District 87 chief: Transparency could have prevented state overpayments

Posted on April 28, 2016

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – District 87 superintendent Barry Reilly said the millions of dollars that the state overpaid local taxing bodies this year is a symptom of a lack of transparency.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Reilly on WJBC.

“We do not have the checks and balances in place to know how they are making these formulas work. We can’t even run numbers to figure out if the amount we are getting is the correct amount we are supposed to get. The check just shows up in the mail.”

The Illinois Department of Revenue is trying to recoup $168 million in property tax money it overpaid local governments since 2014, including about $500,000 to District 87.

Reilly also called it ‘disappointing’ the district was notified about the mistake through a news release, when it was made available to the media.

“That caught everyone off guard,” Reilly said.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…