The Northern Star has submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to obtain the names of the persons considered by the mayor for the vacated Third Ward alderman spot. With the questionable past of the 3rd Ward, it is interesting to see that the city has decided to withhold this information from the public,…
State’s Attorney Candidate Makes Public Corruption an Issue
There are three Democratic and two Republican candidates for DeKalb County State’s Attorney. Only one of them, GOP hopeful Clay Campbell, has brought up the issue of corruption in local government. The following is my transcription of Campbell’s closing remarks during the Chamber of Commerce candidates’ forum last Tuesday. I’ve stripped out an “uh” or…
Word of the Day: Patronage
patronage [pey-truh-nij] —noun 3. the control of or power to make appointments to government jobs or the power to grant other political favors. 4. Offices, jobs, or other favors so controlled. 5. the distribution of jobs and favors on a political basis, as to those who have supported one’s party or political campaign: DeKalb became…
Park District & TIF
Here are facts obtained recently from the DeKalb Park District about its agreements with the City of DeKalb: Once upon a time, the Park District would submit requests to the City for reimbursements of Tax Increment Financing (TIF)-eligible expenses incurred on a project-by-project basis. The projects had to occur within TIF districts and there was…
Local History, Art, and Stories Sneak Peek
The Lincoln Highway Association will hold its annual conference in Dixon this June. At some point, there will be a public call for artists, photographers, storytellers, historians, and anyone else interested to participate in an artists’ reception and/or to write their recollections of the Lincoln Highway in Illinois for a booklet. You heard it here…
Davos, Switzerland: Awesome Pavement
I regularly work three jobs so once in a while, I can make it to professional conferences on my own money. I just returned from my second trip to Davos, Switzerland, home of the World Economic Forum. The conference I attended this year did not fall back-to-back with the WEF, but the one in 2008…
One Hundred Fifty-Four
DeKalb City Council members will soon be looking at city-owned real estate, 154 parcels in all, possibly with an eye to selling off some of these assets. But you, Dear CB Reader, do not have to wait for city staff’s compilation to get a sneak peek at the totality. After the jump, I have listed…
CROP Walk Funds Going to Haiti
If you pounded the pavement in DeKalb County’s Sondra King Memorial CROP Walk for Hunger last fall, or sponsored someone who did, your dollars are helping in Haiti right now. And if you can spare a couple more bucks, donate here.
Park District Finances & Financing
Meeting minutes for the September 10, 2009 Park Board “study session” included a presentation of the Independent Auditor’s Report of the FY 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). [Brian LeFevre of Sikich, LLP] reported that both the District’s Golf Course and Hopkins enterprise funds were in a negative working capital position requiring them to borrow…
Haiti
I believe this will be worse than Katrina. In 1993, I had the honor of meeting Katherine Dunham in her home in East Saint Louis during her hunger strike for Haiti. Because of that experience, Haiti and the wonderful Haitian people I met have a special place in my mind. The devastation in Haiti is…