More than 70 Belleville-area school retirees are pension millionaires

By Vincent Caruso

12/10/2018

Pension payouts collected by the Belleville area’s top-earning school retirees underscore the need to reform Illinois’ unaffordable pension system.

TAGS: Belleville, Belleville School District 118, Belleville Township School District 201, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, St. Clair County, taxes

Belleville school districts are ripe for consolidation

By Vincent Caruso

06/01/2018

Illinois has more units of local government than any other state in the country, many of which are duplicative and overlapping. In Belleville, where the majority of the city’s school districts cover fewer students than the state average, consolidation efforts could boost efficiency while saving taxpayer dollars.

TAGS: Belleville, Belleville School District 118, Belleville Township School District 201, consolidation, salaries, school district consolidation, St. Clair County, teacher salaries

Building not permitted: Building permits in Illinois are a barrier to housing affordability

Illinois is in the midst of a housing affordability crisis. Over a third of residents are considered “burdened” by housing costs, meaning they pay over 30% of their income on costs related to housing. That is a greater portion of residents burdened by housing than any other state in the Midwest. The state fell 113,000...

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Building not permitted: Building permits in Illinois are a barrier to housing affordability

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Sam Goldman

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students