Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Tribune: New video shows off-duty Chicago police sergeant shooting teen from vehicle
Video released Tuesday shows an off-duty Chicago police sergeant opening fire from his vehicle and wounding an apparently unarmed man as he stood on a sidewalk in front of a home in the Morgan Park neighborhood on the Far South Side.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability released police dashboard camera, home surveillance video and police reports more than a year after Ricardo “Ricky” Hayes, then 18, was shot in the arm and chest in the 11100 block of South Hermosa Avenue.
State Journal-Register: Labor board OKs escrow plan for AFSCME step raises
The Illinois Labor Relations Board has approved a Rauner administration plan intended to have some money available to pay some of the step increases owed to AFSCME members.
The ILRB said the administration could seek court approval to set up an escrow account from which some steps could be paid. The escrow account would essentially contain money from last year’s budget that was allocated for personnel costs, but not used. Because of previous lawsuits, the court has to authorize setting up the account.
Chicago Sun-Times: Wide range of shocking behavior by city workers fills inspector general’s report
Acknowledging that misconduct by city employees merely confirms the public’s “dim view of government,” Inspector General Joe Ferguson issued a quarterly report on Tuesday filled with more of the same.
The transgressions run the gamut — from sexual misconduct, criminal theft, solicitation of bribes and misappropriation of funds to time fraud and disclosure of sensitive law enforcement information by a police communications officer at Chicago’s 911 emergency center.
WBEZ: What You Need To Know About Emanuel’s Final Budget Plan
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is expected to deliver his final, (relatively) painless city budget proposal to City Council on Wednesday.
It’s an election year budget, so don’t expect any hugely unpopular provisions that politicians will have to explain to voters in a few months. (Emanuel and a handful of aldermen have already announced they’re not running again in February.)
Daily Herald: Glen Ellyn mosquito abatement district seeks tax increase amid calls for consolidation
Of the 15 referendum questions in DuPage County next month, a ballot measure from an obscure unit of government might not seem like a hot-button issue.
But the property tax increase sought by the Glen Ellyn Mosquito Abatement District has reignited calls from a DuPage County Board member to consolidate mosquito-control efforts.
Northwest Herald: McHenry County Board proposes fiscal 2019 budget with $9.8M in tax cuts
McHenry County officials have proposed a 2019 budget that includes more than $9.8 million in tax cuts.
Of that amount, $7.53 million come from abatements and $2.3 million come from permanent reductions in the county’s property tax levy.
Daily Herald: Should Vernon Hills give local company $1.37 million to attract millennials?
In recent years, Vernon Hills has invested millions in economic incentives to protect and enhance its vast retail sales base.
But a pending request to share the cost of interior renovations at American Hotel Register Co. is regarded in a different light by village leaders.
Peoria Journal-Star: Peoria eyes fees, liquor tax hike to help close budget gap
The Peoria City Council took steps Tuesday night to correct a $7 million budget shortfall in 2019 but still left a glaring hole that could lead to widespread layoffs of city personnel.
“It’s a general fund problem,” said City Manager Patrick Urich in laying out several budget scenarios for council members. “We’re spending more than we’re taking in.”
Bloomington Pantagraph: Joliet deal for departing City Manager Hales tops $90K
The city of Joliet and City Manager David Hales, who left the same job in Bloomington less than a year ago, have mutually agreed to part ways.
The Joliet City Council on Tuesday approved a separation of employment agreement, effective Wednesday, that includes paying Hales a gross lump sum of $89,584, which is five months of his annual base salary of $215,000, according to a city statement issued Tuesday night after the council meeting.