The Proposed 2016 Budget Document for the Village of Roselle is now available in PDF format for Roselle residents to download and review the village website: www.roselle.il.us/700/Proposed-Budget---2016. The Village Board will host a special Committee of the Whole meeting today at 7 p.m. CST, during which the budget will be discussed at length.

After the U.S. House recently voted to approve reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Dist. 3) released a statement to praise his colleagues for cooperating in a bipartisan manner to pass the measure.The bill has been sent to the Senate for further consideration.

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Dist. 5), co-chair of the Transparency Caucus, and three House colleagues introduced the bipartisan Taxpayer Receipt Act on Wednesday, which would provide all taxpayers with itemized receipts detailing where taxpayers' dollars will be spent, as well as how much money the federal government is borrowing in their name.

After the U.S. House passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, which President Obama signed into law on Monday, U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Dist. 8) released a statement explaining her support for the legislation, as well as the importance of preventing a government shutdown and creating a window for actual progress to be made.

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Dist. 5) joined 109 fellow Democratic House members recently in urging House leaders to discontinue the longtime de facto ban on federal funding for research related to U.S. gun violence. The lawmakers said this ban has resulted in very limited academic research into the causes of gun violence and its impact on public health.

Late last week, U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Dist. 8) and U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) introduced complementary legislation in their respective chambers designed to close the “skills gap,” a condition that currently makes it difficult for small businesses and other employers to locate qualified candidates for unfilled jobs.

U.S. Sens. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) said late last week that the Senate unanimously confirmed Edward Gilmore to serve as the U.S. marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. “The U.S. marshals play a critical role in the effort to protect our communities from criminal fugitives and gun violence,” Kirk said.

State Rep. Mike Fortner (R-Dist. 49) recently hosted a forum to provide background and other data related to the Illinois Clean Jobs Bill, which is currently in the Illinois House (H.B. 2607). During the forum, advocates from a variety of community sectors, including government, business, education and interest groups, came together to discuss concerns and information related to the clean-energy issue.

The City of Aurora is inviting neighborhood and community groups to apply for  Neighborhood Festival Funding Grants to help pay for 2016 events. The grants are available from the city government for assistance with the planning and execution of organized festivals and celebrations during 2016.

Several Warrenville officials attended the Fourth Annual Bike Summit, recently held in Champaign. Warrenville Planner/GIS Technician and Warrenville Bicyclists and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) Staff Liaison Ginny McIntosh, Alderman Bill Weidner, and BPAC Commissioner Kate Perkins attended the event, during which  Warrenville was presented with the Initiative Award, one of only three awards presented at this year's summit.

Naperville-based Coriant, a supplier of innovative networking solutions to a global marketplace, recently said Shaygan Kheradpir has been named CEO and chairman of the board. Kheradpir comes to Coriant from Marlin Equity Partners, where, as operating executive, he worked closely with Coriant’s senior management team over the past several months.

The City of West Chicago recently unveiled the 2015 recipients of its Brilliance in Business Awards. Since 2009, West Chicago has used the award to spotlight stand-out organizations within its business community, recognizing the most impressive business models in a variety of categories.

State Rep. Mike Fortner (R-Dist. 49) recently hosted a forum on clean energy, with the aim of providing background and supporting data related to the Clean Jobs Bill (H.R. 2607). During the forum, advocates from a variety of community sectors -- including government, business, education and interest groups -- came together to discuss concerns and information related to clean-energy issues.

Since the end of October, transit riders in the Aurora area have started using an all-new service model that they actually helped design. After extensive research and several feedback forums involving frequent riders, suburban Chicago mass-transit provider Pace made several service upgrades to match customers' wish lists, which include bus routes that operate more frequently, later at night and that serve newly developed retail destinations in metropolitan area.

The Naperville Mayor’s Office invites qualified residents to volunteer to fill the open position of trustee on the city’s Firefighters’ Pension Fund Board. The main task of the board is to control and manage the pension fund for Naperville’s firefighters.

U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL) said earlier this week that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded Illinois' state and local governments approximately $48 million in fiscal 2016 grants to help provide housing assistance for needy individuals and families, with more than $5 million earmarked for Kane and Will Counties.

Troubling data surfaced last week as a report from the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that employment opportunities in Illinois are at the same level as they were over 17 years ago.

Along with support from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, DuPage County has a development project in place to create a plan for assessing and improving conditions and facilities for biking and walking in the areas surrounding the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway.

State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-Hinsdale) hosted a town hall meeting in Oak Brook this week to discuss the state’s budget. 

A notice of public hearing was released this week, informing the public that a public hearing before the Planning Commission of the city of Warrenville will be held  Nov. 19.