2017 Civic Federation Legislative Priorities The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2017 include public employee pension reforms, consolidation of local government units in Illinois, expanding the sales tax base while controlling spending, creation of a Local Government Protection Authority, requiring the State of Illinois to build a rainy day fund, development and implementation of a capital improvement plan and extending the …
(CHICAGO) In an analysis released today, the Civic Federation announced its support for the Chicago Park District’s proposed FY2017 operating budget of $449.4 million. The budget continues to reduce the District’s reliance on fund balance to close its budget deficits and keeps the property tax levy relatively flat. The full 61-page analysis is here. As detailed in the analysis, the Federation supports the District’s efforts to maintain a high level of fund balance, reduce its reliance on…
The Civic Federation supports the Chicago Park District’s proposed FY2017 operating budget of $449.4 million because it continues to reduce the District’s reliance on fund balance to close its budget deficits and keeps the property tax levy relatively flat. At a time of increased pressure for local governments across Illinois, the Chicago Park District’s proposed FY2017 budget furthers the District’s long-term goals while showing restraint on the property tax levy. As detailed in the report,…
This article analyzes the few options left for the Chicago Public Schools to stabilize District finances after Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s recent veto of $215 million in state funding. Civic Federation President Laurence Msall urges CPS to explore options beyond relying solely on an override of the Governor’s veto. Additional coverage Chicago Tribune: Rauner's veto leaves CPS with a big budget gap to cover CBS Chicago: State Budget Blows Up
The Civic Federation recently released its analysis of the CTA’s FY2017 Budget. The Civic Federation supports the Chicago Transit Authority’s FY2017 operating budget of $1.52 billion because it holds base fares flat and continues to make strategic capital investments despite ongoing state funding uncertainty. As part the Civic Federation’s annual analysis of the CTA budget, the Federation uses two measures to assess CTA’s productivity over time: labor cost per actual unlinked passenger trip…
This article discusses a State of Illinois program aimed at accelerating overdue payments to the State’s vendors. Civic Federation President Laurence Msall comments that no other state would set up this sort of program to pay its vendors because it dramatically inflates the cost of services.
(CHICAGO) In an analysis released today, the Civic Federation announced its support for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s FY2017 Tentative budget of $1.13 billion because the District continues to demonstrate a sensible and proactive approach to meeting its financial challenges. The full 57-page analysis is available here. As detailed in the report, the FY2017 Tentative budget is 9.0% less than the FY2016 adjusted budget of $1.24 billion, which is due to the variance that…
The Civic Federation supports the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s FY2017 Tentative budget of $1.13 billion because the District continues to demonstrate a sensible and proactive approach to meeting its financial challenges. As mentioned in the full report, the FY2017 Tentative budget is 9.0% less than the FY2016 adjusted budget of $1.24 billion, which is due to the variance that often occurs between budget years, reflecting the District’s multi-year capital projects. The FY2017…
This segment reports on a meeting in Springfield between Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and State legislative leaders to discuss Illinois’ ongoing budget crisis. Civic Federation President Laurence Msall comments on the State’s lack of progress addressing its financial issues, remarking that Illinois is the only state in the union that has gone this long without a complete budget.
(CHICAGO) In an analysis released today, the Civic Federation announced its support for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County’s proposed FY2017 budget of $192.4 million because it includes measures to reduce costs and generate additional revenue in order to offset rising personnel costs and a reduction in the Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT). The full 67-page analysis is available here. To balance out increased expenditures tied to collective bargaining agreements, higher debt…
