Peoria mayor on pensions: ‘We’ll never catch up, not in our lifetimes’

By Patrick Andriesen

11/29/2021

Peoria leaders said they are in ‘survival mode’ and need to take $4 million from this year’s budget to help make pension payments for the next two years. The mayor calls for state action to fix the pension debt crisis.

TAGS: pensions, Peoria

Jeremiah made it, but 2 Illinois education reforms could help others

By Ann Miller

11/10/2021

Illinois has too much school district administration. It has too much education pension debt. There are ways to solve those problems to help students facing challenges and taxpayers facing ever-increasing demands.

TAGS: Classrooms First Act, education bureaucracy, education spending, K-12, pensions

What unions aren’t telling Illinois teachers: Your pension is in trouble

By Mailee Smith

11/01/2021

Barring reforms, the Teachers’ Retirement System could eventually run out of money and be unable to pay promised benefits to retirees, all while making it more expensive for teachers to live in Illinois.

TAGS: Illinois, pensions, teachers union

Public labor unions push for more power over municipal, teacher pension funds

By Joe Tabor

10/25/2021

Bills backed by Illinois public-sector unions would give them more power in administering pension funds despite evidence of worse outcomes.

TAGS: Amendment 1, Illinois, pensions, unions

Illinois’ rising property taxes driven by $75 billion local pension debt

By Adam Schuster

09/27/2021

Rapidly rising property taxes and growing pension costs leave homeowners asked to pay more to get less. Relief requires structural pension reform, starting with a constitutional amendment.

TAGS: Illinois, pensions, property taxes

Pensions in Quincy cost 126% of municipal property taxes

By Adam Schuster, Justin Carlson

09/24/2021

Quincy property taxes do not generate enough to fund the municipal pension costs. Even with that heavy burden, there is so much state and local pension debt that the average Quincy household owns more than $35,600.

TAGS: pensions, property taxes, Quincy

Nearly 40 cents of every education dollar in Illinois goes to pensions

By Adam Schuster

09/22/2021

Rapidly rising pension costs compete with classroom spending, reducing resources for teachers and students while driving up property taxes.

TAGS: education spending, K-12, pensions

Over 90% of Rock Island municipal property taxes taken by public pensions

By Adam Schuster, Robert Brutvan, Perry Zhao

09/22/2021

Despite so much of the property tax share going to public pensions, there is still a huge unmet pension debt. The average Rock Island household owes nearly $40,000 to state and local pensions.

TAGS: pensions, property taxes, Rock Island

Over 100% of Danville municipal property taxes consumed by pensions

By Adam Schuster, Perry Zhao

09/20/2021

The average Danville household owns nearly $40,000 in state and local pension debt.

TAGS: Danville, pensions, property taxes

2 things Waukegan can do to nurture students’ futures

By Ann Miller

09/16/2021

With rising costs and sinking test scores, school district efficiency and pension reform provide ways to put more money into Waukegan classrooms and improve student achievement.

TAGS: Classrooms First Act, education spending, pensions, Waukegan