05.23.19
Governor J.B. Pritzker’s FY2020 budget features an array of revenue-raising proposals, such as...
Blogs
05.17.19
The following blog post discusses how the City of Chicago has used surplus revenue in its tax increment financing (TIF) districts since 2013.
TIF is a powerful...
05.09.19
Following an unexpected influx of income tax revenues in April 2019, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has dropped a controversial proposal to delay funding for the State’s financially troubled pension funds.
The pension holiday, proposed in the...
05.03.19
After several years of study and discussions, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) approved an intergovernmental agreement with Cook County for the MWRD to share services of the Cook County Office of the Independent Inspector General. The intergovernmental...
04.26.19
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Civic Federation co-hosted a sold-out conference earlier this month on the timely topic of infrastructure spending in Illinois. Speakers from around the country discussed best practices in infrastructure planning and possible funding sources as...
04.19.19
It has been ten years since Illinois’ last major capital bill, but a new one may come as soon as next month . Whether any...
04.12.19
The following blog post examines the possibility of the City of Chicago instituting a city income tax. The idea was discussed by several mayoral and aldermanic candidates in the recent Chicago 2019 municipal election.
This blog post is intended for informational purposes only. The Civic...
04.05.19
Last week, the Civic Federation wrote about the Chicago City Council’s recent approval of a resolution to begin livestreaming committee meetings in...
03.28.19
On March 13, 2019 the Chicago City Council voted to approve Substitute Resolution 2018-1151 . The Resolution amends Rules 49 and 55...
03.21.19
A Civic Federation blog post last week raised questions about the revenue estimate attached to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s...
03.14.19
Updated March 20, 2019
For additional analysis, please see our March 21 blog post .
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Making good on a...
03.11.19
In a series of...
03.01.19
Governor J.B. Pritzker’s first budget proposal for the State of Illinois faced major challenges, including an operating deficit that the new administration estimated at $3.2 billion...
02.22.19
The following blog post explores the idea of a downtown congestion fee and the factors that would need to be considered if Chicago were to impose such a fee. The Civic Federation does not take a position on any type of congestion pricing or whether it should be implemented in Chicago. This blog...
02.12.19
Nearly two years after it was filed in the Illinois General Assembly, a bill making it easier for the State to sell the James R. Thompson Center has finally landed on the Governor’s desk.
In the meantime, one session of the legislature has ended and a new one has begun. Governor Bruce...