Chuck Sweeney of the Rockford Register Star is beginning to feel sorry he ever supported an elected Forest Preserve Board for Winnebago County. First thing out of the box, [county employee and Forest Preserve Board Chair Randy] Olson supported pouring tax money into fixing up golf courses to the tune of $1.4 million. They’d always…
Tag: winnebago county
Rockford Moves to Seek Bids for Ambulance Service
…and street sweeping. Rockford Register Star: The City Council Finance and Personnel Committee and City Council approved a controversial request involving ambulance service at meetings Monday night. The committee’s aldermen voted unanimously to let city staff develop a request for proposals from the private sector for citywide ambulance response. The Rockford Fire Department provides the…
Rockford Firefighters Get 6% Pay Raise
An arbitrator awarded a 6% pay raise to Rockford firefighters. City officials said the award will cost taxpayers an estimated $618,000 in 2011 and more than $1.2 million in 2012 when the 6.1 percent wage is in effect for a full year. Arbitrator Robert Perkovich rejected the city’s offer of a 2 percent wage increase…
Rockford Approves Funds for Legal Second Opinions
Here’s an interesting nugget from a Rockford Register Star report: ROCKFORD — Aldermen have adjusted the 2011 spending plan that they approved last week to give themselves $50,000 to hire attorneys or consultants in the coming year. The idea, which was approved tonight with a vote of 8-5, stems from last summer’s bitter disagreement over…
New Synthetic Skating Rink for Rockford
[Update Nov. 28: The rink, a project worth about $350,000 but completed at no cost to taxpayers thanks to many volunteers and a corporate sponsor, opens Dec. 3.] Rockford Area Venues and Entertainment (RAVE) is putting together a skating rink for Davis Park with the help of union volunteers. Volunteer laborers began to prime and…
‘MacGyver’ Bombs Found in Rockford
[Update 5:45 p.m.: Authorities have two teen suspects.] No one was hurt when a homemade bomb exploded inside Woodman’s grocery store early Tuesday. Another bomb, undetonated, was found inside a car in the Wal-Mart parking lot later the same day.