By Jerry Nowicki Illinois’ two main fiscal forecasting agencies agree: Illinois’ finances will see a strong close in the final 3½ months of the fiscal year before things tighten a bit next year. It’s a picture laid out in governor JB Pritzker’s budget proposal last month, and it got a...
By Jerry NowickiCapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com With Illinois lawmakers scheduled to return to legislative session in less than a month, a recent government fiscal forecast provides an overview of the budgeting landscape that awaits them. The bottom line from the five-year forecast from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget: The...
By Nika Schoonover On his latest marketing tour to sell his State budget plan, governor JB Pritzker visited a community college in Normal Tuesday, March 14 to highlight his proposed investments in higher education. “With an additional $100 million directed to the (Monetary Award Program) grant program, a student can...
By Jerry Nowicki Governor JB Pritzker’s second-term legislative agenda will begin in earnest next week when he proposes his fifth annual State budget to lawmakers in the General Assembly. Although a governor’s proposal usually provides framework for the State’s annual spending plan, it rarely makes it through the General Assembly...
By Jerry Nowicki Sustained higher-than-predicted State tax revenues have in recent months given lawmakers a level of budgeting flexibility that is, at least in modern times, without precedent in a State with a reputation for perilous finances. For the current fiscal year and the one prior to it, that’s led...
By Jerry Nowicki Governor JB Pritzker signed his final first-term budget into law Tuesday, a roughly $46 billion spending plan buoyed by pandemic-driven revenue windfalls and a current-year surplus that helped the State pay down debts and offer temporary tax relief. Among the three budget-related bills signed Tuesday, House Bill...
By Jason Crane At the Aurora city government meeting Tuesday, through the Zoom video conference platform, the City Council unanimously approved a $406,358,000 balanced budget for 2021. The meeting can be viewed on the City’s YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eygew_SaQfU There were no speakers for the budget public hearing, or the three...
The DuPage County Board Tuesday approved its Fiscal Year 2021 budget, which includes a balanced, $483.3 Million spending plan. The FY 2021 spending plan increased funding for public safety. The State’s attorney’s office received additional allocations to support for three special prosecution units and increased resources for investigations and trial...
Following passage of a State budget that prioritizes health care and essential services, State representatives Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, issued the following statement Saturday: “First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge all of our frontline workers during this difficult time and thank all the nurses, doctors and first responders for...
By JERRY NOWICKI One day before governor JB Pritzker’s budget address, House Republican lawmakers called for another “inclusive” and “bipartisan” effort at adopting a state budget without new taxes. “Let’s go back in time to last spring. Through a bipartisan effort and agreements in both chambers, we were able to...
The DuPage County Board approved its Fiscal Year 2020 budget with a balanced, $476.2 Million spending plan. The budget provides funding to replace the County’s 40-year-old property tax administration system, increase the Sheriff’s patrol capacity and replace 16 patrol vehicles. The FY2020 Budget provides $1 Million in grant-funded local social...
