Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: Red-light camera companies can hire public officials as sales agents without disclosing it. That’s under federal scrutiny, and critics say the loophole should be closed.
SafeSpeed came to dominate the suburban red-light camera market during the last decade by developing deep relationships with public officials.
Consider the company’s dealings in southwest suburban Justice, where court records show the firm not only was getting a new contract but was enlisting the police chief to act as a consultant to get other towns to do the same for a cut of the proceeds.
Chicago Sun-Times: Diminished and preoccupied, indicted Ald. Edward Burke no longer a dominating presence at City Council meetings
He was a larger-than-life presence at every Chicago City Council meeting.
It wasn’t just the power he wielded and the front-and-center seat he occupied as Finance Committee chairman.
WBEZ: Watchdog calls for more transparency from Cook County’s inspector general
A non-profit fiscal watchdog group wants Cook County’s Inspector General to be more transparent, following a flap with the county-run health care system.
The Chicago-based Civic Federation, which analyzes government budgets and makes recommendations to improve their finances, suggests County Inspector Patrick Blanchard should be required to include responses from agencies he probes in the final reports he releases to the public.
Northwest Herald: District 46 approves tentative tax levy
The Prairie Grove School District 46 Board approved its tentative tax levy request of $11,118,00 at its last meeting, making for a 1.9% increase from last year’s levy.
During the meeting, board members were presented with two options for extending the levy – a standard one, where the tax would be levied to the full Consumer Price Index plus estimated new property and a “balloon” levy, and an alternative, where they would levy of only half of the Consumer Price Index plus new property.
Northwest Herald: McHenry City Council to discuss allowing golf carts on city roads, upcoming property tax levy
McHenry City Council will meet Monday to consider its tax levy and discuss allowing non-highway vehicles such as golf carts to drive on city roadways.
Multiple residents have asked the city about an ordinance that would allow non-highway vehicles to operate on McHenry roads. Huntley and Fox River Grove both allow golf carts to drive on the roadway and Johnsburg allows golf carts, utility task vehicles and “side by side” vehicles to drive on village roads, according to McHenry city documents.