Illinois will resume mailing license-plate-renewal reminders
Illinois will resume mailing license-plate-renewal reminders
Due to funds provided through the stopgap budget, the Illinois secretary of state’s office will resume mailing vehicle-registration-renewal reminders in August.
By Amy Korte
Illinois’ stopgap budget spends $8B more than the state takes in
Illinois’ stopgap budget spends $8B more than the state takes in
Under the stopgap budget, Illinois will spend $8 billion more than it collects in tax revenues; Illinois needs to enact major reforms to rein in its out-of-control spending and avoid billions in tax hikes.
By Ted Dabrowski, Craig Lesner
Rauner signs bill to limit local government travel expenses
Rauner signs bill to limit local government travel expenses
New law would tackle wasteful spending by local governments, and be a welcome change for taxpayers.
By Heather Weiner
Peru City Council votes to put township consolidation question on November ballot
Peru City Council votes to put township consolidation question on November ballot
Taxpayers in Peru, Ill. will have the option this November to dissolve their township, which could eliminate waste and ease their tax burden.
Illinois General Assembly passes law allowing creation of ‘super TIFs’
Illinois General Assembly passes law allowing creation of ‘super TIFs’
A law passed by the Illinois General Assembly in June allows Chicago to create new transit-based super TIFs, adding more opportunities for city-run slush funds to divert and hoard property-tax dollars.
By Chris Lentino
Dwyane Wade’s former house in South Holland, Ill., drops in value as property taxes soar
Dwyane Wade’s former house in South Holland, Ill., drops in value as property taxes soar
Property-tax hikes have caused taxes on NBA star Dwyane Wade’s former house to more than triple, driving away prospective buyers and showing the harm Illinois’ sky-high property-tax rates inflict on homeowners.
Illinoisans suffer, politicians get paid
Illinoisans suffer, politicians get paid
Illinois lawmakers earn base salaries of nearly $68,000 for what is essentially part-time work.
By Austin Berg
Munger: Illinois’ unpaid bills projected to hit $10 billion by year’s end
Munger: Illinois’ unpaid bills projected to hit $10 billion by year’s end
The Illinois comptroller warns Illinois' backlog of unpaid bills will reach $10 billion by December.
Madison County, Ill., to voters: Want to reduce your property taxes?
Madison County, Ill., to voters: Want to reduce your property taxes?
A referendum allowing Madison County taxpayers to decide if they want to limit their tax burden is a choice all Illinoisans should have.
Chicago’s total debt more than triples to over $24B in 2015
Chicago’s total debt more than triples to over $24B in 2015
A new Chicago financial report shows the city’s total unfunded liabilities have jumped by over $17 billion, growing to nearly $24 billion in 2015 from $6.5 billion in 2014.
By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner
Meet the politicians who stand to get rich off of Chicago’s massive property-tax hike
Meet the politicians who stand to get rich off of Chicago’s massive property-tax hike
More scrutiny from property owners means more money in the pockets of certain members of Illinois’ political elite, including House Speaker Mike Madigan.
By Austin Berg
How to stop Chicago politicians from continuing to hike property taxes
How to stop Chicago politicians from continuing to hike property taxes
A taxpayer bill of rights would put checks on politicians eager to hike taxes in one of the nation’s most over-taxed cities.
Post-mortem: What’s in Illinois’ stopgap budget?
Post-mortem: What’s in Illinois’ stopgap budget?
The stopgap budget passed by the General Assembly provides six months worth of funding for government services such as road construction, as well as a full K-12 education budget for the 2016-2017 school year, property-tax-raising authority for Chicago, and more state funding of pensions for Chicago Public Schools teachers.
By Heather Weiner