Monday, Jan. 27

 

West Lincoln-Broadwell plans addition

[JAN. 27, 2003]  West Lincoln-Broadwell School District 92 will start construction in late spring on an 1,800-square-foot addition that will provide a new entrance to the building and additional space for the computer lab, the teacher work area and the school office.

It will also add a conference room for parents and teachers and will make the entrance fully handicapped-accessible, according to Superintendent Bailey Climer.

The new entrance for visitors will be on the west side of the building rather than the north side, where it currently is, and will also provide added security. The secretary will have visual access to the new entrance and the parking lot, the door will be locked, and visitors will have to press a buzzer to get in.

The $265,000 project will be funded by bonds for the school's working cash fund. The district published a notice and held a public hearing, but since no one petitioned the board to have a referendum, the bonds can be issued without being put to a vote. The bond issue is for six years at an interest rate of less than 4 percent.

The board has yet to choose one of two possible plans for the addition. The initial design was done by the J.H. Petty architectural firm in Springfield. Lincoln resident Bob Schattuck, a member of the firm, helped develop the plan, Climer said. The project will take six to eight months to complete.

Unlike many of the school districts in Illinois that are facing financial problems because of cuts in state aid, West Lincoln-Broadwell is in solid financial shape, Climer said. The school has a low poverty rate and substantial commercial and residential development in its district.

 

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"We do anticipate a cut in state funding. Every district will receive a cut, but we receive very little, just under $60,000 a year, in state aid," he said. "The biggest financial challenge we face is that we are under tax caps. That limits us to a 5-percent-a-year increase in the tax levy, with the exception of new construction."

He said his biggest concern regarding state funding is about reimbursement for transportation and special education expenses. "Transportation is supposed to be reimbursed at 80 percent of expenses. The state may be cutting that 80 percent by another 80 percent, so if that happens, we will get only 64 percent of expenses." Total annual budget for the district is about $1.85 million, he said.

"We are very appreciative of the support of the property owners and taxpayers in our district," he added, "and we will continue to be very conservative in our financial planning."

West Lincoln-Broadwell has about 190 students and 15 teachers. Climer became superintendent in July of 2002, after former superintendent Dorothy Romberg left to take a position elsewhere.

[Joan Crabb]


Blagojevich takes steps to employ new ethics standards in state government

New round of reform-oriented executive orders calls for creation of new independent inspector general for his office and other departments

Whistle-blowers gain new protection, members of the general public are empowered to offer information

[JAN. 27, 2003]  CHICAGO -- Demonstrating once again his administration's emphasis on significantly changing the way state government operates, Gov. Rod Blagojevich unveiled the first in a series of measures he intends to take that will impose stricter ethics standards on state employees under his jurisdiction.

Blagojevich signed a set of three executive orders Thursday that he said “answer a critical need for our state. It provides a logical and meaningful response to what has occurred in Illinois.”

 “These executive orders are designed to change a culture of corruption that has permeated state government,” he said.

“From now on, higher ethical standards will be required -- and expected -- of state employees.”

A key result of the governor's order will be the appointment of an individual who will be assigned to carry out investigations of potential acts of public corruption allegedly committed by any employee of the governor's office or other parts of the government under his jurisdiction.

Additionally, the executive orders will empower members of the public to report any instances of corruption, provide greater protections to state employees who turn over such information and instruct state employees about the ethics rules that they are supposed to follow.

The measures announced Jan. 23 represent the second round of executive orders the new governor has issued since taking office last week that are aimed at dramatically reforming state government.

 

The previous week he terminated more than 30 of the previous governor's last-minute political appointees, froze the ability of agency heads to acquire new cars or pad the state payroll, and appointed a new special investigator to determine the qualifications of people holding jobs throughout the state government as well as the need for such positions in the first place. 

Blagojevich stressed that his work on strengthening ethics and cleaning up state government would not be limited to the actions announced Thursday.

“Stopping public corruption and improving ethical standards will be ongoing priorities for my administration. The people of Illinois expect a new day of integrity, of openness and accountability -- and they deserve a government as good and honest as they are,” the governor said.

The executive orders unveiled Thursday included the following reforms:

1. Creation of an independent inspector general and establishment of an ethics hotline

Blagojevich's executive order calls for the establishment of an independent inspector general who will be assigned to investigate any allegations of corruption or any other misconduct by any employee in his office as well as any agency, department, board or commission directly responsible to the governor.

To ensure the greatest degree of independence, the inspector general will have a full staff, will have direct and ongoing access to the governor, and will report to him.

He stressed that “every supervisor, every employee, who is responsible to me should understand that cooperating with the inspector general is not just something you should do -- but something you should want to do,” adding that uncovering corruption will win an employee praise from the governor.

 

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In addition to creating the new inspector general's position, the executive order also allows individual citizens of Illinois to play a role in reporting and uncovering any instances that have witnessed involving corruption or unethical behavior.

As part of this executive order, Blagojevich will direct the inspector general to establish a “Citizens Ethics Hotline,” a toll-free phone number that any member of the general public can call to anonymously and confidentially report instances of public corruption.

“This hotline will put the public to work as our eyes and ears to help ensure higher ethical standards,” he said.

2. Whistle-blower protection

Blagojevich's second executive order encourages employees to come forward with information and protects them when they do.

“This administration will protect whistle-blowers,” Blagojevich said.

The executive order will allow for personnel action to be taken against anyone who retaliates against a whistle-blower.

Currently, state law makes it illegal to intimidate, silence or threaten whistle-blowers. The governor said that he seeks to take immediate administrative action to punish people who threaten whistle-blowers.

“In my administration, whistle-blowers will no longer be viewed as troublemakers -- instead, they will be encouraged to act as troubleshooters,” the governor said.

3. Ethics training for all state employees

“Reforming a system of corruption requires more than simply replacing corrupt public officials,” he said.

“We must also change the culture -- and establish a new mindset.”

To accomplish that goal, Blagojevich's third executive order mandates an ethics training program for all state employees. The training will be set in motion by the governor's general counsel.

The sessions and related documents would be designed to clear up any lingering questions that employees or the public might have about what constitutes proper and improper behavior. The governor stressed that such training has become common in the private sector in the wake of Enron and will become standard operating procedure in his administration.

Blagojevich added that further ethics reforms will be included in legislation which he will be developing in partnership with Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Such legislation will be introduced in the Illinois Legislature in the future.

(Listen to the governor's archived news conference -- audio)

(View the governor's archived news conference -- video)

Executive Order Number 3

Executive Order Number 4

Executive Order Number 5

[Illinois Government News Network
press release]


Articles from the past week

Saturday:

  • 54 death cases in limbo
    Illinois Supreme Court gives lawyers 30 days to file motions

  • Collectible medallions honoring Lincoln, Grant, Reagan, Stevenson and Washington available

Friday:

  • Pickering named vice president of college relations at Lincoln College

  • C-EL may cut more teachers, all activities

  • Logan County Board committees

  • Boland promotes new law on specialty license plates

Thursday:

  • School administrators brainstorm with Mitchell in the face of state budget cuts

  • Newcomer packets distributed through real estate agencies

Wednesday:

  • City seeks ways to fund infrastructure upgrades

  • County puts economic development tax on April ballot

  • Big news for Logan County economy
    New economic development director and government liaison announced

  • Public forum tonight on sales tax increase
    (Community)\

Tuesday:

  • City and county each exceed $5 million in 2002 construction

  • MLK: More than a day off

Monday:

  • Volunteers fill void after courthouse site director retires

  • Rep. Mitchell backs proposal to reform executive clemency procedures

  • Reminder: Martin Luther King Jr. Day activity planned  (Community)

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