The financial condition of U.S. municipalities continues to deteriorate, according to the recently-released 24th annual City Fiscal Condition Survey published by the National League of Cities (NLC). By the close of 2009, city revenues are projected to decline by 0.4% while expenditures rise by 2.5% compared to the previous year. Three top city revenue sources are expected to be flat or decline: sales tax revenues are predicted to fall by 3.8%, income tax receipts to drop by 1.3% and property…
While the Civic Federation traditionally analyzes features common to all local government budgets, our analyses of the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) budgets include additional productivity measurement data. The Civic Federation uses expenditure, personnel and ridership data provided by CTA to gain insight into changes in productivity. The Civic Federation uses three measures to assess CTA’s productivity over time: labor cost per actual unlinked passenger trip; actual unlinked passenger…
This article discusses the Civic Federation’s analysis of DuPage County’s proposed FY2010 budget plan. It mentions the Federation’s support for the budget and quotes County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom, who says that the County may investigate implementing a capital improvement plan per the Federation’s recommendation.
This article about Cook County’s FY2010 proposed budget and the efforts to rollback the County’s one cent sales tax increase from 2008 quotes the Civic Federation. The Federation says the high Cook County sales tax rate hinders business development and noted that the budget makes no moves toward reducing the tax, despite opposition to it from State lawmakers and County residents.
The Civic Federation supports the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) proposed FY2010 budget of $1.29 billion. Facing significant public funding short falls, CTA plans to close its $300.9 million deficit with fare increases ranging from 25 to 75 cents per ride, the elimination of 1,021 full-time equivalent positions, reductions in bus and rail service and the transfer of capital funds into general operating funds. The Federation finds that the transfer of capital funds into operating funds and…
The Civic Federation supports the Chicago Transit Authority’s proposed $1.29 billion FY2010 budget as an evenhanded response to significant declines in available revenues. The CTA will employ administrative cuts, fare increases, and service reductions to balance its budget and reduce spending by 3.0% or $39.4 million below proposed FY2009 appropriations. While painful to both riders and CTA workers, the budget tackles a revenue crisis directly while avoiding quick fixes that just delay the…
Last week Cook County released its FY2010 budget and will conclude its public hearing schedule nine business days after the budget’s release. At a minimum, the public should be afforded a review period of ten working days before public testimony is heard, not as a conclusion to the hearing schedule. The County’s accelerated public hearings schedule does not allow members of the public a reasonable amount of time to review the budget document and plan to attend one of the public hearings. The…
(CHICAGO) The Civic Federation opposes the proposed $3.0 billion FY2010 Cook County operating budget because it relies on an unnecessary one percentage point sales tax increase and makes little attempt to implement cost savings or structural reforms during a time of severe economic uncertainty. The Federation’s full analysis of the budget and recommendations is available on our website, www.civicfed.org. “In this budget Cook County appears to ignore the economic realities facing so many of its…
The Civic Federation opposes Cook County’s $3.0 billion FY2010 operating budget because it is predicated on the continuation of an unnecessary one percentage point sales tax increase and provides limited evidence of cost-saving efficiencies or structural reforms. In contrast, the Cook County Health and Hospital System is proposing efficiencies and eliminating vacant and non-front line positions. In the report the Federation calls on the Cook County Board of Commissioners to make the independent…
The Civic Federation released its analysis of the FY2010 DuPage County budget yesterday. In it the Federation announced its support for the County’s proposed financial plan due in large part to the County’s ability to maintain operation of its core programs while reducing its property tax levy in the midst of an economic recession. As many governments struggle to make ends meet this year, the County was able to sustain its current operations and workforce. Furlough days for County…
