The Latest Breaking News from Laurence Msall

The deal’s prevailing wage portion covers 7,000 members of 30 trade unions employed by 16 city departments. Those workers also will now accrue half a day of sick leave per month and be eligible for 12 weeks of paid parental leave.

A veteran reporter for The Bond Buyer, Ms. Shields called herself a “municipal finance nerd.” She died suddenly this week, her family said.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot says there’s no lack of transparency in her budget, and police spending isn’t the only measure of public safety.

Skeptics say they wouldn’t be surprised to see a vote on the property tax increase resurrected after the Nov. 8 election.

State laws created the police, fire, laborers and municipal employees pension funds, and state lawmakers have a responsibility to consolidate, reform and fund local pension plans, says Civic Federation President Laurence Msall.

The Certified Annual Financial Report for 2021 shows Chicago closed the books on 2021 with a total fund balance of $679.1 million.

Decades ago, Chicago politicians curried favor with voters by distributing Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas hams. Garbage cans with an office-holder’s name on it were also a frequent freebie. But, the avalanche of federal stimulus funds has allowed Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Cook County Board President…

Board of Review Commissioner Tammy Wendt should abide by the ruling from the Cook County Board of Ethics.

A U.S. Census Bureau report released Thursday shows rather than losing population, Illinois gained more than 250,000 residents between 2010 and 2020. That’s roughly the equivalent of not counting anyone in Aurora — Illinois’ second largest city — and the entire city of Decatur.