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Chicago Tribune: Ex-federal prosecutor to review Illinois House operations after harassment, bullying claims
Former federal prosecutor Maggie Hickey has been named to conduct a review of operations of the Illinois House of Representatives after a series of sexual harassment and bullying allegations lodged against top aides and allies of Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Hickey served as inspector general for agencies under Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, a position she left in March to join the law firm Schiff Hardin. Hickey was selected to conduct an investigation of House operations by Madigan and a panel of female lawmakers. She previously worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, and also served as chief of staff to former GOP U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald.
Chicago Tribune: CPS students denied special education services amid 'cycle of chaos,' parents say
Students with special needs in Chicago scored a major victory last month when the state Board of Education ordered dramatic changes in the way Chicago Public Schools offers special-education services to students.
After emotional testimony from parents, teachers and advocates across Chicago during the Illinois State Board of Education’s first-ever public inquiry, the state found CPS to be in violation of multiple state and federal special-education laws — from requiring overly complicated forms that shut out many qualifying students simply because of paperwork problems, to denying transportation citing arbitrary reasons, to failing to get struggling or students with mental illness into therapeutic schools during crises.
Chicago Tribune: Preckwinkle: Cook County facing 'difficult and challenging' $82 million budget shortfall
Cook County is facing an $82 million deficit next fiscal year, setting the stage for what will be a “difficult and challenging” budget season, board President Toni Preckwinkle said Monday.
County officials are planning to offset the budget hole by cutting spending without introducing new fees or taxes, a sharp contrast to last year’s heated controversy over the sweetened beverage tax, which was later overturned.
Daily Herald: No increase to taxes or fees to close Cook County budget gap
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has no plans to add or increase taxes and fees to close an anticipated $82 million gap in the county’s upcoming 2019 budget.
That’s according to the county’s top finance officials who released the 2019 fiscal year forecast Monday.
Chicago Tribune: Emanuel: Amazon 'really likes' two Chicago sites
Amazon officials “really like” two of the five Chicago sites they toured earlier this year while scouting potential locations for a new headquarters, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Monday.
The mayor is trying to play things close to his vest so as not to anger Amazon as he and mayors across the U.S. wait for the company to conclude its lengthy, secretive process to decide where to locate its second headquarters and as many as 50,000 employees.
Crain's Chicago Business: We're tapping home equity as much as we did a decade ago
Rising home values are nudging more Chicago-area homeowners to tap the equity in their homes via lines of credit.
In the first quarter of 2018, about 22 percent of home loans in the Chicago area were home equity lines of credit, according to Attom Data Solutions, a property information firm based in Irvine, Calif. That is, more than one of every five home loans issued was a home equity line.
WBEZ: Why Chicago Police Reform Could Hinge On This Expired Contract
After a month of sometimes raucous public hearings, City Hall politicians and labor leaders are again faced with the same tough question: Is the Chicago Police Department ready for reform?
In the post-Laquan McDonald era, advocates are clamoring for more civilian oversight of the department.
Northwest Herald: County officials dispute Gasser's statements on transportation dollars
Highway Commissioner Andrew Gasser posted a video to Facebook explaining why there should be a policy prohibiting nepotism inside Algonquin Township.
Several county officials are disputing the accuracy of his statements.
Daily Herald: Arlington Heights gives developer tax money for apartments
Arlington Heights will give a developer nearly $1 million over the next eight years in tax increment financing funds to spur construction of apartments and retailers in an area long planned for redevelopment east of downtown.
The redevelopment agreement, approved on a 7-1 vote of the village board Monday night, also will give developers Guido Neri and Ben Pecoraro $700,000 for a 28,400-square-foot parcel to the north of the proposed apartment building at the northwest corner of Kensington Road and Hickory Avenue. The land is intended for future development, but it could be used for business employee parking in the meantime, officials said.
Daily Herald: St. Charles aldermen split on proposed 2-cent gas tax
Faced with a potential budget shortfall in the next few years, St. Charles aldermen on Monday were split on whether they should implement a new gasoline tax to help fill that gap.
At 2 cents per gallon of fuel, the proposed tax would be expected to generate about $400,000 annually to fund roadway maintenance projects, Finance Director Chris Minick said. The city staff recommended the tax go into effect in November at the city’s nine gas stations.
Rock Island Dispatch-Argus: TIF for Rock Island properties meets resistance
A funding plan for $65 million to refurbish Century Woods and Heather Ridge apartments is expected to be approved in coming weeks by the Rock Island City Council.
Mayor Mike Thoms acknowledged that it is unusual to use tax increment financing, or TIF, for public housing. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, TIF is for commercial property, industrial-commercial,” Thoms said.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Council delays TIF policy vote until next week
The City Council delayed voting on a new tax increment financing policy so attorneys for the city, Bloomington District 87 and McLean County Unit 5 can come up with language to overcome the sole remaining point of dispute.
The council voted unanimously Monday to delay its vote until June 25.
Bloomington Pantagraph: Decatur city manager to lead Bloomington city administration
Saying “it cannot be business as usual” for the city of Bloomington, newly named City Manager Tim Gleason promised Monday to bring a fresh approach as an outsider, including in the areas of budgets and taxes.
Mayor Tari Renner announced the choice of Gleason, currently Decatur’s city manager, at a news conference Monday at City Hall, but a formal City Council vote isn’t expected until June 25.
Decatur Herald & Review: Decatur City Council approves garbage fee increase
As they approved a $3 monthly rate increase for residents’ garbage collection service, Decatur City Council members said they wanted to simplify the way complaints about garbage service are handled by the city.
Documents obtained by the Herald & Review last week through a Freedom of Information Act request show that city staff have dealt with just 16 garbage-related complaints since January 2016. But posts on social media in response to the garbage fee increase painted a different picture, and two residents who spoke at the meeting on Monday spent a combined 25 minutes detailing years of issues with their hauler.
Belleville News-Democrat: SIU board to meet in Edwardsville for another attempt at ousting university president
The Southern Illinois University board of trustees will try again to vote on suspending President Randy Dunn in the midst of calls to separate the SIU campuses in Carbondale and Edwardsville.
A special board meeting has been called for June 21, which will take place in the multipurpose room of the Evergreen Hall dorm at SIUE. In addition to routine contracts and purchases, the agenda includes an executive session, followed by consideration of “releasing documents provided trustees related to recent Freedom of Information Act requests,” and of administrative leave for Dunn and appointment of an acting president.