City of Chicago

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Chicago Area Governments Bond Ratings Fall Below Investment Grade

Recently, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the City of Chicago,…

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Civic Federation – Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Forum Examines Sin Taxes

The Civic Federation joined with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on April 2, 2015 to co-host a conference on the use, efficacy and future of sin taxes. Experts, practitioners and academics from around the country gathered to discuss…

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Where Do Your Property Taxes Go?

What local government purposes, services, or expenditures does your property tax dollar fund? Governments traditionally use property tax revenues to pay for a wide variety of expenditures, including employee salaries and pensions, debt…

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More Government Consolidation and Efficiency Efforts in Illinois

The Civic Federation has long supported sensible legislation aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations in Illinois. The purpose of this blog is to summarize briefly consolidation legislation and…

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12-Year Short-Term Liability Trends for Chicago, Cook County and Chicago Public Schools

Short-term or current liabilities are financial obligations that must be satisfied within one year. They can include short-term debt, accounts payable, accrued payroll and other current liabilities. This blog post presents 12-year trends…

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Chicago Rating Downgrade Triggers Swaps Terms, Outlook Remains Negative

Even after lowering the City of Chicago’s bond rating another step last week, Moody’s Investors Service maintains a negative outlook on the City, heightening the risk of additional ratings actions and possibly increasing termination costs…

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Chicago Pension Reform Litigation on Hold Pending Illinois Supreme Court Ruling

Two lawsuits seeking to overturn a pension reform law for the Chicago Municipal and Laborers’ funds have been put on hold pending…

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Chicagoans’ Pension Obligations Per Capita Rose 199.4% Since 2004

The Civic Federation’s previous blog examined the long-term debt of eight major local governments in northeastern Illinois.This…

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Long-Term Debt for Eight Major Chicago Governments Rises by 59.2% in 10-Year Period

The Civic Federation regularly analyzes and comments on the budgets and audited financial statements of eight major local governments in northeastern Illinois: 1.…

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Change in Public Pension Plan Investment Return Assumptions 2001-2013

The Civic Federation and IIFS blogs have written extensively about reductions to assumed rates of return on investment by State and some local public pension plans over the last several years. These changes are part of a nationwide…