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Politics
Ford Heights mayor resigns after being found guilty of stealing from village, official misconduct
A south suburban village will meet this weekend to appoint a new mayor after a judge found the now-former mayor guilty of stealing money for personal reason earlier this week.Ford Heights Mayor Charles Griffin was found guilty of felony theft and official misconduct charges Monday.ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watchGriffin resigned from his mayoral position on Wednesday, according to Trustee Tina McMichaels. The village board will meet on Saturday to appoint a new mayor.Charges were filed against Griffin six years ago. He was accused of using thousands of dollars of village money for personal purchases, allegedly during his first stint as mayor between 2009 and 2017.He was found guilty of theft over $10,000 and less than $150,000 and official misconduct.Griffin lost his bid for reelection in 2017, but won in 2021.ABC7 reached out to Mayor Griffin for comment Monday night but were told he had no statement.He is due back in court on October 24.
Cook County board considering $15M property tax relief proposal
Political momentum is building for a so-called "circuit breaker" that would reimburse lower-income property owners if they see sharp increases in their bills.Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer introduced a resolution this month, calling on the county to create a $15 million "homeowner relief fund" for taxpayers experiencing sticker shock. The Cook County Board of Review, and Assessor Fritz Kaegi have endorsed the idea, saying he's in touch with state lawmakers about potentially getting something passed next spring. However it is still unclear where the money for the program would come from.In 2007, the last time county and state leaders implemented a "circuit breaker" to limit property tax hikes, it backfired. A state law put a cap on how much homeowners' assessments could go up in a given year, but that ended up disrupting property valuations and made others pay more than their fair share. Now, leaders are instead talking about a public, income-restricted rebate program to reimburse some homeowners with high bills, instead of trying to cap their assessments.Illinois Answers Project Government Finance & Accountability Reporter Alex Nitkin visited ABC 7 to talk about the next steps for this proposal, and who would benefit.
Judge's Ruling Halts Dolton Mayor’s Appointments, Village Faces Uncertainty
DOLTON, Ill. — The village of Dolton is left in a state of uncertainty following a court order that restricts Mayor Tiffany Henyard from unilaterally appointing village leaders. This legal action, initiated by a Cook County judge, has raised questions about who is currently in charge of running the village.
Sauk Village clerk speaks after fight with mayor during village board meeting
SAUK VILLAGE, Ill. (CBS) -- Earlier this week, a chaotic confrontation erupted between the clerk and the mayor of south suburban Sauk Village.On Thursday, one of the parties involved—Sauk Village Clerk Marva Campbell-Pruitt—gave her side of the story.It was the first time she spoke on the record since she let Mayor Derrick Burgess have an earful at a board of trustees meeting this past Tuesday night.During the Tuesday night meeting, the clerk grabbed the mayor's gavel after she made several requests for the mayor to stop pointing it at her. Out of frustration, she yanked it out of his hand...
Lake County Indiana Economic Alliance names new leader
The Lake County Indiana Economic Alliance's board chose Chris Salatas to be the organization's president and CEO, effective Oct. 28. The post Lake County Indiana Economic Alliance names new leader appeared first on Northwest Indiana Business Magazine.
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