On September 17, 2025, Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson testified before the Cook County Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee in support of a resolution calling for an assessment and reform of mosquito abatement services in suburban Cook County. He emphasized that mosquito abatement is a vital public health function but is currently delivered through a fragmented and inequitable system that lacks efficiency and accountability. Citing the Federation’s earlier report,…
The Cook County Office of the Independent Inspector General’s July 2025 report reveals ongoing ethical and administrative failures at the South Cook County Mosquito Abatement District (SCCMAD), including trustees serving beyond expired terms, improper payments disguised as travel reimbursements, and limited transparency. While the County Board has accepted recommendations for corrective action, SCCMAD’s partial and inadequate response underscores the need for stronger oversight and potential…
Property taxes are the primary revenue source for Illinois local governments, funding schools, pensions, and essential services. Maintaining strong property tax collection rates—typically above 95%—is critical for community stability and fiscal health. This report's findings underscore deep structural inequities in Illinois’ reliance on property taxes to fund local services. Without intervention, declining collection rates and widening disparities will continue to undermine the fiscal health of…
This report explains the system and method for how property taxes are levied, calculated and collected in Cook County, Illinois. This is called the tax extension and billing process. Additional Civic Federation primers will explain the Cook County assessment, property tax appeals and tax increment financing (TIF) systems.The purpose of this report is to make the property tax system more transparent and understandable for policymakers, homeowners, renters, business owners, and residents across…
This report examines the hidden complexity behind Illinois’ roadways, revealing how fragmented jurisdictional responsibilities—split among municipalities, counties, townships, and the state—create inefficiencies, higher costs, and uneven service. Using Glenview as a case study, the analysis highlights how overlapping control leads to inconsistent maintenance and coordination challenges. Drawing on state data and national best practices, the report outlines strategies for improving road…
This short report explores how road conditions across Cook County reflect stark disparities in infrastructure quality, fiscal capacity, and jurisdictional responsibility. Drawing on state pavement data, the report finds that while toll roads and roads in the North and South regions generally fare better, the West region and parts of Chicago face significantly worse conditions. The prevalence of “Fair”-rated roads countywide signals a tipping point for maintenance. These disparities have real…
Green Bay Road, a vital north-south corridor through Lake and Cook Counties, is maintained by ten different jurisdictions, including the State of Illinois and nine municipalities. This fragmented structure leads to inconsistent planning, uneven road conditions, and disjointed infrastructure projects. While local control was intended to foster responsive governance, the result is a patchwork of priorities that fails to match how the road is actually used: as a continuous, regional thoroughfare.…
Mosquito abatement districts (MAD) in Illinois utilize integrated pest management strategies to control mosquito populations and prevent diseases from mosquito-borne viruses such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, filariasis, encephalitis, and West Nile virus.Mosquito abatement services can be delivered by special district governments, municipal or county public health programs, public works programs, or through contracts with private companies. In parts of Cook County, four mosquito abatement…
CHICAGO – Illinois is home to nearly 9,000 local governments—more than any other state. This sprawling, and at times overlapping, patchwork of governance jurisdictions has long fueled redundancies and inefficiencies, resulting in transparency and accountability deficits. In stark contrast, many other states deliver vital public services through far leaner government structures. A prime example of this inefficiency is found in the four Cook County Mosquito Abatement Districts.
A report released by the Cook County Clerk in July 2024 found that revenue from Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts in Cook County increased for a seventh straight year to nearly $1.8 billion, including approximately $1.4 billion in the City of Chicago and $428.3 million in suburban Cook County. The $1.8 billion total accounts for a 5.5% increase from tax year 2022, representing 9.7% of property taxes billed in the County.
