No surprise candidates walked into the Champaign city clerk’s office on Monday as the deadline for declaring candidacy passed at 5 p.m., which means only one race will be contested.

The Champaign City Council this week unanimously approved payments totaling $2,995,050.17, nearly a third of which was on one check. Continue reading for more details and the full check register.

Crime data from the Champaign police is now available online, in near-real time. Read on for details on where to find the map.

The city of Champaign arranged an agreement to ensure, among others, the Champaign school district's support of the proposed 12-year extension of the East University Avenue tax increment financing district.

City planners were making the case for civic art as early as 1926. Continue reading for details on how this relates to a 2010 decision and what it means for this year's planning.

Here's a quick look at what you should expect to see in The News-Gazette's Champaign government coverage this month and a few other random updates.

This week's mallest charge was $1.34 at the Round Barn True Value for "Phone in dispatch" and the biggest check went to Feutz Contractors in the amount of $437,823.20 for John Street drainage improvements. Read on for the full check register.

How could I possibly get through Election Day without an election-related blog post?

Here's a closer look at Champaign's estimated $20,212,800 property tax levy for 2010 (payable in 2011) and what fate lies for homeowners' tax money. (WARNING: Tax charts ahead.)

Here's how the Urbana and Champaign city councils voted this week.