Get the latest news from around Illinois.
WBEZ: Facing Elections, Aldermen Hope To Avoid Property Tax Increase For Pensions
Chicago aldermen seeking re-election in 2019 are urging outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel to come up with a plan to tackle underfunded pensions.
Chicago Tribune: State senator calls for more scrutiny of school hires after criminally charged teacher found working in Lyons
An Illinois state senator said Monday that he plans to introduce legislation to “close a loophole” that allowed two suburban districts to employ a teacher awaiting trial on attempted murder charges.
Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago, said he’d had a number of discussions over the weekend with his legislative staff about crafting a bill to give the Illinois State Board of Education leeway to suspend the license of an educator who is charged with “heinous, serious and violent” crimes.
Chicago Tribune: School workers must report suspected abuse — it's the law. But at CPS, few have been punished for failing to do so.
Chicago Public Schools’ child-abuse reporting policy is clear: School workers must report suspected abuse to authorities immediately. And the state “mandated reporter” law, enacted more than four decades ago, makes failure to report abuse a crime.
But that has not been enough to instill a culture at CPS of consistently reporting these cases.
Chicago Tribune: Parking meter surge pricing around Wrigley Field for games and concerts to end this year
A two-year experiment on raising parking meter prices around Wrigley Field during Cubs games and concerts will end this year, Wrigleyville’s alderman said Monday.
Ald. Tom Tunney, 44th, said local businesses were tired of being the only ones in the city where “surge pricing” was in place. He said he will stop the program at the end of this year.
Northwest Herald: Harvard proposes tax levy increase to capture new growth
Harvard residents will have an opportunity to voice their opinions about a proposed property tax levy with an estimated 38 percent increase over 2017 during a public hearing Tuesday.
The total property taxes extended to the city last year was about $2.5 million. This year, the city is looking to levy about $3.48 million.
Daily Herald: How Arlington Heights is hoping to make downtown parking better
Arlington Heights officials recommend spending some $420,000 to help ease parking congestion in the village’s downtown, from installation of clearer signage to electronic pay stations, among other solutions discussed Monday.
The village board Monday night authorized the village staff to develop an implementation plan for at least some of the recommendations detailed by a parking consultant and find a way to pay for the upgrades. At least a portion could come from the village’s $3 million parking fund reserve, officials said.
Daily Herald: Barrington raises age to purchase tobacco, vaping products
Barrington village board members Monday night approved raising the minimum age for buying tobacco and vaping products such as electronic cigarettes to 21 from 18.
Village Manager Jeff Lawler said the ordinance amendment will take effect in early November. Barrington’s new local law won’t cover possession of tobacco or vaping products — such as e-cigarettes that deliver nicotine without tobacco — by adults younger than 21.
Rockford Register-Star: Rockford library approves $8.6M annual spending plan
The Rockford Public Library plans to spend $8.6 million next year, about $100,000 less than it spent last year, to provide many of the same services and programs in 2019.
Library board members voted unanimously Monday night to approve the plan, which includes a flat property tax levy of $7.38 million. Most of the library’s funds are spent on salaries and benefits — about $5 million — and contractual services and materials — another $3 million.
Peoria Journal-Star: Peoria Public Schools may increase its tax levy
A decrease in the total value of Peoria County property will result in Peoria Public Schools increasing the amount of its tax levy.
How that affects the tax bills of individual property owners depends on the assessed value of each individual property. Some property owners will see an increase in the portion of their annual tax bill that goes to Peoria Public Schools, according to district comptroller Mike McKenzie.
Peoria Journal-Star: Peoria Council members to examine their benefits, conflict of interest
Tuesday’s meeting of the City Council will see the body turn the focus on its self. On the agenda is a call to amend the council’s rule on a conflict of interest policy as well as a measure to eliminate pension and health benefits for council members.
At Large Councilwoman Beth Akeson would like the council to adopt the definition of conflict of interest as defined by Black’s Law Dictionary: “A real or seeming incompatibility between one’s private interests and one’s public or fiduciary duties.”
Bloomington Pantagraph: Gleason told to explore ways to limit sick-leave buybacks
City Manager Tim Gleason will look for a new way to pay out accrued sick leave for long-term city workers as a way to avoid or limit pension increases that could cost the city $4 million over the next several years.
That will require “striking a balance, understanding that the (city) employees … are our greatest resource,” Gleason told the City Council on Monday before aldermen unanimously approved allowing him to begin the process. “At the same time the financial impacts due to the pension spiking are one that many, if not all, communities around the state have had to address.”