This feature story examines the proposal by the owner of the Chicago Cubs to renovate Wrigley Field using funds from bonds issued by a State of Illinois agency. The Civic Federation explains how amusement tax proceeds are split between the City of Chicago and Cook County and how that money is used.
UPDATE: The Civic Federation commends Governor Pat Quinn for signing Senate Bill 3538, a bill reforming police and fire pensions in Illinois, on Thursday, December 30 as Public Act 096-1495. To read Governor Quinn’s press release, please click here. Click here to read an article from the Chicago Tribune about Governor Quinn’s signing of the bill. This editorial in the Sun-Times echoes the Civic Federation’s position that while the reforms in SB 3538 are a good first step, more must be done to…
The Civic Federation supports the Chicago Park District’s FY2011 proposed operating budget of $397.6 million. The District is proposing to hold the property tax levy flat and maintain expenditures at close to FY2010 levels by using operating efficiencies and personnel cuts. The District is also proposing to eliminate its $22.0 million budget deficit in part by using $12.0 million of TIF surplus and $3.0 million of Corporate Fund balance. However, the Civic Federation is concerned about the…
The Chicago Park District is to be commended for holding its property tax levy flat for the sixth straight year, says a Civic Federation report released today. The District will rely on non-tax revenues and a slight cut in staffing levels to balance its proposed FY2011 budget of $397.6 million. While the Federation commends the District’s restraint, it is also concerned that an ongoing reliance on non-recurring revenues may indicate that the District has a structural deficit. The Chicago Park…
The Cook County property tax system is very complex and difficult to understand. To help educate the public about the tax process and hold elected officials accountable, the Civic Federation has prepared a series of primers about the various processes and associated governmental bodies that manage the Cook County property tax system. Also located on this page is a link to all Civic Federation research about property taxes, including blog posts and budget analyses. Appeals Cook County Property…
A new report on Cook County Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts was released today by Cook County Clerk David Orr. For tax year 2009 (taxes paid in 2010), revenue for Chicago TIFs totals $519.7 million. Is that $519.7 million paid by people who own property in TIF districs? Technically yes, because if those taxpayers are late or delinquent in their payments, the TIF districts do not receive their revenues on time. But, in a very real sense, all Chicago property taxpayers and even owners of…
(CHICAGO) The final installment in the Civic Federation’s four-part educational series describing and evaluating the Cook County property tax system was published today. “The growing complexity of the property tax system in Cook County challenges even the most well-intended citizen,” said Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation. “With this series of primers, the Federation aims to empower taxpayers, public officials, and the media to participate in discussions about hot-button issues…
This report describes basic principles of taxation and evaluates how these principles are manifested in the Cook County property tax system. The purpose of the report is descriptive, not prescriptive. It examines the operation of basic tax principles in the Cook County property tax system but does not recommend changes to that system. Click here to read the press release.
This news segment discusses the proposal by the owner of the Chicago Cubs to fix Wrigley Field using funds from a State of Illinois bond issuance. Civic Federation President Laurence Msall says it’s too early to tell if the plan will be a good one for taxpayers.
The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2011 include public pension reform, requiring state government to develop and implement a capital improvement plan, the dissolving of the Illinois International Port District, creating a new governing board for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, reinstating means-tested transit discounts for seniors, requiring large counties to hold budget hearings and produce timely annual audits, enacting tax increment financing reporting reform,…
