Wow, today’s Chronicle article about TIF seems very one-sided and in need of additional viewpoints. That’s what blogs are for! Let’s start with the statement about Sycamore Road. DeKalb’s districts helped revitalize Sycamore Road with the additions of Target, Walmart and major shopping corridors. Revitalize? Do they think Sycamore Road was full of slums? It…
Tag: local media
Property Tax Levy & IMRF Contributions
In “DeKalb Gives First Approval to Property Tax Levy,” we get this: The aldermen had previously set the ceiling for a property tax levy at $9.67 million, and were given two options by city staff to set the request at either $9.67 million or $9.63 million – the amount the city levied last year. According…
Chronicle Editorial Board Hasn’t Lived Here Very Long
Chronicle staff should live in this county for awhile before commenting on certain issues, such as what one can find today in “Our View: Falling home values a trying trend in county“. When the housing market was healthy and new homes and businesses were built at a healthy clip, the opposite was true. Property values…
DeKalb’s Daily Chronicle Trashes the Stop the Mega Dump Group
In “Time to Dump Landfill Protests,” the Chronicle lays out reasons for trashing the efforts of the little people. Reason 1: There’s nowhere else for the anti-landfill group to turn short of the Illinois Supreme Court, which might decline to hear the case. Stop the Mega Dump should quit because the Supremes might reject it?…
Licensing & Inspection Program Could Help Turn a TIF Blueprint into Reality
The Daily Chronicle lays out today the arguments for and against licensing and inspection of rental properties. There are four proposed laws before the council, but it’s the issue of licensing that has garnered the most attention and debate from aldermen, city officials, and landlords. City Manager Mark Biernacki has previously described it as being…
NIU Misconduct Allegations Have Now Hit the Chicago Tribune
**Update 9/7: Here’s an image of yesterday’s print edition of the Northern Star with synopses and photos. In reading it again I’m struck at how much time and money have been spent already and still NIU is unable to determine whether any of its employees have done anything wrong.** …and the Trib has more about…
NIU “Coffee Fund” Updates
NIU Today: NIU confirms the existence of a “private, non-university bank account named ‘coffee fund.’” In the article, NIU says, “Any determination of criminal charges will be made by the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s office after reviewing the evidence collected during the criminal investigation.” Northern Star: State police are now involved as far as advising…
NIU Closes Somebody’s Coffee Fund
**Update 9/1: DC has significantly re-worked the story, so the quote below no longer appears there.** I very much appreciate the Daily Chronicle‘s continued persistence and endurance with the NIU “coffee fund” story, especially as things get curioser. DeKALB – Northern Illinois University has located the “coffee fund” and shut it down. University officials said…
Daily Chronicle Still on Top of NIU Resignation Story
In “NIU hired outside firm to investigate employees” we learn that NIU paid about $25,000 for investigations into what have previously been described as serious allegations of misconduct. A contract between the university and Sycamore law firm Foster & Buick Law Group shows that attorney John Countryman was hired June 4 to investigate “named individuals…
Lots of Good FOIA and OMA Action in Winnebago Forest Preserve District
*Update 10:45 p.m.: Olson is out as district president! The story is here. But that’s not all! Find bonus Chuck Sweeney here with free shipping!* The Rockford Register Star used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain e-mails to and from Winnebago Forest Preserve district president Randy Olson that trace the process of creating a…