2016 Civic Federation Legislative Priorities The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2016 include public employee pension reforms, consolidation of local government units in Illinois, expanding the income and sales tax base while controlling spending, creation of a Local Government Protection Authority, development and implementation of a capital improvement plan, establishing a consensus revenue forecast procedure for the State of Illinois and extending the property…
The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2015 include public employee pension and retiree healthcare reforms, requiring the State of Illinois to develop and implement a capital improvement plan, establishing a consensus revenue forecast for the State of Illinois, creating a new governing board for the Cook County Forest Preserve District
The consolidation and dissolution of local units of government has been the subject of much discussion recently in Illinois. The purpose of this blog post is to briefly summarize a recent report released by the Illinois Local Government Consolidation Commission and other relevant legislation aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations by streamlining the procedures for annexing, consolidating and dissolving units of local government in Illinois. The Local…
The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2014 include public employee pension and retiree healthcare reforms, requiring the State of Illinois to develop and implement a capital improvement plan, establishing a consensus revenue forecast for the State of Illinois, creating a new governing board for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, requiring all counties to hold budget hearings, extending the property tax extension limitation law statewide…
This article examines recent efforts to dissolve township governments in Evanston, Palatine and Wheeling. In its 2013 Legislative Priorities the Civic Federation recommends the General Assembly pass legislation to clarify township dissolution procedures and allow dissolution via referendum. Illinois has nearly 7,000 units of local government, far more than any other state.
The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2013 include public employee pension and retiree healthcare reforms, requiring the State of Illinois to develop and implement a capital improvement plan, dissolving the Illinois International Port District, creating a new governing board for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, requiring all counties to hold budget hearings, authorizing townships to be dissolved by referendum, requiring school financial management accountability…
This article reports on a proposal by two central Illinois lawmakers to make Cook County the 51st state, a proposal that the Washington Post says is both unlikely to succeed and would be financially disastrous for downstate Illinois. It cites the Civic Federation’s calculation of the percentage of gross state product, income tax revenue and sales tax revenue for the State of Illinois that is generated in Cook County.
The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2012 include public pension reform, requiring the State of Illinois to develop and implement a capital improvement plan, dissolving the Illinois International Port District, creating a new governing board for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, requiring all counties to hold budget hearings and large counties to produce timely annual audits, enacting tax increment financing reporting reform, requiring school financial management…
The Civic Federation released today a comprehensive set of forty recommendations to improve the City of Chicago’s long-term fiscal condition. The new Federation report includes reforms that can be implemented now and over the next few fiscal years and cover a wide array of functions, from public works to procurement to pensions. The Civic Federation has in recent years become increasingly troubled by the condition of the City of Chicago’s finances. The Federation’s Chicago Finance initiative…
The purpose of this report is to provide the City of Chicago’s Mayor and City Council with detailed recommendations on ways to address the City’s serious financial challenges and create a government that is more efficient, less costly and more accountable. On February 14, 2011, the Civic Federation released Financial Challenges for the New Mayor which identifies the most significant fiscal issues facing the City of Chicago. Recommendations for a Financially Sustainable City of Chicago expands…
