1470-100.3 WMBD/Kristina Leahy
PEORIA, Ill. If
current election results hold, current At-Large Council Member Rita Ali would win the 59th mayoral election in Peoria’s history.
In the middle of her four-year term that expires in May 2023, her win would leave an empty seat in the council chambers.
City Manager Patrick Urich explained Illinois Municipal Code 65 ILCS 5/5-2-12 (g) lays out how the process of filling an empty council seat works. The code states:
If a vacancy occurs in the office of mayor or councilman, the remaining members of the council, within 60 days after the vacancy occurs, shall fill the vacancy by appointment of some person to the office for the balance of the unexpired term or until the vacancy is filled by interim election under Section 3.1-10-50, and until the successor is elected and has qualified.
America’s law enforcement system is at a crossroads.
During the course of the past year, cities around the country have been rocked by wave after wave of protests following police-involved shootings. Now that a Minneapolis jury has held former police officer Derek Chauvin responsible for the killing of George Floyd, the national conversation has again turned to police reforms.
It’s clear something must be done to address wrongs and reestablish trust between communities and law enforcement officers, while also protecting the reputations of the majority of officers who serve honorably every day.
A majority of Americans from both political parties support some reform. In fact, 95% of Americans from both sides of the aisle support changing management policies to hold officers more accountable for their actions.
Civic Federation finds nearly 9,000 tax-guzzling government units in Illinois
Civic Federation finds nearly 9,000 tax-guzzling government units in Illinois A recent comprehensive analysis found the real number of government units in Illinois is 30% higher than the U.S. Census Bureau’s count. Too many government units mean too many taxes.
Illinois has more local units of government than any other state in the country – so many that four separate tallies of them give four different numbers.
The U.S. Census Bureau said Illinois has 6,918 local units of government. The Illinois Department of Revenue counts 6,042. The Illinois comptroller found 8,529.
Now a comprehensive analysis by the Civic Federation reports the number is 8,923.
(The Center Square) – A state lawmaker is proposing a tax cap on cigars sold in Illinois.
State Rep. Jonathon Carroll’s bill would place a 50 cent cap per cigar in place of the current 36% tax. The rate doubled from 18% in 2012.
“This bill corrects something in the taxation system that really hurts some of our local merchants,” Carroll said. “People have more of an incentive to order cigars from out of state than buying them in Illinois.”
Mike Gold with the Arango Cigar Company in Northbrook said when he started in the business in 1981, online sales amounted to about 25% of cigar sales in the country. He said with the current taxes in place, that number has now grown to about 65% of all sales.
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To the Editor,
As candidate for Alton Mayor, I do not plan to respond to every negative comment made by my opponent, Mayor Brant Walker. However, I am writing in response to his insulting statement recently released accusing me of spreading misinformation and questioning my intelligence regarding the home rule issue Alton could face following the 2020 census.
I have previously stated my concern that Alton may lose its home rule status if the census data shows we have declined in population below 25,000 residents. As a candidate for mayor, I view this as a critical issue that may present a tipping point for Alton if not addressed with strong leadership and a positive outlook for our community.