Champaign County

Growing out of control: Property taxes put increasing burden on Illinois taxpayers

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner
12/17/2015
Property taxes are the single largest tax in Illinois, burdening residents far more than either income or sales taxes. Illinoisans already know they pay high property taxes. But what is not as well known is that property taxes are outpacing residents’ ability to pay for them. Over the past 50 years, whether measured in comparison...

Outside money pours into communities to pass sales-tax hikes

By illinoispolicy
10/29/2014
The public school district in Jacksonville, Illinois, is criticizing fellow Illinoisans for educating residents about a significant sales-tax increase proposal on the ballot – a tax increase that would drive up the cost of gas, clothes, prepared food, electronics and more. School district officials called the Illinois Policy Institute a “Chicago based” group, when we’re...

Meet the company pushing sales-tax hikes across Illinois

By Brian Costin
10/14/2014
Fourteen Illinois counties face higher sales taxes if referendums pass at the ballot box this fall. The tax is called the Illinois County School Facility Occupation Tax, or County School Facility Tax (CSFT) for short. The law authorizing the tax, which passed in 2007, allows school boards representing 51 percent of a county’s student population...

TAGS: Missouri, Nicolaus & Co., sales tax, Stifel Nicolaus & Co., taxes

Champaign County breaks promise on sales-tax hike

By Shawn Tonge
10/13/2014
Property taxes for school districts in Champaign County have risen substantially, despite property-tax relief promises made regarding the County School Facility Sales Tax enacted in 2009. And there’s reason to believe districts across the state might suffer the same fate. In April 2009, Champaign County passed a referendum for a 1 percent increase in the...

Illinois corruption watch, August 2014

By Brian Costin
09/05/2014
At least 84 corruption-related stories have been reported from across the state of Illinois in August alone. Atop August headlines is the recent revelation that a federal grand jury subpoenaed the emails of Gov. Pat Quinn’s ex-chief of staff in relation to Quinn’s anti-violence grant program. The case, which has been referred to by some...

TAGS: Chicago, corruption, cronyism, transparency, waste

Institute on WAND TV: Illinois’ addiction to pork

12/31/2012
Institute policy expert, Jonathan Ingram, joined Doug Wolfe on WAND TV to discuss Illinois’ addiction to wasteful spending. Check our Piglet 2012 for examples of pork in Illinois. MUSEUM CAPITAL PROJECTS ABRAHAM LINCOLN MEMORIAL GARDEN FOUNDATION, INC. (Sangamon County) – $82,433. Renovation of the Ostermeir Farmhouse to add handicap accessible features, waterproof basement, replace carpet,...

TAGS: waste

Cook County asks voters if it’s OK to abridge First Amendment rights

By Chris Andriesen
11/02/2012
Diane Cohen General Counsel, Liberty Justice Center Cook County’s Nov. 6 ballot contains a series of advisory questions to voters, the results of which are nonbinding but often used to test – if not justify – future legislative initiatives. Placed on the ballot by vote of the Chicago City Council resolution, some of these questions...
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FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Illinois students could soon benefit from scholarship money to help them find a tutor, attend ACT or SAT prep sessions, pay tuition, get special education services or assist with other academic needs. That will happen in Illinois only if Gov. J.B. Pritzker lets the state’s schoolchildren benefit from the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, established...

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Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

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

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016