Today the Chicago-Tribune published an investigative report about Rosemont and the family that runs it. It’s a story about how the Stephens family has amassed riches and tremendous political clout. Most of all, however, it is a story about Home Rule. Illinois Home Rule allows: unlimited borrowing the option to forgo competitive bidding on contracts…
Tag: Cook County
A Look at the Central Area TIF Funds
Yesterday there was a lot of news coverage about Chicago’s forecast inability to finish its planned Tax Increment Financing (TIF) projects now that property tax revenues are down. Coincidentally, I’ve been peering at DeKalb TIF funds recently, looking for the same kind of trouble. Fund 63 is the DeKalb TIF fund that pays for development…
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…
Public Library Accused of Promoting Tax Referendum
From the Buffalo Grove Patch publication: [Activist and Buffalo Grove resident Rob] Sherman alleges that the [Indian Trails Public Library] illegally used tax revenue to promote the referendum. Voters on Tuesday will decide whether the library’s improvement plans warrant an increase in the district’s tax levy. […] Governing bodies such as library and school districts…
TIF Protest in Chicago
Chicago Sun-Times: “Anti-TIF marchers demand $4M from N. Side auto dealer”: About 150 teachers, parents and activists marched into the Grossinger City Autoplex and demanded a check for $4 million Saturday. That would be the “TIF” money — protestors called it “The Mayor’s Slush Fund” — diverted from the public schools and given to developers…
Underfunded Pensions in Chicago
Hinz at Crain’s: The City of Chicago and related local governments like the Chicago Park District collectively under-funded their worker pension plans by $5.1 billion in the past decade, according to a new report by the Civic Federation. As a result, the retirement plans now have as little as 36.5% of the assets needed to…
Cook County Transparency
Did you read the title twice? It’s certainly something for the “strange but true” column: Cook County as potential role model for DeKalb County. Cook County Commissioner Tony Paraica is now hosting a website called CookEmployees.com. All 25,000-plus Cook County employees are listed by name, title, department, salary and hire date in a database that…