Mount Pulaski
Mount Pulaski, IL · Municipal
unearththevoyage.com
The Center Square
New transit authority unveils $5B budget mixing cuts, more spending
(The Center Square) – The newly-formed Northern Illinois Transit Authority is engaging with counties, public transit riders and transit experts to pass its proposed $5.04 billion budget for the upcoming year. NITA is composed of transit organizations that serve Chicago and the city’s suburbs, including the Chicago Transit Authority, Pace bus system and Metra commuter rail network. The organization was created earlier this year as part of a broader effort to increase funding for public transit statewide. Compared to the proposed NITA budget, the RTA’s last budget was $4.35 billion this year. In a presentation at the NITA Board of Directors meeting Thursday, interim Chief Financial Officer Tom McKone explained the purpose of the larger budget and where the taxpayer funds will come from. “It's a balanced budget, a total of $5 billion,” McKone said. “The total region-wide revenues. Those are comprised of the NITA sales tax, along with system-generated revenues and about 30% of it coming from the State of Illinois sources.” McKone said that despite the increased total budget, the underlying agencies have found ways to get more out of existing services while spending less, beyond what was already required to be identified by the act creating NITA.
The Center Square
Analyst: Millionaires tax could hurt state competitiveness amid renewed push
(The Center Square) – As a push for a statewide millionaire tax is being renewed in Chicago ahead of state lawmakers’ fall veto session, one policy analyst says the proposal could impact more than just the state’s wealthiest residents. Earlier this month, more than 80% of voters in the city said they’d support a statewide 3% income tax on individuals who earn more than $1 million a year, which would go toward property tax relief and education funding. On Friday, six Chicago alderman called for a special council meeting to vote on an ordinance that would urge lawmakers to reconsider the tax during their fall veto session, which begins Tuesday. Tax Foundation Vice President of State Tax Policy Katherine Loughead told The Center Square the state’s 38th-place ranking nationally based on tax competitiveness could easily be lower if a millionaires tax were to be imposed. “That would be a pretty big blow to Illinois's index ranking because the flat tax is the one thing that is really helping Illinois stay above the bottom third of states overall,” Loughead said. “I know that folks in Rhode Island, for instance, are concerned. They recently adopted a millionaires tax similar to what Illinois
illinoislawyernow.com
The Two-Year Clock After a Fire
A serious burn changes daily life in an instant, and the legal side of recovery starts with a clock. Illinois sets a firm filing window, and it keeps running while the injured person is still in treatment. Knowing how that window works helps families plan with the deadline in view.