Talk Back: Joe Cook, President, Village of Channahon, CLTV, President Cook praises Metropolitan Mayors Caucus founding Chair, Mayor Daley, and discusses the importance of regional partnership.
Grayslake Village Board to Include Advisory Referendum to November 2 Ballot, PANGELA D. SYKORA for ioneer Local, Approved a request from the Metropolitan Mayors' Caucus to add an advisory referendum to the Nov. 2 ballot asking voters if the governor and state legislature should take steps to implement reforms to public safety personnel pensions.
Daley's successor and the suburbs, Daily Herald, "I think one of the smartest things Mayor Daley has done is to build city-suburban relationships," Schaumburg Village President Al Larson told the Daily Herald back in 1997 after the Chicago mayor actively participated in a Northwest Municipal Conference planning meeting at Arlington Park. "It just makes common sense in having a united front in dealing with issues in Springfield and Washington."
Daley's reign mostly benefitted the Southland, Lauren FitzPatrick for the Southtown Star, Paesel credited Daley for establishing the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and for being a force for environmental issues.
Mayors credit Daley's focus on regional issues, Southtown Star, Southland mayors weigh in on Chicago Mayor Daley's decision not to seek re-election next year
Gerald Bennett, Palos Hills "I'm more disappointed than surprised," Bennett said.
Bennett said he got to know Daley a decade ago when Daley formed the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. Bennett served as its chairman in 2003 and 2004.
"He really created that link between the central city and the suburban areas," he said...
Voters will weigh in on pension reform, Joe Sinopoli at, My Suburban Life, The Village Board approved the resolution, based on the recommendation of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and other municipal associations, to urge the Illinois General Assembly to consider pension reform measures...
Suburbs also will feel Daley's absence, Ted Cox at Daily Herald, Daley's suburban counterparts credited his formation of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus in 1997 with ending a competitive relationship between city and suburbs and creating a symbiotic relationship that worked for all...
Pension Reform Urged, ED COLLINS Special to The News-Sun, Mayor Rhett Taylor said local contributions to the Police Pension Fund
have increased nearly 40 percent during the past two tax levy years.
Grayslake is not unusual, he said.
Lisle to put pension referendum on ballot, HANK BECKMAN For Sun-Times Media, Like most municipalities in Illinois, Lisle is struggling with escalating pension liabilities. From 2007 to 2009, Lisle's obligations to its police pension fund alone have increased by 21 percent.
Prompted by a letter from the Metropolitan Mayor's Caucus, the Lisle Village Board voted unanimously Monday to put a non-bonding referendum on the November ballot urging the Illinois Legislature to take steps to relieve the pressure on local governments.
DeKalb City Council to consider November referendum on pension reform, Elena Grimm, Daily Chronicle. From 2007 to 2009, city contributions to the firefighter pension fund
increased 32 percent and contributions to the police pension fund
increased 56 percent, according to city documents.
Lisle to ask voters if they want to reform public pensions. Dennis Byrne, Reporter, editor and columnist for Tribune, Sun-Times and Daily News. " And Lisle is not alone as the state and local governments struggle to deal with skyrocketing pension costs. The problem is partly of their making and partially the states, but it is no irony that now they're in this fix together.
Lisle's referendum makes clear that it is talking about more than the pension "reform" passed last spring by the Legislature that basically covers only new employees "
Mayor Jerry Bennett This week Political Update Paul Lisnek is joined by Palos Hills Mayor Jerry Bennett on Wednesday, July 28th. During Mayor Bennett’s 28 years in office, he has been an outspoken advocate for uniting cities and villages to speak as one voice in legislative action with both congressional and state legislators. He has worked behind the scenes in forming and creating multi-governmental organizations that have benefited cities and villages not only in the southwest suburban area but, in metro and state regions.
Fire study could mean changes ahead for Oak Lawn and neighbors, Southtown Star, "The study, commissioned by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, is looking at
ways for the Oak Lawn, Alsip and Chicago Ridge fire departments to
pool their resources to save money and eliminate any redundancies".
Mayor Gerald Bennett discusses local tax share, pensions, and challenges for local governments on Political Update. The interview will be made available the week of July 25th on CN100, channel 100 on Comcast digital cable. To locate it "On Demand", go to "Get Local" then "CN100" then "Political Update" tabs to get to the program.
Chicagoland Suburbs Consider Merger, FireChief.com. The adjoining Chicagoland suburbs of Alsip, Chicago Ridge and Oak Lawn have signed on to a feasibility study by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus that explores merging some function of their fire departments or consolidating them into a single fire protection district.
Suburbs consider merging firefighting forces Measure looks to keep budgets from going up in smoke, Chicago Tribune, Increasingly tight budgets have some south suburban municipalities
looking into sharing or merging their fire protection and emergency
medical services as a way to save money.
How to Overhaul Local Governments, WSJ Online, "the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus meets regularly to develop
consensus on shared, cross-border challenges such as air quality,
transportation funding and workforce development. The Chicago model of
city/suburban collaboration has been exported successfully to the Denver
metropolis..."
Two Dundees, Sleepy Hollow may explore merging police forces, Daily Herald, The study, which the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus will conduct, would
determine how compatible the three communities are in areas such as
organization, operations and community. The study would also provide a
preliminary recommendation and assessment, including a financial impact
forecast.
Income Tax Local Share Threatened
Towns brace for financial holes if state cuts funding: $300M | Essential services would be delayed, municipalities would face raising taxes, Chicago Suntimes, article quotes Schaumburg Village President Al Larson, whose community would lose $1.79
million from Springfield under Quinn's plan; Elgin Mayor Edward Schock whose community would lose $2.5 million; and David Bennett, Executivie Director for the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus.
Cutback plan for towns not well received, Southtown Star, If the plan does go through, cities and counties would have to make even more cuts to their budgets.
Cullerton: State won't cut city revenue, PJStar.com, Area municipalities shouldn't fear losing their local portion of the
state's income tax revenue, according to a top state official.
Wauconda fears state budget cuts, Daily Herald, Wauconda village officials say they are crossing their fingers in hope the General Assembly does not reduce the share of income tax revenue the state gives municipalities.
La Grange president to Quinn: ‘Don’t cut municipal share’, My Suburban Life, The financial impact as a result of this unforeseen reduction in state shared revenues would be catastrophic.
Communities Respond to Quinn's Budget Cuts, My Suburban Life, City officials are criticizing Gov. Pat Quinn’s recently proposed budget cuts, which could mean a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in income tax revenue each for Geneva and Batavia.
Officials to fight state cutback, Evanston Review, Evanston officials are hoping to dissuade Illinois lawmakers from taking a $1.7-million bite from some local revenue the city relies on to balance its own budget.
Gov's tax plan would dent local coffers, Villages estimate losses in hundreds of thousands, Riverside Brookfield Landmark, Brookfield Village President Michael Garvey said. "I realize the state has problems too, but to balance the state's budget on our backs ... to pass it on to us, a non-home rule community, we have no way of regaining that $440,000."
Suburbs protest plan to cut their share of income tax, Daily Herald, Several Northwest suburban communities and their Springfield representatives voiced strong opposition Monday to Gov. Pat Quinn's plan to cut municipalities' share of state income tax from 10 percent to 7 percent.
Village, school officials respond to governor's budget proposal, Franklin Park Herald Tribune,“It's pain on top of injury,” Pedersen said. “We've eliminated 21 positions. The state is trying to avoid the cuts they need to make or the tax increases they need to make by requiring municipalities to make there cuts. We're providing core services like police, fire, street repair, plowing.”
Mayors say cut to income tax money would devastate local budgets, Daily Herald, "It would have a dire effect as our budget is concerned," Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson said. "It really would."
Mayors: Legislature caused pension problems Chicago Suntimes Tinley Park Mayor Edward Zabrocki talks about the budget and pension problems
Quinn unfairly targeting local share of income tax, Chicago Tribune, Mayor Daley and Village President David Pope sound off on tax shift.
Representative LaShawn K. Ford (8th District)Very Worried About Impact of Tax Shift on Municipalities, Fox News Chicago, In an interview with Anna Devlantes, Representative Ford echoes concerns for municipalities.
Mayor Daley: Gov. Quinn backed off promise on tax share, Chicago Sun-Times,
Before the February 2 primary, Quinn went before the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and pledged that the cities' share would remain at 10 percent. Now, David Vaught, the governor's
Daley says Quinn wrong to target local share of income tax, Chicago Tribune, “He did come before the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and say, 'I am with you, I support you.' Nothing has changed from prior to the primary to after the ...
Daley accuses Quinn of double cross,
Southtown Star,
Before the February 2 primary election, Quinn went before the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and pledged that the towns' share would remain at 10 percent. ...
Daley Slams Quinn Over Budget Proposal,
MyFox Chicago, “Right before the election, he came to the Metropolitan Mayors' Caucus and what did he say Dave? It will not be cut, told the mayors at this meeting because ...
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Celebrates Two Years of JERSEY BOYS
More than 80 mayors were on hand for a special reception co-hosted by Mayor Richard M. Daley (City of Chicago) and Jeffery T. Sherwin (City of Northlake and Chair, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus). They were able to have a special meet and greet with the Chicago's Four Seasons (Michael Cunio as Tommy DeVito, Michael Ingersoll as Nick Massi, Dominic Scaglione Jr. as Frankie Valli and Shonn Wiley as Bob Gaudio).
After the performance, the Chicago Company of JERSEY BOYS honored Mayor Daley and the City of Chicago with a special performance of "My Kind of Town.
Photo credit Amy Boyle
In May, Caucus Chairman Tom Murawski, the Mayor of the Village of
Midlothian, met with municipal officials from Romania to discuss
intergovernmental cooperation.
Romania is in the process of becoming a member of the European Union.
This will create enormous challenges that the country’s political and
economic communities continue to identify. To avoid many of the
problems in this process, they need to resolve many of the emerging
issues on a mutual basis. Mayor Murawski spoke with the officials about
how the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus works, and discussed the role of
local Councils of Government.
In the picture above, Mayor Murawski is shaking hands with Nickolai
Bura, Mayor of the City of Negresti-Oas, Romania. The woman he is
standing next to is Angela Stoica, Vice Mayor of Vulcan, Romania. The
others are City Council members from other Romanian towns.
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Midlothian Mayor Thomas Murawski, chairman of the Metropolitan Mayors
Caucus, discussed the Clean Air Counts program during a May 18th
interview on Comcast cable television’s “Community Connections”
program, broadcast throughout the metropolitan area in late May. The
program also featured coverage from Northbrook’s Earth and Arbor Day
Celebration and interviews with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley,
Northbrook Village Manager John Novinson and U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency Region V Acting Deputy Administrator Norman
Niedergang.
Comcast worked with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus to highlight the
Clean Air Counts program and the success of air friendly municipal
programs throughout the region.