Rauner signs bill relaxing outdated liquor license restrictions
Rauner signs bill relaxing outdated liquor license restrictions
Gov. Bruce Rauner signed Senate Bill 2436 on Aug. 2, a move that will increase local control over liquor licensure.
Report: Recidivism to cost Illinois more than $13B over next 5 years
Report: Recidivism to cost Illinois more than $13B over next 5 years
Even a small decrease in the recidivism rate can yield millions of dollars in taxpayer savings while improving public safety.
Pensions crushing property values
Pensions crushing property values
Michael Serrano
Michael Serrano
“I head over to Indiana at least three times a month to get groceries, cigarettes, gas, anything that is taxed less. Part of it is that I’m trying to watch out for my pocketbook, the other part is to just not give any more of my tax dollars to Illinois. “Politicians only care about themselves....
Jamie Grubich
Jamie Grubich
“I grew up here. I came back here after college and I was in the military and I was with a unit in Rockford. I was a [National] Guard and reserve member for 13 years. “It makes me sad to think there’s a possibility that I might not want to live here. “I liked having...
Why your property tax bill is so high, and how to fix it
Why your property tax bill is so high, and how to fix it
Less than 50 cents of every additional property tax dollar over the last 20 years went to pay for services that raise home values. Instead, the primary driver of the rise in property taxes was pension costs.
Rauner gives DuPage County green light to pursue consolidation effort
Rauner gives DuPage County green light to pursue consolidation effort
A new law will allow DuPage County to dissolve its election commission and transfer its functions to the county clerk’s office, saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Naperville begins collecting Airbnb tax as similar taxes loom downstate
Naperville begins collecting Airbnb tax as similar taxes loom downstate
As Airbnb begins to remit Naperville’s hotel/motel use tax, some downstate municipalities are considering similar measures.
Ankle breaker: Dwyane Wade’s property taxes total nearly half home’s value over past 10 years
Ankle breaker: Dwyane Wade’s property taxes total nearly half home’s value over past 10 years
Dwyane Wade’s Matteson home has been on the market since May. At its current 5 percent effective property tax rate, the buyer would pay for it again in property taxes within 20 years.
Stuffed TIF Districts
Stuffed TIF Districts
Will County shoppers would pay among nation’s highest sales taxes under referendum proposal
Will County shoppers would pay among nation’s highest sales taxes under referendum proposal
A new sales tax proposed by Will County school districts would put some residents’ sales tax burden in a league with Chicago, which is home to the highest combined sales tax rate of any major city in the U.S.
Retired Kane County water district employee has banked $3.5M in pension payments
Retired Kane County water district employee has banked $3.5M in pension payments
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.
Settlement agreement in Harvey foreshadows pension crisis in Illinois
Settlement agreement in Harvey foreshadows pension crisis in Illinois
An agreement to end a dispute between the city of Harvey and two public safety pension funds provides a glimpse at the impending fiscal crises stemming from government pensions across the state.
3 ways Illinois can improve its property tax assessment system
3 ways Illinois can improve its property tax assessment system
The method by which local governments calculate Illinoisans’ property tax bills is broken. Here’s how Springfield can fix it.