Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: Cheap eats get more expensive as a higher minimum wage forces restaurants to raise prices
Fabulous Freddie’s Italian Eatery prides itself on selling hearty Chicago classics, like house-made sausage and Italian beef, at affordable prices. But co-owner Stephanie Fitzpatrick worries about remaining affordable as the Bridgeport restaurant raises menu prices to cover the city’s rising minimum wage, which last week climbed a buck to $13 an hour.
“We’re struggling to keep a good price and keep the same quality we’ve always had,” said Fitzpatrick, the middle of three sisters who run the 29-year-old restaurant with their parents.
Chicago Sun-Times: Lightfoot condemns Carrie Austin’s overspending but won’t strip her of committee chair
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday condemned the loosey-goosey accounting that allowed former Budget Committee Chairman Carrie Austin (34th) to exceed her annual budget by $352,629 and said it won’t be tolerated on her watch.
“We have put in specific controls to make sure that people live within their means. It’s obviously unacceptable that somebody overruns their budget by that kind of amount. It’s almost double what the budget was in the first place,” the mayor said.
Crain's Chicago Business: Peoples Gas can spend away, Appellate Court says
A recent Illinois Appellate Court ruling against the state attorney general’s office upheld the Illinois Commerce Commission’s action in early 2018 to allow Peoples Gas to continue spending at unprecedented levels on a program to quicken the pace of updating old gas mains, as well as a slew of other major capital projects.
Rockford Register-Star: Rockford Park District forecasts $5 million deficit over five years
The Rockford Park District faces annual deficits approaching or exceeding $1 million for each of the next five years, according to projections provided Tuesday to the district board.
The figures shouldn’t be a surprise to the community, Park District Executive Director Jay Sandine said.