Illinois quick hits: More layoffs for John Deere; higher suburban property taxes

More layoffs for John Deere

More layoffs are coming to John Deere. Nearly 300 employees at the Harvester Works plant in East Moline were told their last day is Aug. 30.

This follows the June 5 announcement that 120 employees at the company’s Seeding and Cylinder operations in Moline were placed on indefinite leave.

Higher suburban property taxes

Property taxes for some homeowners in Cook County will be increasing significantly. The Cook County treasurer said the median tax bill jumped a record 19.9% in the region for the final round of tax bills for the 2023 tax year.

The steepest increases were seen in 15 southern suburbs, where taxes surged by 30% or more. In two of the suburbs, Dixmoor and Phoenix, the treasurer’s office said the median tax bill more than doubled.

Transportation plan announced

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced the launch of Next Move Illinois, a new statewide public transportation plan.

Next Move Illinois will incorporate feedback from transit providers to help address the needs of diverse communities across the state, including ideas on enhancing accessibility, fostering long-term ridership growth, and implementing measures to strengthen the transportation network against any future challenges.

The last public transportation plan for Illinois was completed in 2018.