DeKalb isn’t particularly good at observing boundaries. One example is that DeKalb’s contracted attorney is allowed to sit with the city council during planning sessions as an assistant in setting strategic priorities. In other words, a contractor gets to step out of his assigned role to provide unfettered input into public policy that the public…
Tag: ethics
Schrader: Loss of KishHealth Holdings, a Community-Owned Asset
**Update: More about this now posted at Barry’s Blog.** KishHealth System officials answered questions from the public following a presentation before the DeKalb County Board last night. While the Daily Chronicle chose not to address an exchange regarding who owns the real estate where Kishwaukee Hospital operates (as well as other KishHealth System holdings acquired…
Attacks on Citizens Who Speak Up: Another Reason for an Ethics Commission
In a recent post, CityEthics’ Robert Wechsler tackles the issue of public officials’ attacking citizens who question their ethics (my emphasis). …[W]hen they engage in ethical misconduct, when they misuse their office or deal irresponsibly with their conflicts of interest, then they are acting not in their own right, but as government officials. And as…
Tim Struthers Gave DeKalb’s Mayor Talking Points When the College Town Partners Story Broke
If you haven’t heard, banker Tim Struthers has been appointed by Governor Rauner to the NIU Board of Trustees, pending approval by the Illinois Senate. Trouble is, there’s compelling evidence of major conflicts of interest in his appointment, which the Edgar County Watchdogs have outlined admirably. Struthers presently serves on the DeKalb County Sanitary District,…
Illinois’ Model Ethics Ordinance & City of DeKalb
…the Illinois model ordinance [for adoption by local units of government] is not even minimal. It only deals with political activities and gifts. There is nothing about conflicts; the word doesn’t even appear. To call it an ethics ordinance is like calling a burglary law a criminal code. ~ Robert Wechsler, CityEthics.org Minimal as it…
Mayor Rey’s Acceptance of NIU’s Gift of a Trip
Mayor Rey accepted the gift of a trip worth more than $1,000 in September 2013, according to Northern Illinois University records recently obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Rey and NIU President Doug Baker traveled to Moscow, Idaho, to foster better “town-gown” relations and to take in a football game between NIU and the…
Former DeKalb County Treasurer is Banned from Banking Activities
Remember Mark Todd? He’s the former VP of Farmers and Traders State Bank in Shabbona who got himself appointed DeKalb County Treasurer, ran unopposed for the same office as the bank failed, and then resigned to move to Hawaii. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is just finishing up with him. The FDIC considered the…
DeKalb’s Freakishly High Sales Tax Rate Might Actually be Good for Something
**Update** 1/26. Related: “Sales tax coffers could get boost with new law”. Discusses the Marketplace Fairness Act and its impact (if it ever passes the U.S. House) on state revenues. **Update** 1 p.m. Related: “Now comes the Internet Sales Consultants”. It provides more food for thought on this scheme, as well as a description of…
Comment on City of DeKalb’s New Trend of Creating Homelessness
I hardly know where to begin. In response to a tenant complaint, at 10 a.m. Friday, city inspectors met building owner Pat Bragg at the Edgebrook Manor Apartments and within hours they had decided to condemn the property, requiring everyone living there to leave their homes within 24 hours. A few years ago, a friend…
A Closer Look at DeKalb’s Hotel/Motel Inspection Ordinance
As indicated a few days ago, I have concerns about DeKalb’s hotel/motel inspection and licensing ordinance. The good news is, the city does recognize that some people are permanent residents of hotels and motels. “Permanent resident” means any person who occupied or has the right to occupy any room or rooms in a hotel or…