Manor
Third Ward Alderman Pam Verbic did finally return my e-mail inquiry regarding her employment at Barb City Manor, confirming that she has worked there part-time for the past three years. You will recall that such a connection will require her abstention from votes on BCM and TIF 2. Thanks to others who made the same…
Voluntary Separation
The agenda packet for Monday’s special City Council meeting to discuss the Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) is missing a few things: 1) An analysis of how much this program could cost us. Surely the city must know how many of its employees are eligible, since only those with 20 or more full years of continuous…
Next Crisis: Commercial Real Estate
Hat tip to Steve Berg, who talked about this weeks ago: By the end of 2010, about half of all commercial real estate mortgages will be underwater, said Elizabeth Warren, chairperson of the TARP Congressional Oversight Panel, in a wide-ranging interview on Monday. “They are [mostly] concentrated in the mid-sized banks,” Warren told CNBC. “We…
AG Madigan on the City of DeKalb
I saw this in person and have not watched all of the video. For anyone who wants to hear exactly what AG Madigan said about the City of DeKalb withholding the names directly, it should be on here, maybe about twenty to twenty-five minutes into the video.
Property Tax Assessment Reductions: Guess Who?
From a public notice published March 24, 2010, “Notice of Changes in Assessments for 2009 Made by the DeKalb County Board of Review in DeKalb Township“: Michael “EAV won’t fall” Verbic. Verbic is president of the District 428 school board, as most of you already know, and as such made not one suggestion for downsizing…
Letter: Council Puts Taxpayers on Hook
Freshly published in the Daily Chronicle: To the Editor: During the March 8 DeKalb City Council meeting, 4th Ward Alderman Brendon Gallagher made a plea to the community for support during the upcoming budget preparation period. According to the meeting minutes, Ald. Gallagher “asked that the citizens be empathetic with the current financial situation facing…
Biernacki: “Widespread Community Support” for Skating Rink
Northern Star‘s article on the impending demise of DeKalb’s synthetic skating rink: Because The Skate School was not at fault for the decline in patronage, Biernacki said he is sure the council will relieve the contract. “We pursued [the ice rink] with widespread community support,” Biernacki said. “That support did not translate into patrons.” Biernacki…
What is Pam Verbic Hiding?
Work commitments being what they are nowadays, I am still digesting the packet accompanying the agenda (PDF) from last night’s Council meeting. It included the resumé of one Sara M. Cliffe (p. 127). Ms. Cliffe expressed interest in the 3rd Ward aldermanic seat, and I can see why; she has impressive credentials. However, the resumé…
How To Save $340K, Easy!!
My mother retired from the Plainfield School District in Indiana but keeps tabs on what happens there. The school district recently introduced measures to save on utility bills, including making sure people turned off the lights when no one was in the room. Total Savings in One Year: $340,000 Because of cost cutting measures that…