Rising pension costs in Illinois’ fifth-largest city are pushing Rockford near the edge of a fiscal cliff – a fate that officials are looking to reverse with a series of steep public service cuts.

Large pension payouts in the face of flat incomes for taxpayers raise questions of fairness.

Despite regional struggles and a shrinking population, taxpayers in southern Illinois have been saddled with rapidly growing pension costs.

The Chicago firefighters pension fund has filed claims with the Illinois comptroller for $3.3 million in shorted pension contributions, an action that could worsen city finances and service delivery.

A real estate investment deal arranged by a firm that employed former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s nephew has dealt a blow to Chicago’s cash-strapped pension funds, underscoring the need for a 401(k)-style alternative.

One former Schaumburg Park District employee alone has accumulated more than $1 million in pension benefits after retiring at age 55.

According to a new report by Moody’s Investors Service, Illinois’ unfunded pension liabilities equaled 601 percent of state revenues in 2017, a U.S. record.

If lawmakers continue to balk at building the tools necessary to reform pensions, bankruptcy will be the only way out for communities across the state.

Lake County residents pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation – a burden driven by the growth in pension costs over the last 20 years.