The Decatur City Council moved to stop paying $20,000 to sponsor a golf tournament with the village of Forsyth, a sensible move for a shrinking city operating on a budget deficit.

Agreeing on how much money one has to spend is a basic first step of budgeting.

Lawmakers should voluntarily adopt a spending cap to give taxpayers the certainty they deserve.

A constitutional amendment to impose fiscal discipline on state lawmakers is gaining bipartisan support.

History shows lawmakers prefer to avoid tough but necessary choices.

Poor accounting practices prevent true financial transparency in Illinois state government.

Efforts to add an Amtrak train stop in Lake Forest have been plagued by a series of setbacks for a project now estimated to cost more than $13.4 million.

As the state continuously spends more than residents can afford, taxpayers in Rock Island County have seen little income growth.

The city's budget for fiscal year 2019 was accompanied by increases in sales and telecom taxes. But local officials still anticipate a deficit.

A proposal to tie state spending to what taxpayers can afford is earning bipartisan support in Springfield.