Local Government Law Bulletin
Changes to Child Support Withholding Forms
A commonly overlooked federal requirement took effect on May 31, 2012, that invalidated any other versions of the Income Withholding Form for Child Support (IWO) other than the most recent federal form. Employers, including local governments, are only allowed to...
House Bill Mandates Squad Cameras
Illinois House Bill 3202, if passed, would require all police patrol vehicles to be equipped with audio and video recording devices by July 1, 2014. The device would have to be capable of recording 10 hours of audio and video, and the bill would mandate that...
Cortez v. Electoral Board: Fallout from Errors in Candidate’s Filings
In Cortez v. The Municipal Officers Electoral Board, the First District Appellate Court reversed the decision of the Municipal Officers Electoral Board for Calumet City (“the Board”) ordering the removal of eight candidates from the ballot while upholding the removal...
Reporting Sales Tax Rebate Agreements
Under new legislation passed last year, municipalities and counties that enter into sales tax rebate agreements are required to submit a detailed report to the Department of Revenue (DOR) about those agreements. For any existing agreements entered on or before April 1...
Golf Course Taxes: Fixing a Hole in One Statute
House Bill 1053 seeks to close what is viewed by many as an unintended loophole in the Property Tax Code that currently allows retail and recreational facilities on golf courses to operate at the much lower tax rate for property labeled as “open space land.” With...
Concerns with Court Ruling on Suspended License Violations
A recent Illinois Appellate decision could cause undesirable consequences for municipal enforcement of motorists driving on suspended licenses. A common reason for suspension of driving privileges is the summary suspension resulting from an arrest for driving under...
I’ll Gladly Pay You by 2015 for 6.6 Million Municipal Dollars Today?
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is one of four sponsors behind Senate Bill 622 which would transfer $6.6 million from funds collected in the Local Government Tax Fund (LGTF) into the Illinois Medical Disciplinary Fund (IMDF). The amended bill provides that the...
Police Officer’s Class Action for Electronic Overtime
Local governments should review internal policies regarding communications with employees during unscheduled work hours. A Chicago police sergeant is pursuing a claim to recover overtime pay for time spent on the phone regarding police matters while he was off-duty. ...
High Court May Review Parking Ticket Privacy Issues
Last year we reported that the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals handed down its opinion in a case, Senne v. Village of Palatine, that is of great concern for municipalities across the state. In Senne, a class of plaintiffs brought a complaint against the Village of...