“Champaign officials want more feedback on community-police relations,” News-Gazette, August 10
City officials this week are asking for further feedback on goals to improve the relationship between the community and the police force that were developed following a March 15 community forum.
The city has set up a website where users can comment on an outline of initiatives based on about 300 community members’ comments during the March meeting.
“Our goal from day one was to keep the community engaged in this process,” said Joan Walls, the city’s deputy city manager for community relations.
“Motor fuel tax approved for formal vote in Urbana,” News-Gazette, August 9
It looks like motorists will start paying a little more to gas up in Urbana starting in October.
Members of the Urbana City Council voted 4-3 to forward a proposed ordinance to the regular council meeting with a recommendation to adopt a 2-cent-per-gallon local motor fuels tax.
If, as expected, the tax is given formal approval next week, it will take effect Oct. 1. The local tax rate of 2 cents per gallon will generate an estimated $340,000 a year.
“If sales tax holiday works, Brady says he’d consider permanent sales tax cut,” State Journal-Register, August 7
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady said Friday that if Illinois’ current sales-tax holiday on school-related items boosts business, he’d consider trying to lower the state’s sales tax permanently.
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“Our taxes are far too high,” he also said. “Tax policy cannot get in the way of economic development.”
“Blagojevich jurors say they agree on 2 counts,” Pantagraph, August 12
A new message from the jury weighing the fate of Rod Blagojevich provided a few clues Thursday about their deadlock in deliberations, stirring speculation that the panel’s struggles could be good news for the disgraced former governor of Illinois.
In a note read in court by Judge James Zagel, jurors said they had only managed to agree on two of 24 counts against Blagojevich and had not even begun discussing 11 of the counts