Most of the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD, or the ‘Department’) spending (96.5%) is budgeted through the City’s Corporate Fund, or general operating fund. This analysis provides a snapshot of CPD spending within the Corporate Fund since 2019.CPD expenditures within the Corporate Fund are proposed to be $1.96 billion in FY2026. The Police Department’s budgeted spending has increased by 26.5% between the 2019 adopted budget and the 2026 proposed budget, at an average annualized growth rate of…
This report lays out several major issues facing the Chicago Mayor and City Council as they prepare to enter the FY2025 budget cycle and beyond, including the City’s structural deficit, pensions, long-term debt, public safety and more.
The Civic Federation and the League of Women Voters of Cook County today released a report analyzing Cook County’s implementation of Illinois’ new pretrial law, known informally as the Pretrial Fairness Act, during the first six months since the law took effect on September 18, 2023. The two organizations have observed a mostly smooth implementation so far due to the County having been particularly well-prepared to adopt the new pretrial release process, with many of the law’s required…
As the first state in the country to completely outlaw the use of cash bail, all eyes are on Illinois to see how implementation of the new law is working. Cook County is Illinois’ largest county, and it appears the county was well-prepared to implement the PFA.
As part of the total City of Chicago budget adopted for the 2024 fiscal year that began on January 1, the City Council approved a nearly $2.0 billion budget for the Chicago Police Department (CPD). The Police Department budget represents 12% of the City’s total $16.6 billion appropriations for FY2024 across all funds, including grants. Excluding grants, the CPD budget makes up approximately 15% of the City’s full $12.3 billion spending plan across all local funds.
The following are summaries of the five most-read posts presented on the Civic Federation’s blog in 2023, listed here in chronological order. The posts examine issues related to Illinois taxes and debt, Tier 2 Benefits, the SAFE-T Act, and the tragic passing of Civic Federation President Laurence Msall.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe Civic Federation supports Mayor Johnson’s proposed FY2024 budget of $16.6 billion. The City of Chicago budget continues to benefit from the region’s strong economic recovery from the pandemic and recently improved revenue performance in areas that had thus far been slower to recover, such as tourism and large events. Further, it reflects several policies that the Civic Federation supports, including $306.6 million in supplemental payments to the City’s four pension funds…
On July 18, 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court released a ruling that upheld the pretrial release provisions of the SAFE-T Act as constitutional, making Illinois the first state in the nation to entirely eliminate cash bail. These pretrial provisions, known as the Pretrial Fairness Act, took effect this week. As of September 18, 2023, judges are no longer allowed to order someone charged with a crime to pay money as a condition of their pretrial release. Additionally, the Pretrial…
This blog takes an updated look at the Chicago Police Department (CPD) budget and staffing levels for 2023 based on the City of Chicago’s adopted budget for fiscal year 2023. The Mayor will introduce a new budget proposal for FY2024 later this fall. How much does the City of Chicago budget for public safety?The total City of Chicago budget adopted for Fiscal Year 2023, which ends on December 31, is $13.3 billion for all local funds. Local funds include all operating funds, but…
The following are summaries of the five most-read posts presented on the Civic Federation’s blog in 2022, listed here in chronological order. The posts examine issues related to property taxes and inflation, the relationship between cash bail reform and crime, and the financial impact of ending cash bail. What the Data Tell Us About Bail Reform and Crime in Cook County Jan. 13, 2022 The elimination of cash bail was one of the major reforms in a criminal justice omnibus bill …
