Kane County Using Surplus Funds to Pay for Infrastructure, Pay Hikes

The court-security staff contract that was unresolved since 2008 finally settled, so the county has to pay $1.8 million in retroactive wages, the Daily Herald reports.

Remember the court-security staff strike that almost happened but was resolved at the 11th hour? Well, it's time to pay for the resulting pay increases—and for pensions, and for socking away some money for future infrastructure projects. The Kane County Board officials decided Wednesday what they'd do with about $7.8 million in surplus revenue, according to reports in the Daily Herald and Kane County Chronicle.  About $1.8 million of that eventually will go to the security staff union employees who had been working without a contract revision since November 2008. The good news is that conflict has been resolved and a strike averted. The bad news is that a new contract has yet to be negotiated, and the result likely will mean more dollars …

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Hultgren: Withhold Congress’ Pay Until Budget Passes

Congressman suggests a way to hold law-makers' feet to the fire.

Fourteenth District Congressman Randy Hultgren has a different sort of idea: No pay for Congress until a budget is passed. Hultgren recently re-introduced the Constitutional Congressional Pay Accountability Act for the 113th Congress. Hultgren says he introduced the bill back in 2011, and it fall flat then. The bill is just five pages—small for Congress—and Hultgren describes it as "straightforward." It would require Congress to pass a budget and all appropriations bills by the beginning of that fiscal year. If the budget doesn’t get passed, members of Congress won’t get paid. "It holds everyone’s feet to the fire," Hultgren said. Hultgren says House leadership is supporting the concept and that it is one component of the temporary debt-…

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Hultgren Gets Grilled By Residents at Batavia Town Hall

Concerned constituents challenge the freshman Congressman on taxes, insurance and more at the public event held Thursday night. Here’s what they said.

On a perfect summer evening, while dozens of residents strolled the Riverwalk or took in a band concert at the Peg Bond Center, about 30 people gathered in Batavia City Hall to hold U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren’s feet to the fire. Hultgren held a town hall meeting on Thursday in the Batavia City Council chambers to update constituents on what’s happening in Washington, D.C. Though most of the audience members were friendly, they tossed some hard questions at the freshman Congressman. And several of the residents pulled no punches. “Really? Is that all you have to show for yourself?” demanded one man, after Hultgren cited voting for a bill that prevented Congress from voting on unpublished proposals as the highlight of his first term. Several …

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Rob

4:49 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012

I agree with Dennis' comments! Bill the thrill never did anything ppositive for the 14th or our country! He could have, but failed miserably and is running again to try and get in to screw we the people in another district. We the peoplle in the 14th need to go in public to support the Republican opposition which ever way we can to help defeat that Bum AGAIN! CrankyCub talks about "wasting money…   more ›

House Speaker Michael Madigan Says He Was 'One of Many' Who Signed Off on Overspending

Legislator makes rare public address at Elmhurst College Government Forum.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said the state has a long way to go to get out of its current financial hole. However, he said legislators made a good start last year by cutting Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposed budget by $2 billion. Madigan made a rare public address to a forum at Elmhurst College and outlined some of the fiscal challenges facing the state, but he offered few election year remedies. Tuesday’s event was the fifth annual governmental forum held at Elmhurst College. Madigan used broad strokes to outline some of the economic concerns facing Illinois, including pension reform, state budget, workers compensation, unemployment and educational reform. Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, said addressing the state budget is the most …

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Letter to the Editor

Kevin Burns: Mitchell Committee's Kane County Spending Proposal at Odds with Lauzen Pledge

Letter to the Editor: Burns calls for zero-growth budget.

To the Editor: I’m happy to see that the County Board has revisited the budget as proposed by Finance Committee Chairman Jim Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell proposed a budget that would increase revenues and spending on county operations during this period of declining property values, increasing unemployment and shrinking household budgets. I support the recommendations made this morning by the Kane County Board to reject these increases. What is surprising is Finance Committee Chairman Mitchell, also serving as Chris Lauzen’s campaign chairman for the Tri-Cities, bringing this citizen-unfriendly budget forward. It certainly is at odds with Mr. Lauzen’s pledge to freeze county taxes. Does Mr. Lauzen support this budget or does he disagree with his…

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Justin Eggar

9:52 pm on Thursday, October 27, 2011

Jim, I will take you up on that in the next week - I appreciate you taking the time to respond! Justin   more ›