News briefs submitted to Patch by the Village of Lemont.
Welcome to "Community Corner," a column dedicated to announcements and important information straight from Village Hall. All items included in this post were provided by officials and administrators from the Village of Lemont.
In this Article:
House Speaker Michael Madigan introduced a plan Friday to use the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax to address a massive shortfall in the Teachers' Retirement System.
A proposal by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) to divert billions of dollars from local taxing bodies to the massively underfunded Teachers' Retirement System did not go to vote Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. Madigan added three amendments to House Bill 3637 on May 11, which would allow the state to tap into the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax to help cover teacher pensions. Under the proposal, local governments—including municipalities, schools, libraries and park districts—could lose as much as $1.4 billion from the CPPRT, a 2.5 percent tax on corporations that is collected by the state and earmarked for local governments. The amendments were scheduled to be discussed during a House Executive Committee …
In this Article:
Of the 1,300 residents polled, 65 percent approve, and only 29 percent disapprove. Forty percent said it will be an inconvenience.
Lemont resident Brian Pepich will replace Mike Colaizzi, who stepped down last month to pursue a new career opportunity, Board President Pat Sexton announced Wednesday.
The Lemont Park District Board of Commissioners has selected Brian Pepich to fill the remaining term of former Commissioner Mike Colaizzi, Board President Pat Sexton announced Wednesday. Pepich, a 17-year resident of Lemont, is a longtime firefighter who has assisted the park district with several projects in years past, Sexton said. Pepich will fill the position left by Colaizzi, who resigned in March to pursue a new career opportunity in California. "Brian has been an active supporter of the Lemont Park District in a variety of capacities, from his formal support as precinct captain of our referendum efforts, to serving on our district's safety committee to playing an active role in securing $100,000 in in-kind donations for the …
In this Article:
About 40-50 teachers from Lemont and surrounding communities took part in a statewide "Day of Action" outside Sen. Christine Radogno's office on State Street.
Dozens of teachers from Lemont and surrounding communities took part in a peaceful rally outside Sen. Christine Radogno's State Street office Wednesday evening to oppose fast-track pension legislation. Old Quarry Middle School teacher Michelle Nevin, president of the Local 604 of the American Federation of Teachers, said she and 40 or 50 teachers, public workers and their family members gathered outside of Radogno's office between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. as part of a coordinated, statewide "Day of Action." "We were out there to raise awareness of the state's pension issues and voice our position to Sen. Radogno," Nevin said. "We're asking lawmakers to slow down and listen to all sides before passing something that would affect all of our futures…
In this Article:
Metra commuters are looking at a different experience, between station closures and airport-style security restrictions. Use the convenient resources of Patch to plan your commute during NATO week, especially through the summit.
Lemont residents who take the train or drive to work in downtown Chicago should be prepared for delays as world leaders convene for the 2012 NATO summit at McCormick Place from May 20 to May 21. For the first time, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will be holding a summit in an American city other than Washington, D.C. In addition to global leaders, more than 2,000 journalists and countless demonstrators and activists are expected to inundate the Chicago region. Use Patch's convenient resources to monitor traffic on the roadways and find the best gas prices. We'll also post the latest traffic, train or bus delays on the Patch Facebook page, and we invite our readers to do the same. Like Lemont Patch on Facebook and tell your friends …
In this Article:
9:30 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
My guide is that I'm not going to work, downtown, between 5/18 and 5/21. Anything that I need I can get right here. I'll enjoy the break. more ›
It's always good to be caught up on state politics. Here's an easy guide to what happened this week.
Editor's Note: This article was created by aggregating news articles from Illinois Statehouse News that were written by various Illinois Statehouse News reporters. In a week foreshadowing drama to come in this legislative session’s final weeks, Illinois lawmakers passed a bill requiring retired government workers to pay for their health insurance. Meanwhile, Chicago's mayor weighed in on the state's pension crisis, a state representative accused of bribery proclaimed his innocence and a College Illinois! employee was accused of insider investing. House, Senate pass retiree health care payment bill Illinois pays more than $800 million annually for the health care of state retirees, 90 percent of whom pay nothing toward their health-…
In this Article:
10:22 am on Monday, May 14, 2012
He keeps the pension for life, just like anyone else that collects a pension, 401 or social security! If he were to be arrested and convicted of a felony while he was working he could loose his pension! But that didn't happen! more ›
Lemont Mayor Brian Reaves and Romeoville Mayor John Noak plan to deliver a letter to Metra's board of directors Friday morning, according to Congressman Dan Lipinski's office.
U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) and 22 local elected officials are asking Metra to add two rush hour trains to the Heritage Corridor line—one morning inbound train and one evening outbound train. The Heritage Corridor line runs from Joliet to Chicago, with stations in Lockport, Lemont, Willow Springs and Summit. Plans are underway to build a new station in Romeoville. Currently, the line has three-round trip trains per day, with no midday or weekend service. Lemont Mayor Brian Reaves and Romeoville Mayor John Noak delivered a letter to Metra's board of directors at its meeting in Chicago on Friday, according Lipinski's office. “The bottom line is that the current level of service of just three round-trip trains per day on the Heritage …
In this Article:
10:19 am on Monday, May 14, 2012
There is no doubt that additional train service and stations are needed along the Heritage Corridor. When it comes to Metra's train lines, we are at the bottom of the barrel and lowest priority. I do have to ask, why does it take so long for the Romeoville Station to be built and added to the line? With the addition of this station and additional train service, you can add ridership from the … more ›
Voter turnout dropped to 24 percent of registered voters compared with 43 percent in 2008.
Income and party were two key factors driving the outcome of election contests from president to local referenda in the March 20 primary, according to a Post-Election Report for Suburban Cook County released Wednesday by Cook County Clerk David Orr. "Despite the low turnout, Republican voters made their mark this time around," Orr said in a news release. "The number of ballots cast for Republican candidates rose by 12 percent compared to the February 2008 Presidential Primary." March 20 was the first presidential primary without a major Democratic contest since 1996, with overall turnout dropping to 24 percent of registered voters. That is down from 43 percent in 2008, when seven candidates vied for the Democratic nomination. The highest …
In this Article:
If property tax bills are mailed by July 1, they will be due Aug. 1.
For the first time in four decades, Cook County property owners may actually get the second installment of their tax bills on time. That means the bills likely be in the mail July 1 and due Aug. 1—the statutory deadline—not some unpredictable date in the fall, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The regular delay has been blamed over the years on everything from inefficient bureaucracies to politics, according to the news report. In 2010, critics charged that powerful Democrats were behind the plan to delay sending out Cook County tax bills until after the Nov. 2 election fearing voter backlash. But Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle made “getting the tax bills out on time” a refrain on the campaign trail and during discussions of …
Brian R. Pepich
10:41 am on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Thanks Therese for all you have done for our community. I look forward to working with you on future projects. Brian more ›