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Illinois Comptroller - 9 hours ago

I was honored to give the keynote address to the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability's 2018 fiscal symposium. With strong leadership and bipartisan cooperation, Illinois can get past the financial instability of recent years and rebuild our economy. I've tried to lead by example, cutting my own office budget to a 20-year-low to do more with less.

Illinois Comptroller - Oct 12 2018

Today we highlight our final Hispanic Heritage Month honoree Commissioner José A. Santiago. Commissioner José A. Santiago, a native Chicagoan, joined the Chicago Fire Department in 1979. He was appointed Fire Commissioner in 2012 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. While serving the city, Commissioner Santiago ran the second largest department in the nation, second only to New York City. He managed over 5,000 uniformed firefighters, paramedics, and civilians. Commissioner Santiago made the CFD a leader in the fire service industry. For the first time in its history, the CFD became classified as a Class 1 Fire Department by the Insurance Services Office. This is the highest rating available and is based on fire department response, equipment, training, dispatch communications, and water supply infrastructure. Before his position as Fire Commissioner, Santiago served as Executive Director of the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC). He holds a bachelor’s Degree from Southern Illinois University, and proudly served in the United States Marine Corp for over 31 years both in active duty and the Reserves. We thank Commissioner Santiago for his brave 39 years of service as a Chicago Fire Fighter and wish him well in his retirement.

Illinois Comptroller - Oct 12 2018

Because Governor Rauner failed to live up to the state’s contract with its employees, Illinois will end up paying 7% interest on these wages. The longer the Governor delays, the more interest the state will owe. Paying workers the wages they are owed is the morally correct and fiscally responsible thing to do.

Illinois Comptroller - Oct 11 2018

Today we highlight our Hispanic Heritage Month honoree Judge Rossana P. Fernandez. The Honorable Judge Rossana P. Fernandez has been a Cook County Circuit Court Judge since 2015. Judge Fernandez is the first Hispanic ever appointed to a county-wide judicial position by the Illinois Supreme Court. She currently works in the Domestic Relations Division at the Rolling Meadows courthouse in Cook County. She presides over dissolution of marriage actions and matters involving the allocation of parental time and other child relief remedies. Prior to her appointment, Judge Fernandez owned her own law practice, Fernandez and Associates, LLC. Judge Fernandez was born in Chicago to immigrant parents from Guatemala and Uruguay and is a native Spanish speaker. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and History with Honors. Judge Fernandez received her law degree at IIT Chicago Kent College of Law in 1996. Growing up in the city, Judge Fernandez participated in the Erie Neighborhood House Drill Team where she later volunteered and served as a mentor. She also volunteered for various projects for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. She has lectured young high school aged girls as a participant of Women Everywhere, discussing the many potential future careers in the legal field.

Illinois Comptroller - Oct 11 2018

“Those who believe in keeping the offices separate have history on their side. No one wants another Orville Hodge.” Before Illinois adopted its current Constitution in 1970, one person was responsible for the functions of both the state Treasurer and Comptroller. Orville Hodge had that job from 1952 to 1956, and in just four years, he stole $6 million, which would be $56 million today. Here’s a look at how this well-liked politician exploited the lack of internal controls to commit one of the largest cases of public fraud in U.S. history.