Lightfoot moves to reform infamous Chicago workers’ comp program

By Joe Barnas

06/21/2019

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called out Ald. Ed Burke after corruption indictments. Now she is reforming the city’s mismanaged workers’ compensation program that a lawsuit said Burke used to build a political army.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago City Council, Ed Burke, Lori Lightfoot, workers compensation

Chicago aldermen give up control of $100M workers’ comp program

By Brad Weisenstein

01/23/2019

A federal corruption charge against Chicago Ald. Ed Burke has led peers to hand control of the $100 million-a-year workers’ compensation program to the city finance department. Burke, who had overseen the program for decades, fought program oversight and staffed it with political allies.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago City Council, Ed Burke, Rahm Emanuel, workers compensation

Ald. Burke prosecution ends battle against auditing Chicago’s $100 million workers’ comp program

By Brad Weisenstein

01/07/2019

Mayor Rahm Emanuel ordered an audit of the city’s $100 million-a-year workers’ compensation program following Ald. Ed Burke’s resignation as finance committee chair. Burke has long fought program oversight.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago City Council, Ed Burke, Rahm Emanuel, workers compensation

Seal-Rite Door exits Rockford for Wisconsin

By Vincent Caruso

12/11/2018

Seal-Rite’s doors are hardly the first to close in Illinois and reopen in the Badger State.

TAGS: outmigration, pensions, property taxes, rockford, taxes, workers compensation

Steel manufacturer shutters Illinois plant, takes 100 jobs to Indiana

By Janelle Cammenga

12/08/2018

Alliance Steel Corp. will move 100 jobs to Gary, Indiana, with plans to add 30 more.

TAGS: manufacturing, outmigration, property taxes, taxes, workers compensation

Lawsuit seeks to end Burke’s ‘political army’ in Chicago workers’ comp system

By Austin Berg

08/07/2018

Chicago’s longest-serving alderman runs the city’s workers’ comp program without any outside scrutiny. But a new lawsuit aims to change that.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago City Council, Ed Burke, patronage, workers compensation

Belleville spent more than $2.5M on workers’ comp settlements in less than 5 years

By Vincent Caruso

07/29/2018

While a few payouts were the result of severe injuries, local taxpayers were also on the hook for settlements with workers who returned to work the very next day.

TAGS: Belleville, St. Clair County, taxes, workers compensation

Coca-Cola distributor relocating facility, 143 jobs to Iowa from Rock Island

By Eddie Damstra

06/08/2018

Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Co. plans to move its Rock Island facility to Walcott, Iowa, where the company is expected to receive substantial tax incentives.

TAGS: jobs, quad cities, rock island county, workers compensation

As Macon County shrinks, property tax rates grow

By Joe Kaiser

05/01/2018

With countywide population dipping, remaining taxpayers in Macon County are being left with an ever-increasing property tax bill.

TAGS: decatur, gas tax, Macon County, outmigration, population, property taxes, taxes, workers compensation

Lake Bluff consolidation proposal could save taxpayers $500K

By Brendan Bakala

02/17/2018

A joint service agreement between two fire departments could save Lake Bluff more than $500,000 over five years, once fully implemented. The plan would be a welcome change of pace for residents, as Lake County homeowners pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation.

TAGS: collective bargaining, local government consolidation, property taxes, workers compensation