logo
For Skokie Trustee, Robinson, Schechter, Slovin, Levy win in unofficial returns

For Skokie Trustee, Robinson, Schechter, Slovin, Levy win in unofficial returns

Yahoo03-04-2025
A historic election in Skokie on April 1 resulted in voters selecting both reform-minded and more traditional candidates for the Village Board.
It was the first election to implement a new governmental structure, calling for one Village Board trustee to be elected from each of four geographic districts and two trustees to be elected at-large by the entire village, that Skoieans had approved in 2022.
Keith Robinson, an incumbent, and Gail Schechter, a reform activist, declared victory in the April 1 election race for the two at-large trustee seats.
In the district races, unofficial Cook County Clerk election results show newcomer Kimani Levy appeared to have won the trustee seat in District 1, the northwest quadrant of Skokie, and incumbent Alison Pure Slovin appeared to have been elected in District 2, the northeast quadrant. In District 3, the southeast quadrant, Lissa Levy ran unopposed and is expected to become the trustee. The District 4 race for the southeast quadrant trustee has two candidates separated by only a few votes, and is still to be determined.
Robinson, an incumbent who was on the Skokie Caucus Party ticket in 2021 and the Skokie Forward Slate in 2025, said, 'I'm thankful for the trustees who have served and kind of led the way for me, but also the ones that I've served with… In any leadership position that I've had, I've always learned things can be more efficient and effective. And I've also learned what not to do, or what to be cautious of.'
Schechter, an affordable housing advocate and vocal critic of the Skokie Caucus party, said Tuesday's election results show that 'people in the village of Skokie elected people who have skills, who have expertise, who know how to get things done.'
In 2022, Schechter and others who were part of the Skokie Alliance for Electoral Reform gathered thousands of signatures to get reform referendums onto the November 2022 ballot. Voters approved all three of those referendums, which included creating geographic districts in Skokie to ensure representation from various geographic parts of the village, creating nonpartisan elections and staggering elections so that some officials are elected every two years and others are elected two years after that, and so on. Previously, the entire Board ran every four years.
The district trustees and at-large trustees have the same authority and responsibilities.
The district trustees ran for two-year terms, and elections will again be held for those seats in 2027.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Quest, Labcorp downplay ‘Big Beautiful Bill' impact
Quest, Labcorp downplay ‘Big Beautiful Bill' impact

Yahoo

time30-07-2025

  • Yahoo

Quest, Labcorp downplay ‘Big Beautiful Bill' impact

This story was originally published on MedTech Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily MedTech Dive newsletter. Historic Medicaid cuts in Republicans' 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' signed into law earlier this month, are unlikely to have a negative impact on laboratory testing volumes in the near term, executives at Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics reassured investors on earnings calls last week. Labcorp CEO Adam Schechter, answering an analyst's question on potential fallout from the legislation, described the impact as manageable. While lab testing is an essential tool used in almost every healthcare decision, it accounts for a 'very small fraction' of U.S. healthcare spending, the CEO said. The new tax and domestic policy law overhauls Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to align with Republican priorities, including funding cuts, Medicaid work requirements and stricter eligibility verification for the safety net insurance program and the healthcare exchange. The legislation decreases federal healthcare spending by $1.1 trillion over the next decade and is expected to cause 10 million Americans to lose health insurance. Schechter said he doesn't foresee an impact on Medicaid until 2028, 'and the key is going to be, do people find insurance through other ways, through states or spouses that might have insurance?' If a large group of people become uninsured, Schechter said he would be concerned, but he doesn't expect that to happen. 'I don't think it's very likely in the United States that you'll have a very big group of people automatically become uninsured in a specific period of time,' he said. On the healthcare exchange, the expiration of tax credits could have a negative impact for Labcorp of as high as 30 basis points, Schechter said. The legislation will be harder on Labcorp's hospital customers, he said, which could accelerate deals for outreach businesses and running hospital laboratories. Quest Diagnostics CEO Jim Davis said the cuts to Medicaid would have no impact next year and 'very little' impact in 2027 because states will have time to react to the changes. In addition, no more than 4% to 5% of Quest's revenue comes from the healthcare exchange. CFO Sam Samad said the company expects an impact of about 30 basis points on Quest's testing volumes in 2026 if exchange subsidies are not renewed at the end of this year. Davis said people who buy their insurance on the exchange may be able to pay higher premiums to keep their coverage or could switch to their employers' health insurance. Both Quest and Labcorp raised their revenue forecasts for 2025. William Blair analyst Andrew Brackmann, in a note to clients Friday, said Labcorp investors are likely to remain focused on potential impacts from Washington. However, 'looking to the second half of the year and into 2026, expectations appear appropriately set.' Recommended Reading Labcorp to buy some Community Health assets for $195M Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Oak Park trustee urges fast action in response to racial equity report
Oak Park trustee urges fast action in response to racial equity report

Chicago Tribune

time17-07-2025

  • Chicago Tribune

Oak Park trustee urges fast action in response to racial equity report

From afar, many view Oak Park as a place of racial harmony where integration and equity are strong community values. But a recent 66-page racial equity assessment commissioned by the village of Oak Park and performed by scholars from the University of Illinois at Chicago Great Cities Institute indicates there remains much work to do for Oak Park to make its citizens feel included and valued. The assessment, which was conducted mostly in 2023 was presented to the Oak Park Village Board on July 1, a timeline that frustrated at least one Village Board member. 'I think we are probably leading the nation in discussing these things,' said Corey Wesley, one of two Black trustees. 'What I want to know is, what are we doing about these things?' The assessment was based on interviews with village staff, members of municipal boards and commissions and a survey that was answered by 557 people. It did not include interviews with Village Board members other than village President Vicki Scaman, an omission that irked Wesley. Many people interviewed for the survey stated that the reality in Oak Park does not match the village's image. 'Racism exists every single day in the village of Oak Park,' Scaman said as the results of the assessment were presented. 'What the brochure looks like and the reality don't always match. We have work to do.' The assessment states many Black people in Oak Park don't feel included in the village and don't feel as much of a sense of belonging as white residents. Black residents also are underrepresented on village commissions. 'The ultimate goal here is that more people here in Oak Park have a sense of ownership in our community,' Scaman said. 'We're launching a whole other way of governing. This report starts from a place of truth.' The assessment indicates white residents of Oak Park are, on average, wealthier than the village's Black and Hispanic residents. The median annual household income for white households in Oak Park is $124,609 compared to $85,506 for Hispanic households and $62,320 for Black households. Among households in Oak Park that are considered poor, 36% are classified as white, 34% are Black, 11% are Asian and 10% are Hispanic. According to the assessment, approximately 60% of the residents of Oak Park are white, 18% are Black, 10% are Hispanic, 6% are mixed race and 5% are Asian. The assessment also noted class differences in Oak Park, with homeowners having a median annual income of $141,471 compared to $56,810 for renters. It also noted a divide between north Oak Park, where homes and lots are larger, and south Oak Park, where homes are more modest and lot sizes significantly smaller. Wesley and village board Brian Straw, who is white, have argued that Oak Park should encourage increased housing density and making housing in Oak Park more affordable, which would encourage more racial diversity. 'We should find the things that are broken and fix it,' Wesley said. The assessment noted that a municipal reparations program, which has been studied, would likely not survive a legal challenge. A preliminary investigation indicated there is not sufficient evidence of racial discrimination by the village to survive the strict legal standard that courts apply in cases where government treats people differently on the basis of race. It noted when the village put out a request for proposal for someone to research historical evidence of racial discrimination by the village that could justify a reparations program, the village did not get a single response. Oak Park officials still are considering whether to issue a formal apology as part of recognizing harms caused by past practices and still may consider reparations. The village is conducting a racial equity policy audit to consider the racial impact of all village policies. The audit is expected to be completed in about six months. When that is complete village staff will create a Racial Action Plan which the Village Board would then review. Wesley, however, pressed for faster action. 'If we want to build trust for our community let's show that we're actually moving on these things quickly, as quickly as they come up versus a year from now,' Wesley said. 'I want to move quicker and I want to have more impact than we're having.'

State grant to fuel improvements at 55th Street and Western Avenue in Clarendon Hills
State grant to fuel improvements at 55th Street and Western Avenue in Clarendon Hills

Chicago Tribune

time07-07-2025

  • Chicago Tribune

State grant to fuel improvements at 55th Street and Western Avenue in Clarendon Hills

Clarendon Hills has been approved for a $1 million legislative grant for planned intersection improvements at 55th Street and Western Avenue. The state grant was garnered with support from state Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, D-24th, and state Rep. Martha Deuter, D-45th, according to Clarendon Hills Village President Eric Tech. 'Staff is working diligently with DuPage County to get the residents south of 55th Street safe access to the north side of town,' he said. Village Manager Zach Creer said there is documented desire for improving this intersection, going back to the South of 55th Subarea Plan adopted in November 2017. He said a 2022 development proposal for a Dunkin Donuts, which was voted down by the Village Board after numerous residents expressed opposition, refocused interest in the intersection. He said a tax increment financing district was established last year 'as a way to find a funding source for the intersection improvements.' 'The intersection has a lot of car crashes,' Creer said. 'It is a long distance between pedestrian crossings, and this area should be connected to the rest of the town. It's still easily within walking distance of the train station and downtown.' Creer said there have been 18 vehicle crashes at the intersection between 2019 and 2024. A major component of intersection improvements sought by the village is the addition of a traffic signal. 'The Dunkin Donuts proposal was rejected, in part, due to concerns about children trying to cross there without a signal,' Creer said. He said approval would be needed from DuPage County to add a traffic signal at the intersection. 'The warrants for a stop signal upgrade require a certain amount of traffic and a certain amount of crashes,' Creer said. 'In order to justify the warrants for a signal, additional traffic needs to be anticipated.' He said the $1 million grant from the state could take up to a few years to receive, and the village likely would use TIF funds to make up the difference between the grant money and any additional costs. The total anticipated cost of the project is design dependent, Creer said, with a basic traffic signal expected to cost upward of $1 million. 'However, adding lanes or straightening the road could be extremely expensive,' he said. 'It's somewhat development dependent. In order to justify the warrants for a signal, additional traffic needs to be anticipated from the redevelopment of the Tracy's Tavern site (at the southwest edge of the intersection). The village has continued to seek a developer for the former Tracy's Tavern site. 'The last development proposal for a daycare seems to be on pause,' Creer said. 'No new proposal has come forward. If the intersection improvement was unable to move forward, then the money could be repurposed to another village project. The grant is not dependent on any development.' A new two-townhouse development has been approved by the village for an empty lot at 5740 Concord Lane, about a mile and a half from the 55th Street/Western Avenue intersection. Community Development Director Ed Cage said the property is approximately 0.20 acres and is adjacent to a similar property developed in unincorporated DuPage County. Estimated costs for the completed townhomes will be between $300,000 and $400,000, depending on upgrades and options, he said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store