Broken pension system puts Schaumburg taxpayers on the hook for bad investments

By Austin Berg

02/10/2018

The defined-benefit pension system threatens the retirement security of government workers, as well as the pocketbooks of overburdened taxpayers.

TAGS: 401(k), municipal pensions, pensions, Schaumburg

Palatine-Schaumburg school board member raises conflict-of-interest concerns

By Brendan Bakala

02/08/2018

A District 211 board member is sitting in on negotiations with the same teachers union that bought her campaign signs during the 2017 District 211 school board election. But much more than yard signs, Illinois' collective bargaining laws for government worker unions stack the deck against local taxpayers.

TAGS: collective bargaining, labor, Palatine, strike

House passes phony property tax freeze, bill dies in Senate

By Brendan Bakala

11/10/2017

The politically motivated freeze would not address key cost drivers or protect Illinois homeowners from property tax increases.

TAGS: John Cullerton, Michelle Mussman, Mike Madigan, property taxes

Phony property tax freeze introduced in Springfield

By Brendan Bakala

11/07/2017

The politically motivated freeze would not address key cost drivers or protect Illinois homeowners from property tax increases.

TAGS: Michelle Mussman, property taxes

More than a third of Illinois’ largest cities shrinking in population

10/03/2017

Twelve of the 29 Illinois cities with over 50,000 in population are losing residents.

TAGS: outmigration, population, U.S. Census Bureau

House Democrats file bill to repeal Cook County soda tax

By Brendan Bakala

08/16/2017

House Bill 4083 is the second bill in the Illinois General Assembly to propose getting rid of Cook County’s unpopular soda tax.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, soda tax

80% of Cook County municipalities have opted out of minimum wage, sick leave ordinances

By Amy Korte, Marianna Schmiesing

07/31/2017

The number of Cook County municipalities that have opted out of both ordinances has climbed to 107.

TAGS: Cook County, jobs, minimum wage

Illinois has 63,000 government workers making over $100K

07/27/2017

High-priced government workers cost taxpayers in Illinois $10 billion a year, with municipal managers in areas surrounding Chicago reaping the most benefits.

TAGS: Chicago, DuPage County, Kane County, Lake County, LGDF: Local Government Distributive Fund, McHenry County, municipal government, Will County

More than 50 municipalities have opted out of Cook County’s minimum wage hike, sick days mandate

By Amy Korte

06/26/2017

Municipal leaders have expressed concerns about the anti-competitive, job-killing effects of Cook County’s minimum wage increases and new sick leave law and are using home rule authority to exempt their communities from the requirements.

TAGS: Cook County, jobs, minimum wage, unemployment

Rosemont to build taxpayer-funded baseball stadium

05/24/2017

The village of Rosemont is moving forward on a $60 million taxpayer-funded baseball stadium.

TAGS: budget, cronyism, Rosemont, TIF: Tax Increment Financing

Schaumburg

Broken pension system puts Schaumburg taxpayers on the hook for bad investments

Palatine-Schaumburg school board member raises conflict-of-interest concerns

House passes phony property tax freeze, bill dies in Senate

Phony property tax freeze introduced in Springfield

More than a third of Illinois’ largest cities shrinking in population

House Democrats file bill to repeal Cook County soda tax

80% of Cook County municipalities have opted out of minimum wage, sick leave ordinances

Illinois has 63,000 government workers making over $100K

More than 50 municipalities have opted out of Cook County’s minimum wage hike, sick days mandate

Rosemont to build taxpayer-funded baseball stadium

Fighting poverty with employment: Chicago block clubs

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