City workers are pruning trees more than twice as quickly after an overhaul that gives alderpeople less power to control services.
Alex Nitkin
Alex Nitkin is a government finance and accountability reporter conducting investigations on systemic problems and the public policies that are meant to fix them in Chicago, Cook County and Illinois government. Before joining Illinois Answers, he worked as a reporter and editor for The Daily Line covering Cook County and Chicago government. He previously worked at The Real Deal Chicago, where he covered local real estate news, and DNAinfo Chicago, where he worked as a breaking news reporter and then as a neighborhood reporter covering the city's Northwest Side. A New York native who grew up in Connecticut, Alex graduated Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism with a bachelor’s degree.
Posted inInvestigations
Luxury Home or Vacant Lot? Cook County Assessor Misclassifies Hundreds of Properties, Missing $444M in One Year Alone
An investigation by Illinois Answers Project and the Chicago Tribune found Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office missed critical data from at least 620 properties in 2023, with big implications for those taxpayers.
Posted inInvestigations
How We Reported on Cook County Assessment Errors
Reporters from Illinois Answers Project and the Chicago Tribune collected and analyzed thousands of points of data to track down where the Cook County assessor misclassified hundreds of properties.
Posted inGovernment Finance & Accountability
Johnson Administration Faces Credibility Crunch Over a Key Plank of $1.25B Bond Plan
Officials say they’ll let enough special taxing districts expire to generate the money needed to pay back the debt. Some analysts are skeptical.
Posted inInvestigating Responses
‘Green Alleys’ Help Prevent Flooding, But Vulnerable Neighborhoods Must Wait in Line
‘It’s a little bit of a shot-in-the-dark implementation strategy,’ a key City Council member said.
Posted inCriminal Justice & Public Safety
Court Clerk’s Error Exposed Data Involving Thousands of Juvenile Defendants, Violating State Law
A clerk’s office spokesman called the exposure “brief, non-damaging and limited in nature.” But a top county official says it was only the office’s latest failure.
Posted inInvestigating Responses
Evanston’s Streets Have Become Safer for Cyclists. What’s the Suburb Doing Right?
Chicago has seen traffic crashes, injuries and deaths increase in the past decade. As city leaders try to reverse the trend, Evanston has set a powerful example.
Posted inInvestigating Responses
5 Ways Lawmakers Could Boost Equity in Illinois’ Stalled Cannabis Industry
“If we don’t provide real, intentional help for these social equity dreamers, we’re going to let them down as a state. All of their money will be lost,” a key lawmaker said.
Posted inInvestigating Responses
Illinois Doled Out Millions to Pot Growers. It Still May Not Be Enough to Save the Industry.
As independent ‘craft growers’ in Illinois struggle to secure financing for their cannabis businesses, a state-backed fund has emerged as a key lifeline.
Posted inInvestigating Responses
As Chicago Punts on Apartment Safety, Denver Shows What’s Possible
Chicago has no way of tracking landlords, nor does it require rental units to be inspected. That was the case in Colorado’s largest city, until officials decided to do something about it.
