Six years into retirement, Ron Guenther’s annual pension is more than $470,000 and is set to rise even higher, thanks to 3 percent yearly increases.
Despite increases in city contributions to both its police and fire pension funds, Normal, Illinois’, unfunded police and fire pension liabilities are growing.
Cook County governments have now amassed $139 billion in debt, a 30 percent increase over the last 5 years.
The Illinois House’s failure to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto is a victory for local leaders trying to attract good jobs for their communities.
Both Delaware and New Jersey have joined a growing trend away from estate taxes at the state level.
The politically motivated freeze would not address key cost drivers or protect Illinois homeowners from property tax increases.
Palatine-area District 15 support staff returned to work at the end of October, following a two-week strike. But workers are still without a contract, making the strike nothing more than a show of union muscle at the expense of workers, students and parents.
An amendment has been filed in the Illinois House of Representatives that would remove language making local government officials criminals simply for enacting Right-to-Work laws. But significant problems remain.
Illinois’ largest community college system saw a decrease in enrollment, but a doubling of degrees.
According to one estimate, Chicago Alderman Ed Burke is trying to cut the property tax bill for Trump Tower by more than $3 million.
The October briefing from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability outlines Illinois’ weak growth, and projects more of the same.
As a continuing part of a bad deal, Chicago taxpayers will pay Chicago Parking Meters LLC $20 million.
The Illinois House failed – by just one vote – to override Rauner’s veto of SB 1905, a ban of local Right-to-Work ordinances. But the bill is likely come back for another vote.