A new law signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner on Aug. 5 gives McHenry and Lake counties the authority to consolidate and dissolve units of local government within their boundaries, a power granted to DuPage County in 2013.
An Atlanta, Ga., suburb might be a model for saving taxpayers costs while providing high-quality services.
Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger wants to tie politicians’ pay to a balanced budget.
Illinois had the fourth-highest combined state and local tax burden as a share of state income in the country.
Trustees in Rosemont, Ill., voted to hike their mayor’s salary to $260,000 – a 53 percent raise.
When it comes to touting oneself as a defender of the middle class, actions speak louder than words.
Spending on Medicaid has increased 141 percent since 2000, compromising other programs that help the needy.
Under a taxpayer bill of rights, Chicago City Council would have to seek voter approval before raising taxes.
Chicago’s pension funds’ debt grew by two-thirds to $34 billion in 2015. That’s $33,000 of pension debt per Chicago household.
State Rep. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, criticized payment delays for Illinois politicians, despite the fact that his compensation cost taxpayers nearly $100,000 in 2015.
Nearly 5,000 Chicago city workers make six-figure salaries, driving up the payroll and pension costs overtaxed city residents must pay.
Due to funds provided through the stopgap budget, the Illinois secretary of state’s office will resume mailing vehicle-registration-renewal reminders in August.
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.
New law would tackle wasteful spending by local governments, and be a welcome change for taxpayers.