Jared Rutecki

They were among the latest group of five individuals the Chicago Ethics Board said had fined for attempting to influence Mayor Emanuel or other officials through emailed contacts that became public after the settlement of a BGA lawsuit against the city.

The total of those hit for lobbying the mayor without registering rises to eight in cases that emanate from a BGA lawsuit that led Mayor Emanuel to release thousands of pages of business related emails from his personal accounts.

BGA analysis of new data underscores how chronically bad government policy, not fat pensions, lie at the heart of soaring pension debt now hobbling the state’s and Chicago’s efforts to pay for schools and other critical services.

The fire department, dogged for decades by race and sex discrimination allegations, has cost the city a hefty price — and allegations continue.

Managing sewage and flood control might not seem like the most glamorous job in Illinois, but the financial rewards can be substantial, a Better Government Association analysis finds.Metropolitan Water Reclamation District boasts one of the highest-paid workforces among local government agencies, but increase comes as tax burden falls.

Narrow criteria required to terminate public pensions have led to just eight such forfeitures for corrupt former city workers since 2006 at the city’s largest pension fund for municipal workers.

John Bills Jr. was sentenced to 10 years in prison in August for taking bribes in traffic camera scheme.