Madison County voters reject sales tax hike at the ballot box
Madison County voters reject sales tax hike at the ballot box
Local voters struck down a 1 percent sales tax hike for the third time in seven years.
Crystal Lake superintendent to earn $190K salary following school district vote
Crystal Lake superintendent to earn $190K salary following school district vote
One Crystal Lake school district superintendent has become the latest public official to collect a salary nearing $200,000, following a vote by the district board.
Decatur city manager to outearn nearly every state governor following salary increase
Decatur city manager to outearn nearly every state governor following salary increase
Decatur’s population is shrinking, but earnings for the city manager continue to grow.
Amazon scouts to visit Chicago for headquarters bid
Amazon scouts to visit Chicago for headquarters bid
Amazon’s team will visit 10 proposed sites in Chicago for its second North American headquarters.
Typical collar county family would pay as much as $1,000 in additional taxes under progressive tax proposal
Typical collar county family would pay as much as $1,000 in additional taxes under progressive tax proposal
A progressive tax proposal in the Illinois House would raise taxes on an overwhelming majority of families already struggling with some of the highest tax burdens in the nation.
Alton voters to decide on sales tax hike at the ballot box
Alton voters to decide on sales tax hike at the ballot box
Madison County voters have rejected a proposed 1 percent sales tax hike twice before. Will the third time be a charm?
Lake Forest city manager outearns all 50 state governors
Lake Forest city manager outearns all 50 state governors
In Illinois, hundreds of municipal workers earn more than every state governor. The city manager of Lake Forest is the second-highest paid city manager in the state.
Typical family in Rock Island County would see $513 tax hike under progressive tax proposal
Typical family in Rock Island County would see $513 tax hike under progressive tax proposal
The Illinois side of the Quad Cities is already seeing population loss as residents pack up and leave high tax burdens behind.
Report: $800M of property tax burden in Chicago shifted onto poorer homeowners from 2011-2015
Report: $800M of property tax burden in Chicago shifted onto poorer homeowners from 2011-2015
University of Chicago researchers have found inaccurate and unfair assessments by the Cook County Assessor’s Office led to $800 million of the property tax burden shifting from owners of Chicago homes in the top 10 percent (by sale price) to owners of homes in the bottom 70 percent.
Progressive tax proponents display magical thinking
Progressive tax proponents display magical thinking
Advocates for a progressive income tax claim to offer relief for middle-class families. But that doesn’t jive with real proposals in Springfield or lawmakers’ spending habits.
Study: Illinois home to highest overall tax burden in the nation
Study: Illinois home to highest overall tax burden in the nation
A recent study confirms what too many Illinoisans have discovered firsthand: that they’re among the most overburdened taxpayers in the country.
TIFs: A mythical pot of gold for local governments
TIFs: A mythical pot of gold for local governments
Tax increment financing creates elusive troves of property tax “gold” – by depleting funds from local governments the mechanism intends to serve.
Off the rails: Estimated cost for Lake Forest Amtrak stop has grown by more than 400 percent
Off the rails: Estimated cost for Lake Forest Amtrak stop has grown by more than 400 percent
Efforts to add an Amtrak train stop in Lake Forest have been plagued by a series of setbacks for a project now estimated to cost more than $13.4 million.
Collinsville, Granite City sales taxes would rival Chicago’s under tax hike referendum
Collinsville, Granite City sales taxes would rival Chicago’s under tax hike referendum
Madison County voters have twice turned down a proposed sales-tax hike to fund school facilities projects, but the proposal will appear again on March primary ballots. If approved, shoppers in Collinsville and Granite City would see some of the highest sales tax rates in the country.