Recommendations for a Financially Sustainable City of Chicago

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 on the previous report with specific recommendations for various functions of City government. It contains some recommendations that can be implemented immediately in the current fiscal year and others in FY2012 or FY2013. Cooperation between City Council and the Mayor is key to implementing all of the major recommendations contained in this report. In some cases, major efforts for reform require further cooperation from the Illinois General Assembly and Governor in order to pass needed legislation. The Civic Federation urges Mayor Emanuel and the City Council to put Chicago on the path to long-term fiscal sustainability by implementing the recommendations contained in this report.

Click here to visit the webpage devoted to the report and its findings.