MONDAY
December 21, 2015 • $1 .0 0
SLIM PICKINGS
NORTHWEST
HERALD THE ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN McHENRY COUNTY
Arkush: So much for silver linings after Bears’ 38-17 loss to Vikings / B1 NWHerald.com
HIGH
LOW
49 32 Complete forecast on page A8
Facebook.com/NWHerald
@NWHerald
Next step unclear for riverwalk McHenry foundation considering 2 options for project, but fundraising is top priority By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com
Bill Hobson
McHENRY – The final payment on the most recent phase of the McHenry Riverwalk has been made, a city official said. The next step, however, still is up in the air. The McHenry Riverwalk Foundation has two directions it could
take the project, but the big issue is fundraising, said the foundation’s president, John Smith. “With the way the economy is, people just aren’t going to make donations,” he said, adding that the project has been a difficult one to get the public to buy into and that a catalyst like something happening with Miller Point or the old city hall could get every-
thing moving again. The city bought Miller Point, a 2.62-acre lot on North Riverside Drive, in 2012 after a fire destroyed the 1929 Dobyns House and the restaurant in it, leaving it vacant for several years. The property still is being marketed, but nothing has progressed beyond conversations at this point, Deputy City Administrator
Bill Hobson said. “I wouldn’t say we’d take any comers,” Hobson said. “I think it’s important that the right thing goes there. Obviously, it’s a key component within the [tax increment financing] district, and so the generation of revenue ... is something we look at with every project. But at the same time, you don’t want to be too restrictive.
HOW COMMON IS PANHANDLING IN McHENRY COUNTY?
That’s going to limit your options.” If and when the fundraising starts again, the city and the foundation are looking at two different options. One extends the walk west along Boone Creek and includes the installation of a section of the
See RIVERWALK, page A6
Illinois sitting on special funds At least $4 billion available to pay general expenses By JOHN O’CONNOR The Associated Press
onally, ti a n s se a re c in s w la g lin d n a h While number of pan unty o C ry n e H c M in t n le a v re p ’t n officials say issue is By ALLISON GOODRICH
agoodrich@shawmedia.com
‘‘
ng we respond to or take This is definitely not somethi with any sort of frequency.”
action on
Bo th Cr ys tal CR YS TA L LA KE – having their are Lake and Woodstock police commander reviewed afes nc ina ord Tom Kotlowski, Crystal Lake panhandling d ne ur ert ov en ter such laws have be However, police in recent court cases. d. that elicits much their municipal sai ke ordinance said it’s not an issue dress panhandling in Still, the Crystal La e, ov Gr r ve y. Ri all x loc Fo t in similar laws en s er cem ial aft fic for en is being reviewed er of codes. Of , mb ers nu oth the g n, on tio am na , and Cary Across the try , an d wi thi n the . ac ro ss the co un g laws is Algonquin ue lin iss nd ad ha an pre des or chalti-p wi an a t th no cities wi ve said it’s ve been overturned Na tio na l La w ha ve an ordi- state, ha ha Court t me tha pre ces Su pla ne Ju in a up , ac co rd ing to the Even lenged based on verty. Po d . an en oft ess y sn . ver les ns me ced sig Center on Ho size of church e, it’s not enfor wth of these nanc only 11 ruling on the gro re nt we the nte n re co see the , on ve ke ha sed La e ba al “W In Cryst The ruling was pa st few ye ar s ued for pantype a iss s s an on ati me cit ich n tio wh or din ances ov er the n, ica jud criminatio , because of the ad past five years, dis ut a comnationally ... I believe handling during the ech is singled out witho ,” spe of ess sn les me ho d. of sai th l judges ki ow era ws gr fed tlo r ing Ko he go m on dr. To reason. Ot attorney for the Cm re 121 solic- pelling in chalg lin ru the ed said Eric Tars, senior cit ve In Woodstock, there we Oc- recently ha to 3 201 ne a numJu in m s fro s law . center complaint panhandling of cities sur- itor to informa- lenging ing ord acc t bu Twenty-five percent 5, 201 er ies. bans on begging tob bert Lowen, ber of cit pa ne l veyed had citywide n from Police Chief Ro gu st, a th re e-j ud ge tio Au In se rea inc t for n cen itte per wr 25 ban n a ng 4, bee dli ve 201 an ha in c nh ts bli pa ke in pu ly two tic ringfield’s to a report from on inance went ruled Sp y ha s ord cit the e ce Th sin al. ng on dli since 2011, according uti an tit nh wa s un co ns x percent of cit- pa n’s highest court the center. Seventy-si into effect in 2013. bpu since asked the natio lar cu ing rti eth pa som in t g no gin ly beg ite ed fin nn de ba is ies “This t increase. ion on with lic places, a 20 percen respond to or take act we See PANHANDLING, page A6 ty un Co y nr ws ki He tlo Mc Ko ,” ny cy ma en r, qu ve fre we Ho y so rt of sp eci fic all y ad - an co mm un iti es do n’t
SPRINGFIELD – Half a year into its deepening budget crisis, the state of Illinois is sitting on at least $4 billion in cash. An Associated Press analysis of state records finds the money in 531 separate accounts set up for special – and specific – purposes, but precedent shows that lawmakers and governors in less anxious times have dipped into those accounts to pay regular state expenses and stave off financial distress. Two weeks ago, Democratic lawmakers agreed with Re- Bruce publican Gov. Bruce Rauner Rauner on tapping a total of $3 billion from 112 of the special state funds – albeit to finance those funds’ intended purposes. The short-term spending plan sent more than $1 billion owed to cities and counties in tax revenue from income, fuel, gambling and more, as well as providing $400 million to keep state agencies operating and paying other bills. Debate on the plan resurrected the often-pejorative term “fund sweeps” among Capitol chatter. It’s a practice of taking money for one purpose to pay for something else which gained notoriety during the tenure of former Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who took office in 2003 amid budget woes that continue to linger. As recently as March, Democrats and Rauner agreed on $1.3 billion in sweeps to fill a hole in last fiscal year’s budget that opened when Rauner insisted that a temporary income-tax hike be rolled back as planned. It was the largest of such “sweeps” conducted in Illinois since 2003. The special funds cover varied, sometimes obscure, areas of interest. As of Dec. 15, the date of the state comptroller’s data the AP analyzed, there was $29 million in various “whistleblower” accounts raised from citizen lawsuits over bureaucratic skulduggery. There also was $205 million in a fund to complement regular state school spending, $3.6 million in railfreight carrier loan repayments,
See BUDGET, page A5
LOCAL NEWS
SPORTS
STATE
WHERE IT’S AT
Moving up
Calling the shots
Facing lawsuit
MCC co-vice president of student gov’t set to become trustee / A3
Ex-Marian Central assistant to take over as offensive coordinator at CLC / B2
Firefighters suing Oak Brook-based company for hearing loss / A4
Advice ................................ B6 Classified........................C1-5 Comics ............................... B7 Local News.................A2-3, 6 Lottery................................ A2 Nation&World.............. A2, 5 Obituaries .........................A6
Opinion...............................A7 Puzzles ........................... C5-6 Sports......................... B1-5, 8 State ...................................A4 TV listings ......................... C6 Weather .............................A8