Decatur, Peoria and Elgin hardest hit by job loss during Illinois lockdown

By Bryce Hill

06/04/2020

Record April job losses hurt some communities even more than Illinois’ statewide decline of 13.4%.

Pritzker’s toilet removal contractor gets nearly $9M in COVID-19 work

05/28/2020

The contractor who removed toilets from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mansion in a $331,000 property tax scandal received a nearly $9 million COVID-19 contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The contractor hadn’t worked with the Corps in 76 years.

TAGS: federal investigation, JB Pritzker, property taxes, tax fraud

Land of 1,000 shrinking communities

By Bryce Hill

05/24/2019

Illinois’ lost people problem spreads to more than 1,000 communities in 2018

TAGS: fair tax, income tax, JB Pritzker, outmigration, population, progressive income tax, property taxes, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau

56 Illinois state lawmakers have refused to take a pension

02/08/2019

Illinois’ 101st General Assembly can be leaders in pension reform by passing a constitutional amendment that allows for changes to future, unearned benefits.

TAGS: 401(k), GARS: General Assembly Retirement System, lawmaker pay, pension guarantee, pensions, taxes

53 representatives sign on to letter opposing progressive tax

By Chris Lentino

09/06/2018

Taxpayers across Illinois oppose a progressive tax but many state lawmakers still refuse to stand up against House Speaker Mike Madigan’s progressive tax push.

TAGS: graduated income tax, income tax, Mike Madigan, progressive income tax, taxes

Retired Kane County water district employee has banked $3.5M in pension payments

07/30/2018

Despite serving one of the most overtaxed parts of the state, a retired Kane County-area water district employee has collected millions in pension payouts over the past 20 years.

TAGS: IMRF: Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, Kane County, municipal pensions, pensions, property taxes, taxes

Illinois metro areas add 3,300 jobs in April

By Bryce Hill

05/30/2018

New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show eight of Illinois’ 13 metro areas gained jobs over the month.

TAGS: BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment, jobs, unemployment

3 Illinois metro areas saw jobs decline in 2017, 9 see growth in February

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

04/05/2018

Illinois’ metro areas added 11,300 jobs in February, while only one metro area lost jobs over the month. Despite strong employment growth from metro areas in February, Illinois is still far behind U.S. growth over the last 12 months.

Illinois metro areas yield slight jobs gain in January, but weak long-term trends persist

By Bryce Hill

03/16/2018

Combined jobs growth was slightly positive across Illinois’ metro areas in January. But only four metro areas have recovered the jobs they lost during the Great Recession.

TAGS: BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs, unemployment

Elgin residents facing multitude of tax and fee hikes

By Brendan Bakala

12/08/2017

A 2018 budget proposal for Elgin includes a new gas tax, an increase in water and sewer rates, and other tax hikes.

TAGS: Elgin, municipal government, municipal pensions, pensions, property taxes

Elgin

Decatur, Peoria and Elgin hardest hit by job loss during Illinois lockdown

Pritzker’s toilet removal contractor gets nearly $9M in COVID-19 work

Land of 1,000 shrinking communities

56 Illinois state lawmakers have refused to take a pension

53 representatives sign on to letter opposing progressive tax

Retired Kane County water district employee has banked $3.5M in pension payments

Illinois metro areas add 3,300 jobs in April

3 Illinois metro areas saw jobs decline in 2017, 9 see growth in February

Illinois metro areas yield slight jobs gain in January, but weak long-term trends persist

Elgin residents facing multitude of tax and fee hikes

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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