In its second binding opinion issued for 2018, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office concluded that a municipality must provide a municipal water customer’s name in response to a Freedom of Information Act request seeking that information. The opinion, Public Access Opinion 18-002, was issued after a school district submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to a municipality seeking a municipal water bill for a specific address served by ... Read More
Home Rule Power Under Illinois Law
By Christian Spesia In 1970, the relationship between state and local governments experienced a noteworthy change when the Illinois Constitution was altered to include “home rule” provisions under Article VII, section 6, of the Illinois Constitution. Writing for the majority in Evanston v. Create, Inc., Justice Moran of the Illinois Supreme Court succinctly stated the purpose “home rule” serves. Home rule units are vested with broad authority ... Read More
Spesia & Taylor Obtains Dismissal of Section 1983 Civil Rights Claim Against Police Officer
Spesia & Taylor attorney Michael Stiff recently obtained complete dismissal of a Section 1983 Civil Rights claim brought against a police officer for one of the firm’s governmental clients. The dismissal came following months of briefs and hearings as to why the pro se plaintiff should not be sanctioned for failing to show for his deposition. Following the imposition of monetary sanctions, the United States District Court Magistrate Judge ... Read More
Spesia & Taylor Appointed as City Attorneys for the City of Crest Hill
In a unanimous vote, Spesia & Taylor was appointed the City Attorney for the City of Crest Hill, Illinois. The City has approximately 21,000 residents and would be the Firm’s second largest municipal client by population, after the Village of New Lenox. The Firm had already been prosecuting Ordinance violations for the City since the Fall of 2016. In order to make the appointment, the City had to change its Ordinance to allow for an ... Read More
Partner Chris Spesia Completes Amendments to Industrial Annexation Agreements
Municipal Law Attorney Chris Spesia Successful in Recent Annexation Recently, Partner Chris Spesia successfully finalized two Amendments to existing Annexation Agreements on behalf of the Village of Minooka. As amended, the agreements allow for the expansion of existing industrial parks and increased economic development in the Village. In the first Amendment, the Village approved a 10-acre expansion of the International Center South Industrial ... Read More
