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.
Government Finance & Accountability
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.
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.
You Can Take It with You: Some Chicago Police Collect Massive Payouts before Retirement
The department spent more than $33 million in comp time payments in 2020. Some police view the money as compensation for time away from family.
Top Lightfoot Aide Who Led Heavily Promoted Anti-Violence Efforts Gone From City Job
Tamara Mahal’s departure comes months after the BGA reported that the city overhyped the initiative and that she had made false claims about her career accomplishments
A Powerful Pritzker Administration Insider Cashed In as a Consultant
In 10 months after leaving state government, Nikki Budzinski earned more than $500,000 from a lobbyist, big-money Democratic groups that don’t disclose their donors, and political and labor organizations. Now she’s running for Congress.
Pritzker’s Personal Fortune Intersects With State Contracts
The governor’s promises to divest his vast portfolio of state contractors have not extended to his so-called blind trust, which has the governor’s money in at least a dozen companies with billions in state business
State Filing on Medicaid Delays Asks Court to Reconsider
Saying a federal appeals court mistakenly created a “watershed moment” that could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul sides with insurance titans that administer healthcare reimbursements
City Claims on Anti-Violence Program Are Overblown
Mayor Lightfoot’s choice to lead the city’s campaign against gun-crime has a history of hyperbole, both about her efforts to confront Chicago’s greatest crisis and her own career.