Illinois companies announce 1,666 mass layoffs in February

By Patrick Andriesen, Jon Josko

03/11/2025

Illinois companies announced 1,666 mass layoffs in February, with more than 4-in-5 impacting workers in Cook County. Schaumburg alone accounted for one-third of job losses.

TAGS: jobs, unemployment

Voters in northwest Cook County take up pension crisis, unfunded mandates

By Dylan Sharkey

01/07/2025

Palatine Township voters will take up some of the state’s most urgent issues at the April 1 election, telling state lawmakers where they stand on public pensions and unfunded state mandates.

TAGS: Cook County

Lake County looks at 4-cent gas tax hike using law that doubled state gas tax

By Patrick Andriesen

03/05/2021

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker approved doubling the state gas tax in 2019 and gave some counties and Chicago the power to hike local gas taxes. Lake County is the latest to consider doing so.

TAGS: gas tax, Lake County

Bribery charge, resignations hit prominent players in red-light camera scandal

03/09/2020

A Cook County commissioner quits as a former city administrator faces a bribery charge. Both played roles in the rise of red-light cameras and vendor SafeSpeed.

TAGS: Chicago Department of Aviation, conflict of interest, Cook County, corruption, IDOT: Illinois Department of Transportation, Jeff Tobolski, Lyons, Martin Sandoval, McCook, Oak Brook, Patrick Doherty, red light cameras, SafeSpeed, Toni Preckwinkle

Where you can and can’t buy recreational marijuana in Illinois

11/15/2019

Many Illinois municipalities have voted to ban or restrict marijuana sales when it becomes legal for sale. Here’s a list of where pot will, won’t and might be legally bought.

TAGS: Arlington Heights, Bolingbrook, Buffalo Grove, cannabis, Carbondale, Carol Stream, Chicago, City of Springfield, collar counties, Collinsville, Danville, Decatur, Downers Grove, DuPage County, Edwardsville, Elmhurst, Grayslake, Highland Park, Joliet, Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, legalization, Libertyville, Lombard, marijuana, Mundelein, municipal government, Naperville, Northbrook, Oak Park, Plainfield, prohibition, Schaumburg, Urbana, Waukegan, Wheaton, Winnetka

Illinois red-light cameras have collected more than $1B from drivers since 2008

By Austin Berg

10/14/2019

Red-light cameras are taking more and more money from Illinois motorists. But dubious safety benefits, a cloud of corruption and a bipartisan bill in Springfield may combine to take them off the streets.

Pritzker gas tax hike would cost average driver $100 more per year

05/30/2019

Illinoisans would end up paying more at the pump under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed capital plan.

TAGS: capital project, gas tax, JB Pritzker, taxes

Pensions consume nearly half of Schaumburg’s property tax levy

11/08/2018

Schaumburg’s village board may have an opportunity to cut its property tax levy, but the village faces a challenge controlling its pension costs.

TAGS: municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions, property taxes, Schaumburg, taxes

Coke County: Townships overwhelmingly reject bringing back soda tax

11/07/2018

Voters across seven Cook County townships strongly oppose a return of the sweetened beverage tax.

TAGS: Cook County, soda tax, Toni Preckwinkle

Schaumburg village manager rakes in 318% more than area’s median households

10/12/2018

The highest-earning government employee in at least five municipalities far outpaces what typical local taxpayers in those areas bring in.

TAGS: budget, property taxes, Schaumburg, taxes, waste

Schaumburg

Illinois companies announce 1,666 mass layoffs in February

Voters in northwest Cook County take up pension crisis, unfunded mandates

Lake County looks at 4-cent gas tax hike using law that doubled state gas tax

Bribery charge, resignations hit prominent players in red-light camera scandal

Where you can and can’t buy recreational marijuana in Illinois

Illinois red-light cameras have collected more than $1B from drivers since 2008

Pritzker gas tax hike would cost average driver $100 more per year

Pensions consume nearly half of Schaumburg’s property tax levy

Coke County: Townships overwhelmingly reject bringing back soda tax

Schaumburg village manager rakes in 318% more than area’s median households

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