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Towns, School Districts Getting Millions of More Dollars in Property Taxes Thanks to a New, Little-Known State Law
For the first time this year, taxing bodies will automatically charge property owners for governments’ taxation errors.
THE LaTEST
Governor Will Sign into Law Measure to Prohibit State Investments in Russian Companies
State pension funds would have to pull millions of dollars in investments from Russian stocks and bonds under a measure the Illinois General Assembly has approved and that the governor is expected to sign into law. The measure unanimously passed the House in April of this year following the attack in February by Russian President…
Investigations
Lightfoot administration pushing TIF renewals to funnel billions in tax dollars into hot neighborhoods
The mayor campaigned on reining in tax-increment financing and has in some instances but is continuing the controversial practice in some affluent areas that critics say don’t need them.
Investigations
Life and Death in Chicago’s Most Dangerous Bike Lane
In Chicago’s busiest bike lane along Milwaukee Avenue, there have been 50 reported crashes and three deaths since 2020 as cyclists navigate the city’s patchwork approach to safety.
Investigations
North-Suburban Tax Assessments Point To Trouble for Homeowners, Potential Relief for Businesses
Assessor Fritz Kaegi says a new round of tax assessments shows his policies are working. But the picture for north-suburban homeowners is more complicated.
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Program to Help Formerly Incarcerated Chicago Residents in Jeopardy after FTX Implosion
The cryptocurrency giant pledged at least a million dollars to a local non-profit to provide universal basic income to help people get back on their feet after spending time behind bars. But now, the company has filed for bankruptcy, without delivering on most of the grant.
Tax sale process hits Black homeowners hardest
The property tax sale process that can result in people losing their homes robs those communities of generational wealth, critics say. And Cook County’s last-chance fund to help make some of those homeowners whole is years behind in paying claims.
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Solutions
Here’s What the Bring Chicago Home Measure Would Do
Editor’s note: The story has been corrected to note that the proposed tax would be paid by the buyer of a home and applies to the entire value of any property of more than $1 million. With Chicago’s upcoming mayoral election moving squarely into the spotlight, a wide coalition of advocates and city officials are…
Is It Working? Cook County’s Domestic Violence Court Strains to Improve and Expand a Year After a Reckoning
As officials work to overhaul an overloaded and flawed court system, advocates and survivors say the finish line is a long way off.
Investigations
Insurance Giant Failed Foster Kids with Inadequate Care
A nearly $370 million contract promised to improve healthcare for state wards — but for two years the Centene Corp. fell short on basic care, forcing foster parents to scramble.
City Council Weighs Stalling CTA Funds Amid Service and Safety Questions
City Council members may finally get their crack at questioning CTA President Dorval Carter on Thursday.
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Opinions
Greising: Pritzker’s Presidential Daydreams Might Help the People of Illinois
How Gov. J.B. Pritzker addresses his gubernatorial to-do list matters to Illinoisans — as well as to his prospects for the presidency.
Greising: Mayor Lightfoot, aldermen should be able to agree on transparency, accountability
In the struggle between the mayor and the City Council, a separation of powers is the way to go.
Zarou: Zoom Meetings Make State Government Accessible. But It’s Critical To Preserve In-Person Meetings
From this point forward, online systems — on Zoom or similar platforms — should always be available for the benefit of those who can’t attend public meetings. But that’s as far as it should go.
Cubbage: It’s Past Time for the City Council To Name Its Own Committee Leadership, Not the Mayor
There’s no reason for the City Council to maintain its unspoken power-sharing agreement with the mayor when it comes to committees.
