SUBURBAN MAYOR OPPOSES ADDING 1,500 JOBS AS ILLINOIS STRUGGLES WITH EMPLOYMENT

By Ben Szalinski February 24, 2020 Amazon bought the old commercial property, but Bolingbrook’s mayor opposes putting 1,500 jobs on it. Illinois’ job growth was below the national average in 2019. Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar flatly rejected Amazon’s bid to build an 825,000-square-foot fulfillment center, bringing 1,500 jobs to the suburb southwest of Chicago. Claar, who has been mayor since 1986, raised issues with Amazon’s pledge to pay workers $15 an hour. He told Crain’s Chicago Business he would rather see jobs that pay people more than minimum wage so they have discretionary income to spend in the local economy. Read More