Capitol Briefs: Comptroller’s office suspending payments to south suburb

State Comptroller Susana Mendoza this week announced her office would suspend certain state payments to the village of Orland Park after the suburb failed to file annual financial reports with the state for two years.

Municipalities are legally required to turn over their revenue and spending information to the comptroller’s office, which maintains an online database of how local governments are spending tax dollars. Beginning Thursday, Mendoza said she would sanction Orland Park by withholding “offset” payments worth $120,000 a year to the village of roughly 57,000.

Similar to the principle of wage garnishment, “offset” funds are money like tax refunds and other state payments the comptroller’s office withholds from those delinquent on traffic tickets or other debt owed to towns and cities – and instead redirects to the municipalities.

Mendoza’s announcement mirrors action her office took in August to suspend offset payments to the village of Dolton – the first time the comptroller has ever used that power. Unlike Dolton, however, Mendoza’s office this week emphasized that Orland Park officials have been in communication with the comptroller.

In Dolton, Mayor Tiffany Henyard had stonewalled Mendoza’s office’s requests for a handful of different overdue financial reports, though on Thursday the comptroller’s announcement indicated it had made headway with other village officials and was preparing to deploy a “forced audit team” to Dolton.

Subpoenas made public earlier this year revealed Henyard is facing federal scrutiny for her administration’s use of tax dollars, while a close mayoral ally was indicted in August. Despite the FBI probe, Henyard this week announced she was running for re-election.

‘DMV kiosks’ unveiled at 15 grocery stores across Illinois

Illinoisans can now renew their driver’s license and state ID cards at the grocery store.

The Illinois Secretary of State’s office unveiled this week 15 “DMV kiosks” at Mariano’s, Jewel-Osco and other grocery store locations around the state.

The kiosks, which look like blue ATMs, offer ID renewals and vehicle registration stickers in English and Spanish during this pilot phase, although the office will consider adding services and other languages if the program expands.

“This is a big step in our ongoing effort to modernize the office and enable Illinoisans to obtain more services online and remotely without having to visit a DMV,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a news release.

Giannoulias, who took office in early 2023, has launched several programs as part of that modernization push, including adding online services, revamping the secretary of state website and requiring appointments for most driver services.

He also rebranded many of these offerings to be part of the state’s “DMV” services. For many years under previous Secretary of State Jesse White, the office resisted the use of the phrase DMV, instead using phrases such as “driver services” and “secretary of state facilities.”

There are six kiosks in the city of Chicago, six in the Chicago suburbs and one location each in East Peoria, Springfield and Fairview Heights.

Illinois drivers typically receive a mailing when they need to renew their license or ID with a unique barcode and access number. Those looking to use the kiosks will need that number to use these kiosks.

The kiosk project does not include any new costs to taxpayers, according to Giannoulias’ office, although Intellectual Technology Inc., the company that operates the machines, will collect a $4.95 fee and any applicable credit card processing fees.

Intellectual Technology Inc. operates similar self-service kiosks in 17 other states.