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Village looks to DMMC for capital project funding Two items that look to be approved this week involve applying for grants for projects through the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference. The application to the DuPage Mayors & Managers Conference (DMMC) is for the 2011 Surface Transportation Program (STP) for highway project funding.

Staff recommends keeping current system On Tuesday council will again visit the next garbage contract.  DGreport readers already know the options, but now staff has weighed in, recommending the existing program be kept in place for another three years.  This is a first reading (workshop) of that motion, and council is expected to vote next week on [...]

Village Operation Center workers will see raises In December of 2008, the Village Operation Center (VOC) employees voted to unionize and choose the Fraternal Order of Police as their exclusive bargaining agent. The unit is comprised of all full time operators. Staff has been negotiating a collective bargaining agreement since April of 2009. Staff has [...]

Tuesday was the Long Range Financial Planning meeting (see Required reading for background, as well as category budget for DGreports extensive posts on past budgets).  Barnett and Beckman were unable to attend.  All the curve balls and budget sucker punches thrown by the state we’ve already discussed.  There was a general agreement among council members that the existing [...]

At the last June council meeting Mayor Sandack referred to 4-5 resident comments on the village website regarding Long Term Financial Planning that starts on June 29th. The lack of input may be from lack of information. This link will take you direct to a 15 page village summary report on the current financial state, [...]

The state’s unfunded pension debt passed the $85 billion mark this summer.  That unfunded liability is squeezing out money for other valued needs, such as education and health care. It means the state has less money for things like child-care aid and fixing roads and schools, or paying some of the $1 billion it owes [...]

IL lawmakers get busy solving every problem. Nah, just kidding, they got busy sinking taxpayers even deeper in the red with irresponsible lawmaking.

Village staff presented council with a resolution to authorize a railroad crossing improvement at Maple Avenue.  This project involves two components:

The state is pulling us off the same cliff edge they jumped off years ago. David Vaught, Governor Quinn’s budget director, announced Quinn’s intention of reducing income tax payments to municipalities in Illinois by 30%. “You need to take a look and say OK, does everybody have skin in the game here?” Vaught said. “It [...]

First two outside services bids in 2010 come in under budget. Council will consider two bids for tree services Tuesday, the first two bid proposals before council for 2010. The first is for stump and tree removal awarded to Homer Tree Care, Inc. of Lockport IL.  The approved FY10 budget provides $180,000 in the General [...]