This report provides a trend analysis of indicators that measure the financial health and performance of ten major local government pension funds from 1997 to 2006. It finds a combined 18.3 billion dollars in unfunded liabilities for the ten funds, and makes numerous recommendations on legislative actions that should be taken to slow the downward spiral of pension underfunding.
The Civic Federation supports the CTA's proposed $1.0 billion FY2008 budget because it makes the necessary fare and service changes to create a blanced budget for the coming fiscal year. The Federation calls on the General Assembly and Governor to pass SB 572 immediately in order to allow the CTA to institute landmark pension and retiree health care reforms and rein in its skyrocketing employee costs.
This report provides a trend analysis of indicators that measure the financial health and performance of ten major local government pension funds from 1997 to 2005. It finds a combined 16.5 billion dollars in unfunded liabilities for the ten funds, and makes numerous recommendations on legislative actions that should be taken to slow the downward spiral of pension underfunding.
The Civic Federation opposes the CTA's FY2007 budget because it relies on 110 million dollars in additional state support which has not been guaranteed, and provides no detailed contingency plan. The Federation recommends that the CTA seek relief in Springfield from some collective bargaining constraints that have failed to address the CTA's enormous employee pension and benefit costs.
This report provides a trend analysis of indicators that measure the financial health and performance of ten major local government pension funds from 1997 to 2004. It finds a combined $14.4 billion in unfunded liabilities for the ten funds, and makes recommendations on actions that should be taken to slow the downward spiral of pension underfunding.
This issue brief provides a "plain English" description of how GASB 43 and 45 will require government financial reporting on non-pension post-employment benefits (OPEB). It is illustrated with preliminary estimates of unfunded OPEB liabilities for several jurisdictions in the U.S., as well as initial reactions of rating agencies.
The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2006 include public pension reform, elimination of the Suburban Cook County Tuberculosis Sanitarium District, property tax exemptions and assessment reform, revision of the Regional Transportation Authority Act, state tax restructuring, and property tax assessment appeals reform.
The Civic Federation supports the CTA's FY2006 budget as a reasonable short-term plan. It endorses the targeted fare increase to $2.00 for cash and rail cards, and encourages the CTA to work cooperatively with the RTA and General Assembly to address its future funding needs.
The Civic Federation supports HB 1663 as an important first step toward resolving the CTA's financial crisis, but continues to call for a CTA fare increase and supplemental state funding to bridge the agency's immediate deficit and avert service cuts. It urges the General Assembly to take action on long-term review of the RTA funding formula.
The Civic Federation supported increased public funding for the CTA, Metra, and Pace, but opposed the massive service cuts proposed in the CTA's "Gridlock" Budget scenario. The Federation called for fare increases and other measures in lieu of service cuts, and recommended that a chair be appointed to the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Board as soon as possible.
