The Elgin city council voted unanimously to finalize an agreement to work with seven other communities and DuPage County in a coalition that will work to block the merger between the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern freight railroads. The group has already filed their objections with federal regulators. The communities say freight train traffic could triple if the merger goes through.
Elgin could receive about $600,000 from a national opioid settlement with three distributors and manufacturer Janssen, which is owned by Johnson & Johnson. The funds can be used locally for drug abatement and treatment caused by the opioid epidemic. Illinois will receive approximately $790 million.