Chicago News
-
Tax-increment financing (TIF) districts in Chicago are on track to pull in about $926 million from taxpayers this year, a record haul representing more than one-third of total taxes collected by the city.
Revenues from the special taxing districts jumped inside the city by more than 10 percent since last year, according to a report published Thursday by Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough. When including money from districts scattered across the Cook County suburbs, TIF revenue topped $1.3 billion. Those numbers represent values assessed for the 2019 tax year, which property owners are paying this year. -
AUG 06, 2020
UNLOCKED
Teachers and parents pushed back against the district's plan to have most kids in school for two days per week.
CHICAGO — The city’s public schools will start the year Sept. 8 with all kids taking online, remote classes, officials announced Wednesday, reversing a previous decision to begin with some in-class instruction.
The move comes after weeks of pushback from teachers, parents and community members, who worried the district’s plan — to have a hybrid model where most kids would spend at least a few days in school — would expose children, families and faculty to coronavirus. -
AUG 06, 2020
Gov. JB Pritzker gives an update on unemployment benefits and statewide Covid-19 cases during a press conference on Wednesday
Gov. J.B. Pritzker blamed federal regulators for allowing widespread unemployment fraud to flourish in Illinois, saying the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has flagged more than 100,000 cases of fraud this year. -
AUG 05, 2020
Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough’s office is scheduled to assume the duties of the Recorder of Deeds’ office, currently led by Ed Moody, in December.
Representatives of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough predict being able to save the county up to $1.1 million next year by assuming the staff and responsibilities of Cook County Recorder of Deeds Ed Moody, more than doubling earlier expectations. However, the offices still face significant hurdles, including a historic budget crisis that may force more cuts and convincing a court-appointed monitor that they can purge patronage from their hiring practices. -
AUG 04, 2020
Cook County officials who oversee technology, finance and workforce development have met or exceeded self-imposed goals but the county’s office of procurement and Justice Advisory Council have fallen short, according to a series of “performance dashboards” published by county board President Toni Preckwinkle on Monday.
-
AUG 04, 2020
UNLOCKED
A suspect has been arrested in the murder of 9-year-old Janari Ricks and the Cabrini Green community played a key role in the arrest, Chicago Police officials said Monday.
Speaking to reporters Monday outside the Near North (18th) Police District, Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said a suspect is in custody and police are working with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to determine charges. He stressed that the main reason for the quick arrest was neighbors who spoke up. -
AUG 03, 2020
-
ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez and Vice President of Compliance David Glockner in a hearing Thursday called to discuss the company’s bribery scandal.
A phalanx of top executives from Commonwealth Edison were grilled for more than five hours Thursday by Chicago City Council members who blasted the credibility of the utility giant in the wake of a $1.3 million bribery scandal that is threatening to tear apart Democratic House leadership in Springfield. -
JUL 31, 2020
Commissioners debate the “Justice for Black Lives” resolution during a meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners on Thursday.Cook County will work to steer its multibillion-dollar budget away from police and jails in favor of initiatives like health care, restorative justice and job creation in the coming years, according to a resolution approved by commissioners in a 15-1 vote on Thursday.
