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A p ri l 22 , 2015 • $1 .0 0
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DAILY CHRONICLE
DeKalb’s Long wins two more events, looking to head to state this year / B1 HIGH
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$56.7M budget ratified
Diversity of thought
Sycamore City Council OKs fiscal 2016 spending plan By BRETT ROWLAND browland@shawmedia.com
Photos by Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com
Northern Illinois University sophomore Oleg Grachev of Russia stands April 13 outside Williston Hall on campus ready to make a video for the International Student and Faculty Office as Liz Toure (right), an international student adviser, practices her role. Grachev works in the office five days a week as an assistant to the director of finance and administration. He’s studying finance and economics, with a minor in statistics.
International students help broaden perspective at NIU By DARIA SOKOLOVA
Rhandy Barba, of Panama, a first-year master’s student at Northern Illinois University, runs with the rugby ball during practice Thursday at the Outdoor Recreation Center on campus. “Panama” as he’s called by his rugby teammates has been attending NIU since August.
dsokolova@shawmedia.com DeKALB – Oleg Grachev said he was able to break a lot of stereotypes about the U.S. since he came to study from Russia three years ago via a U.S. Department of State-sponsored Future Leaders’ Exchange scholarship program. Now a 19-year-old sophomore at Northern Illinois University studying finance and economics, he started his journey as a high school senior living with a host family outside Paw Paw. Grachev said he did have to overcome the culture shock he first faced after arriving in the U.S. from Blagoveshchensk, Russia, a city along Russia’s border with China . Grachev said he remembers seeing the golden cornfields surrounding his new home, and doing unfamiliar chores such as feeding cows and horses and hauling buckets of water. “My first month, of my senior year high school here, I remember sitting just in the classroom and everything just seemed so strange; the way the teachers were lecturing, the way they were talking, the broad range of topics they were covering,” he said. “It was definitely an interesting experience because in so many ways it was so much different from Russia. It’s like two sides of the world, not just geographically, but literally.” Grachev is one of 1,050 international students at NIU this year, according to the data released by the university for the 201415 school year. In fall 2014, there were 495 international students from India, the most of
any country. That was followed by China with 167; and Saudi Arabia, 102. South Korea and Taiwan sent 35 and 21 students, respectively. Deborah Pierce, associate vice president of NIU’s Division of International Affairs, said international students’ economic impact on the DeKalb County was estimated at $19.8 million. Although international students bring economic benefits to the region, Pierce stressed that they also bring the diversity of thought, culture and experience to NIU. “By joining our campus community, they
challenge us all to expand our horizons and to learn more about our own cultural assumptions,” she said. And while some exchange students are able to integrate into the community, make friends and acclimate to the academic environment, others still say they face vast cultural differences on a daily basis. Rhandy Barba, 27, of Panama City, Panama, said he first came to the U.S. as an exchange student in 2008, when he completed the last
See INTERNATIONAL, page A5
Voice your opinion: Have you ever studied abroad? Give your response at Daily-Chronicle.com.
SYCAMORE – The Sycamore City Council approved a $56.7 million budget Monday for fiscal 2016 that is remarkable for what it doesn’t include: new taxes. The fiscal 2016 budget totals $56.7 million in all city funds. That includes $29.3 million in passthrough fuel funds. The city rebates a portion of sales-tax proceeds from fuel buys made by United and American Airlines in Sycamore. The companies’ tax rebate agreement with Sycamore is being challenged in court by the Regional Transportation Authority. General fund expenditures total $14,621,058, which will be offset by $14,624,152 in general fund revenues. General fund revenues include property and sales tax, licenses, intergovernmental revenue, service charges, transfers, “We’re trying fines and other income. The projected gener- to rely less and al revenues for fiscal 2016 less on are expected to be $142,783 property tax.” more than the estimated general fund revenues for fiscal 2015 because of proKen Mundy jected increases in sales Sycamore mayor tax, according to the budget. In addition, this will be the sixth year that the city’s property tax has not increased. “We’re trying to rely less and less on property tax,” Mayor Ken Mundy said. Other revenue sources, such as sales tax, are based on consumption rather than residency, Mundy said. Personnel costs, including benefits, account for 69 percent of general fund spending, according to city documents. The city already has signed four-year deals with two of its three unions. Agreements with police and public works employees call for raises of between 2 and 2.5 percent, Mundy said. The city still is in negotiations with firefighters, but Mundy said the relationship between the groups has been positive. “These are reasonable increases that we can afford,” the mayor said. “We have excellent working relationships with the unions.” Sycamore went into the Great Recession with sizable reserves that allowed the city to avoid property tax increases. Whether the city will be able to continue to hold the line on property taxes will depend on several factors, including action by state lawmakers. “As the state of Illinois looks to balance its
See SYCAMORE, page A5
Rauner aide sorry for social service cuts ‘miscommunication’ By KERRY LESTER The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget chief apologized to a House budget oversight panel Tuesday about any confusion caused by the suspension of $26 million in social service and public health grants that surprised some lawmakers who thought they had already plugged a $1.6 billion budget gap. Tim Nuding, director of the governor’s office of management and budget, told the committee, specially formed by House Speaker Michael
Madigan last week, that he intended to “do a better job communicating” and would do so as the governor’s office works with the legislature on the larger looming issue of crafting a budget for the fiscal year beginning in July to fill a much larger $6 billion gap. “That issue is of great importance to me. I feel like I communicated through all the proper channels about my intentions,” Nuding said. “I apologize if there was a misunderstanding. ... I believe I’m a trustworthy person. I know that I have credibility. I hope to establish that with you. It
troubles me greatly that we have had miscommunications on that issue.” Rauner came into office in January inheriting a $1.6 budget shortfall created after lawmakers last spring passed a $35.7 billion budget that didn’t allocate enough money for expenses. Democrats – who then controlled both Houses of the General Assembly as well as the governor’s mansion – approved the plan hoping that after the November election they would make permanent a temporary income tax increase passed in 2011. The victory in the gubernatorial race of Re-
publican Rauner, who campaigned in opposition to the income tax increase, scuttled that hope. The state income tax rolled back Jan. 1, from 5 percent to 3.75 percent for individuals, and from 7 percent to 5.25 percent for corporations. Programs affected by the budget gap included state subsidized day care programs, court reporters, as well as the state’s department of corrections. Lawmakers and Rauner spent the early months of the Monica Synett file photo – msynett@shawmedia.com new year negotiating a package that would plug the hole. Governor Bruce Rauner thanks crews and first responders April 10
See CUTS, page A5
FOOD
LOCAL NEWS
LOCAL NEWS
Healthy choice
Wining and dining Charges filed
Takeout favorite, sweet and sour chicken, is good for your diet / B10
Acquaviva to open its expanded space at Sycamore location / A3
Sandwich man accused of sexual assault / A3
in Fairdale. His aides are apologizing for the ‘miscommunication’ involved in the cuts of social services.
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