Articles filed under On Guard

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  Duckworth claimed two homeowner exemptions Aug 22, 2012 12:00 AM
  Eighth Congressional District candidate Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates improperly claimed two homeowner exemptions at once over a period of several years, a Daily Herald investigation has found. Duckworth calls it an oversight and says she is paying the $1,928 in taxes she saved because of the extra exemption, plus an added $612 in penalties.
  

   
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  Antioch Rescue Squad in need of “dramatic changes,” state says Aug 17, 2012 12:00 AM
  An informal report by the Illinois Department of Public Health says members of the Antioch Rescue Squad have intentionally irritated patients in order to restrain them, allowed EMS technicians to work their shift only hours after excessive drinking, and did not keep tabs on medicine. The group's president said the accusations are false.
  

   
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  Two Carpentersville trustees missed 21% of board meetingsAug 12, 2012 12:00 AM
  Two of Carpentersville's trustees have missed more than 20 percent of village board meetings since the last election. "If you're not able to make it to the meetings, what good of a voice are you?" asks Trustee Brad McFeggan. But Village President Ed Ritter said, "If I thought that it was on purpose or that they were trying to duck their duties, I would be disappointed, but I don't think it's the case."
  

   
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  Part-time cops don't mean big-time savingsAug 8, 2012 12:00 AM
  Without the costly insurance and pension benefits that full-time police officers receive, many suburban departments are turning to part-time officers as a way to cut costs. But the savings may not always pan out. While the reduction of full-time officers amount to savings in some areas, collective bargaining agreements and the cost of staffing those posts may prevent significant savings.
  

   
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  Some suburbs boost budgets with electric aggregation fees Aug 5, 2012 12:00 AM
  Out of more than 50 communities across the Northwest and West suburbans with electric aggregation programs, only seven decided to accept a "civic contribution" from their chosen provider, including West Dundee and Hoffman Estates. In communities like Mundelein that decided against accepting the civic contribution, officials point to their duty to save residents as much money as possible.
  

   
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  Why you could wait 2 years for tax appeal board answer Aug 1, 2012 12:00 AM
  Property owners who aren't satisfied with their tax assessments after appealing through local channels can always take it a step higher to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board. However, they shouldn't hold their breath. The state agency is so overwhelmed, officials there acknowledge it takes about two years for a decision from the board.
  

   
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  Treasurer's 'new' I-Cash program carries big pricetag Jul 29, 2012 12:00 AM
  State Treasurer Dan Rutherford's office is paying nearly $2 million to a Chicago consulting firm to rebrand and market a program the Pontiac Republican said just months ago was exceeding expectations. The state will pay Henson Consulting a total of $1.98 million over three years to "re-brand and market the Cash Dash program in the state treasurer's unclaimed property division" between now and 2014.
  

   
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  Some suburban police departments more top heavy than others Jul 18, 2012 12:00 AM
  Several suburban police departments have high numbers of officers in supervisory roles overseeing fewer subordinates, at a higher cost to taxpayers. But a few other departments have supervisory levels that fall too low, says one expert. Leonard Territo, one of the co-authors of the police administration textbook, said specific circumstances should dictate a police department's supervisory staffing levels.
  

   
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  Retired, rehired Addison chief gets pay and pensionJul 17, 2012 12:00 AM
  To avoid losing longtime Addison Police Chief Timothy Hayden to another department, village officials are creating a new post that will allow Hayden to collect his six-figure police pension while drawing a $136,000 civilian salary as director of police. “(The pension) was intended as a stable source of income for retired people, not to boost the income for people who are still working,” said Paul Kersey, director of labor policy at the Illinois Policy Institute.
  

   
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  Millions spent in duplicating South Elgin water service Jul 11, 2012 12:00 AM
  The Otter Creek Water Reclamation District exists essentially on paper alone. There is no staff. There are no headquarters. Its services are almost entirely handled by South Elgin. But it does have millions of dollars of debt and a well-paid lawyer. If South Elgin has its way, though, the district will cease to exist before the year is out.
  

   
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  Warren superintendent choice gets $250,000 to quitJul 3, 2012 12:00 AM
  More than $250,000 will be paid to Jeff Brierton for quitting shortly before he was scheduled to move up this month from principal to superintendent at Warren Township High School in Gurnee, according to documents obtained through a Daily Herald open records request. "Unfortunately, both the board and Dr. Brierton have found that their working relationship has broken down," a statement reads.
  

   
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  Suburban police sweeps fall short of grant expectations Jun 27, 2012 12:00 AM
  Despite receiving grants to beef up patrols to snare drunken drivers in the days before last year's Fourth of July, several suburban police departments failed to net a single impaired driver. Eight departments — Algonquin, Cook County sheriff's, Crystal Lake, Crystal Lake Park District, Elk Grove Village, Kildeer, West Chicago and West Dundee — received a combined $21,663 for increased enforcement that resulted in no DUI arrests.
  

   
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  Public safety pensions take bigger bite of suburban budgets Jun 20, 2012 12:00 AM
  As the legislature looks at ways to reform the state's teacher pension costs, one proposal would require school districts to pick up the pension tab like municipalities do for public safety workers. But municipalities have long lamented this process and have seen costs skyrocket in recent years as more property tax dollars go toward covering public safety pension costs.
  

   
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  Why tax burden went up for Cook County homeowners Jun 13, 2012 12:00 AM
  Residential property owners in suburban Cook County school districts are seeing their tax burden increase while commercial property owners are often paying less. This phenomenon is occurring at a much steeper rate than in other suburban counties and has had homeowners all over the suburbs shaking their heads the last few years.
  

   
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  How Illinois teachers got $900 million more in benefitsJun 6, 2012 12:00 AM
  More than 21 percent of the $4.2 billion paid in pension benefits to the state's teachers last year were cost-of-living increases. That's up from 18 percent of the total teacher pension payout just five years ago. “The fact that one benefit can cost over one-fifth of the entire plan indicates how significant the current (cost-of-living adjustment) problem is,” state Rep. Elaine Nekritz said.
  

   

• DuPage forest preserve won't give up probe papers Jun 3, 2012 12:00 AM
  Copies of payment records related to the DuPage County Forest Preserve's dealings with a vendor should be released to the public, according to a recent letter from the Illinois Attorney General's office. But the district is refusing to comply with the nonbinding request because the documents are the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation.
  

   
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  Island Lake’s big legal bills remain a concernJun 3, 2012 12:00 AM
  Island Lake's monthly attorney's fees have decreased significantly since the five-month legal fight between Mayor Debbie Herrmann and a group of trustees ended last summer. But the town's legal bills still are higher on average than the bills that were at the heart of the attempted municipal insurrection that led to Herrmann suing four trustees earlier in the year.
  

   
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  What police staffing costs us in the suburbsMay 30, 2012 12:00 AM
  Suburban police departments are spending anywhere from $1,500 to $75 per resident to cover the salaries of full-time sworn officers. Police officials and municipal leaders say many variables go into determining a police department's staffing levels, but these once sacrosanct line items are now under increased scrutiny.
  

   

• DuPage election board tightens cellphone useMay 29, 2012 12:00 AM
  After cutting its credit cards, the DuPage Election Commission now is looking to pull the plug on government-issued cellular phones being used for personal reasons. "Government-issued property should be used for the purpose of conducting the business of government," Commissioner Cathy Ficker Terrill said.
  

   
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  Big weekend for seat belt enforcement, but at what cost?May 23, 2012 12:00 AM
  Suburban police receive hundreds of thousands of dollars every year to increase enforcement of seat belt use around Memorial Day weekend. But our analysis of state transportation grant records shows the program costs more than municipalities will ever get back. "The biggest concern I have is it strips away officer discretion," said Aurora police Cmdr. Joe Groom.