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Chicago Tribune: 2 Cook County courthouses to close, employees spared layoffs under budget settlement: officials
Two branch courthouses in Chicago are closing as part of a settlement to resolve the budget fight that erupted last year between the County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the court system after the controversial soda tax was repealed, officials announced Wednesday.
Despite the closings, no Circuit Court of Cook County workers will face layoffs this year. But all employees will have to take 10 unpaid furlough days, a move that will save the county $6.2 million. The settlement between Preckwinkle and Chief Circuit Court Judge Timothy Evans also will close one housing unit within the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, and its 22 vacant positions will be eliminated.
WTTW Chicago Tonight: How Transparent and Accountable Are Chicago, Cook County Governments?
Chicago and Cook County have sometimes-spotty reputations when it comes to how they run government operations. But they have taken steps to clean up their acts, in part through the creation of offices of inspectors general – a relative rarity for municipal governments.
“Cook County has come a long way, there’s no question. Since when I started in 2008, things were very dark when it came to information and supplying rationale for why decisions were being made,” County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard said Monday at the City Club of Chicago.
Chicago Tribune: Emanuel, aldermen show support for striking window washers during City Hall protest
Window washers, out on strike for 17 days and counting, gained a symbolic boost of support from Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago aldermen Wednesday after a protest at City Hall to draw attention to their labor dispute.
The window washers marched from Daley Plaza to City Hall, blowing air horns, banging on buckets and chanting, “Strike! Strike! Strike!” in an effort to draw attention to their ongoing contract negotiations. The workers want a 3-year deal that pays at least $25 per hour by the end, a request that’s been rebuffed by Corporate Cleaning Services, the largest company employing the union workers.
Chicago Tribune: CTA plans for accessible stations, though funds are not available
The CTA on Thursday is announcing its first plan to make the entire system accessible to people with disabilities over the next 20 years.
The CTA said the All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) Strategic Plan will cost about $2.1 billion, and it does not yet have the money to pay for it. The agency is announcing the plan now to begin the effort to secure funding by building support and increasing awareness of accessibility needs, said spokesman Brian Steele.
Northwest Herald: Committee continues discussion of cutting members from McHenry County Board
McHenry County Board members met this week to continue ongoing discussions about reducing the size of the board.
The essence of the Tuesday night meeting came down to the biggest question of a debate that’s been brewing across the county for months.
Northwest Herald: Village president a no-show at Lakewood board meeting
Village President Paul Serwatka was a no-show at Tuesday evening’s Village Board meeting.
“It was a surprise,” said Trustee Jason McMahon. “Crazily enough, it was after he chastised us in the last article [the Northwest Herald] wrote.”
Daily Herald: How all-day kindergarten would affect tax-hike referendum in Dist. 205
A proposal to implement all-day kindergarten could be a deciding factor in whether Elmhurst Unit District 205 seeks a property tax increase to pay for tens of millions of dollars in building improvements.
School board members are expected to determine next month whether to put a referendum question on the November ballot.
Daily Herald: Carpentersville offers financial assistance to new Otto tech center
A new technology and manufacturing center being constructed by Carpentersville’s largest employer will receive a multimillion-dollar contribution from the village.
Otto Engineering expects to break ground next month on a 90,000-square-foot facility that will house the company’s tooling, stamping and manufacturing operations. The building at 140 Carpenter Blvd. also will contain space for an apprentice program to train young workers for a career in the trades, Otto President Tom Roeser said.