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Champaign News-Gazette: High interest in scholarships
Invest in Kids program drawing attention from both donors and families seeking better schools.
When Illinois’ new Invest in Kids scholarship program started accepting donations in early January, the state’s Revenue Department collected $36 million of the $100 million limit on the first day.
Donations have slowed down considerably since then, but now it’s applications for private-school tuition grants that are overwhelming scholarship-granting organizations.
Chicago Sun-Times: 2 Cook County commissioners missed over a third of Forest Preserve meetings
Not only do Cook County commissioners miss a lot of county board meetings, some also played hooky often from the other public agency they head — the Cook County Forest Preserve District, which gets nearly $200 million a year from taxpayers.
Two elected county officials — who make $85,000 a year plus benefits, including pensions — have missed more than one-third of the Forest Preserve board’s monthly meetings this term, which started in December 2014, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis has found.
Chicago Sun-Times: Cook County Jail guards lock down sweet union contract—despite sour budget mess
Life is becoming at least a bit sweeter for the guards at the Cook County jail, even as county government slashes hundreds of jobs to plug the huge deficit caused by the repeal of the unpopular tax on sweetened beverages.
An analysis by county Sheriff Tom Dart’s office — which the Chicago Sun-Times obtained through the state’s open-records law — estimates that the burden on taxpayers will grow by $31.1 million over the next three years because of sweeteners in the collective-bargaining agreement that Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s administration has negotiated with the jail guards’ union.
WBEZ: It Could Soon Cost More To Cash A Check At An Illinois Currency Exchange
Christen Carter doesn’t have a bank account, so when he needed to cash his $344 paycheck last week, he went to a West Side currency exchange. He paid $7.74 in fees — money he says he can’t afford to lose. And now, the fees could be going up.
That’s because a group of Illinois lawmakers could approve a recommendation on Tuesday by Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration to increase check cashing fees at currency exchanges across the state.
Daily Herald: Music, theater, stadium upgrades planned in Dist. 214
Northwest Suburban High School District 214 is planning $10.8 million in building additions and upgrades at its schools this summer, including a fine arts music wing at Buffalo Grove High School and small theater at Rolling Meadows High.
The projects will wrap up a multiyear district capital program, resulting in $45 million in renovations at all six high schools and the district administration center.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Council to vote on solid waste service; outsourcing an option
A vote on how to pay for the city’s solid waste services tops a list of budget-related issues the Bloomington City Council will consider Monday at a special meeting.
“We would like some guidance on the big issues so we can begin to present a draft balanced budget” on Feb. 26, said interim City Manager Steve Rasmussen. “That’s what our calendar calls for.”
State Journal-Register: After sales tax increase fails, city asks for ideas
After almost all of Springfield’s aldermen last week voted down a quarter-cent sales tax increase meant to generate $5.5 million in revenue, the city is racing against a March 1 deadline to pass a balanced budget.
Budget director Bill McCarty, aldermen and union representatives are in discussions as to how to achieve that goal moving forward.
The Southern: A bit of pragmatism and a bit of hope — Franklin County officials talk 2018
For Franklin County leaders moving into 2018, an obvious point of emphasis will be economic development. But officials also say a recognition of their limitations will be important.
2017 saw a lot of news come from Franklin County, some good, some not so good. There was West Frankfort sealing the deal with Dollar General and expanding the outlet mall’s portfolio of businesses. But there was also the investigation into Morthland College’s alleged mismanagement of Title IV money and former Zeigler treasurer Ryan Thorpe’s arrest and later federal indictment on embezzlement charges. There was the announcement that the theater in West City had been purchased and would at some point reopen. And, there was the revelation that forensic auditors could not piece together what happened to some of the circuit clerk’s documents.