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Illinois denies request for Harvey to be declared ‘financially distressed’ city

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Illinois denies request for Harvey to be declared ‘financially distressed’ city


HARVEY, Ill. (WLS) — The State of Illinois has denied a request for the City of Harvey to be declared a “financially distressed” city.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

The City of Harvey held a special city council meeting Oct. 16 to discuss declaring the city “financially distressed” under Illinois state law.

The designation was approved by Harvey City Council in October, and the city requested for the state to take control of the city’s finances. However, the request was denied by the Illinois Department of Revenue in February, according to a letter obtained by ABC7.

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Harvey city attorney Keri-Lyn Krafthefer confirmed the denial to ABC7 Friday, saying it was not a surprise to the city and state law should be changed to make it easier for cities to request help from the state.

Municipalities can’t declare bankruptcy in Illinois.

As of October 2025, Harvey has a 52% property tax collection rate, bringing in less money than it spends, even though it has the third highest property tax rates in Cook County. Also, 35% of state revenue & restricted funds gets diverted by the State Comptroller to fund the fire pension.

Illinois Department of Revenue Director David Harris also confirmed the denial to ABC7 Friday.

“Two criteria city has to meet in order to be considered a financially distressed city. One is being in top 5 of the highest tax rate, other being in the lowest 5 of the tax per capita,” Harris said. “They met one criteria not the other.”

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READ MORE | Questions raised as Harvey seeks approval from state to be declared ‘financially distressed’ city

Harvey Mayor Christopher J. Clark died Jan. 30. The Harvey City Council elected Shirley Drewenski as acting mayor in February.

“If we can bring brighter minds to our community to help us to move forward, if we can find ways to deal with such a sizeable amount, then we welcome that,” Clark said in October as the “financially distressed” declaration request was made by the city.

The city had said it needs $51 million to operate and only receives $30 million, and there was a bill in Springfield that would provide immediate relief.

“If the legislature and governor determine law should be changed, we will do what law says to do,” Harris said.

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The City of Harvey laid off about 10% of its municipal workers in August amid their financial crisis.

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Illinois

Des Plaines Rises To No. 9 In Illinois On Latest ‘Best Places To Live’ List – Journal & Topics Media Group

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Des Plaines Rises To No. 9 In Illinois On Latest ‘Best Places To Live’ List – Journal & Topics Media Group


Downtown Des Plaines (Photo courtesy city of Des Plaines Media Services)

For the second straight year, Des Plaines has earned a spot on U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Places to Live” list. In the 2026 rankings, Des Plaines climbed to No. 9 in Illinois and No. 144 overall in the United States, continuing its rise among the country’s top communities.

The recognition reflects Des Plaines’ continued growth and momentum. U.S. News & World Report highlighted the community’s strong local job market, higher incomes, and affordable housing compared to national averages as key factors in this year’s rankings.

“For months, we’ve said Des Plaines is ‘On Its Way,’ and this recognition shows that it is more than just a slogan,” said Mayor Andrew Goczkowski. “People are taking notice of the progress happening throughout our city. From new investment and redevelopment to thriving neighborhoods and community events, Des Plaines continues to grow as a place where people want to live, work, and build their future.”

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Pritzker is hopeful lawmakers will pass bill that could keep Bears in Illinois as deadline nears

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Pritzker is hopeful lawmakers will pass bill that could keep Bears in Illinois as deadline nears


CHICAGO (WLS) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker indicated on Friday that he is optimistic that lawmakers will pass the so-called mega projects bill that could keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois.

But they are racing against a rapidly approaching deadline. The session ends on May 31, just nine days from Friday, and one Chicago lawmaker is casting doubt on whether there is enough support.

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The Illinois Senate has adjourned for the holiday weekend, and members will not return until Monday afternoon. At this point, the legislation that would give the Bears what they need to make a move to Arlington Heights is still in the works.

The Bears head into the home stretch of this legislative session without seeing a clear game plan from the Illinois Senate for how a mega projects bill will pass.

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Senators are still hashing out details of the bill that would give the Bears long-term property tax breaks for a stadium that the team would pay for in Arlington Heights. The only other option that the Bears are considering is a site near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana. The team made clear again on Thursday that there is no viable option in Chicago.

“There really are only two choices: Do we want them in the state of Illinois, or do we want them to move to the state of Indiana? I don’t know about all of you. I would like them to stay in the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said.

But some members of the Chicago delegation still are not buying the Bears’ stance, believing that the industrial site in Hammond is not a serious option.

“But honestly, this looks like the bluff of the century to me, and the idea that the NFL is going to have two teams in Indiana and not one in Chicago… I think it’s an insult to folks’ intelligence,” said Illinois state Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago and southwest suburbs.

Preston, who chairs the Senate Black Caucus, says opposition to the mega projects bill is not just from Chicago lawmakers who do not want to see the Bears leave the lakefront. Many others have reservations, too.

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“They’re very concerned about the mega projects bill that would use resources to support a private business while so many people in the state of Illinois, property taxpayers, are struggling and hurt,” Preston said.

Pritzker remains optimistic that lawmakers will pass a bill that allows for the handoff to Arlington Heights, but so far, he has not started calling holdouts into his office for conversations.

“I don’t think any of the legislators are, you know, are unclear about what my position is. I want a business in the state of Illinois to stay in the state of Illinois and not move to another state,” Pritzker said.

The clock runs out on the legislative session on Sunday, May 31, and with many other big-ticket items still on the agenda, including the budget, lawmakers will need to move quickly while the Bears and the NFL wait on the sidelines.

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Behind The Lines: DBR Discusses Illinois’ November Visit To Cameron

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Behind The Lines: DBR Discusses Illinois’ November Visit To Cameron


When Isaac Ambrose from the Champaign Room, a SB Nation sister site dedicated to Illinois, asked us to help preview next season’s visit from Illinois, we knew just who to ask to help them out. Scott Rich is well-versed in the Big Ten and we knew that he would be the guy to talk to […]



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