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Civic Federation Special Projects

The Civic Federation occasionally takes on special initiatives in addition to our traditional focus on government finance research. These projects run the gamut from short and intense studies of a single subject like our six-week study of the Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid finances to multi-year government reform projects involving other organizations such as our campaign to create a separate board of commissioners for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

The following are links to information about the Federation's current and most recently completed special projects. Please e-mail us for more information about a special project not listed here.

Membership

The Civic Federation has been able thrive for over 100 years thanks to the generous support from our members, including business and professional leaders from a wide range of Chicago area companies and institutions. Membership is open to individuals and corporations, service firms and nonprofit organizations.

Abel E. Berland Award

Civic Awards

Each year the Civic Federation recognizes and pays collective tribute to the outstanding civic contributions of individual citizens and Chicago-area institutions at our Civic Awards Luncheon. The awards are given annually to Chicagoans and Chicago-area businesses that best exemplify the vision of civic involvement espoused by the Civic Federation founders for whom the awards are named. Click here to learn about our 2009 honorees.

Tyrone C. Fahner and The Boeing Company Honored at 2015 Civic Federation Awards Luncheon

The Civic Federation was pleased to honor Tyrone C. Fahner with the Lyman J. Gage Award for Outstanding Civic Contribution by a Chicagoan and The Boeing Company with the Addams-Palmer Award for Exemplary Civic Involvement by a Chicago Institution on Monday, September 21 at the Palmer House Hilton. Event co-chairs Lester Crown, Andrew J. McKenna, Michael J. Sacks and Maurice Smith joined Illinois’ business, civic and government leaders to celebrate the civic achievements of both honorees. Chicago City Clerk Susana A. Mendoza gave the afternoon's salutation address.

Watch the brief videos below to learn more about the contributions Mr. Fahner and The Boeing Company have made to the City of Chicago.

About Us

Founded in 1894, the Civic Federation is an independent, non-partisan government research organization that provides analysis and recommendations on government finance issues for the Chicago region and State of Illinois. The Federation's membership includes business and professional leaders from a wide range of Chicago area corporations, professional service firms and institutions.

Media Resources

Download our online press kit with information about the Civic Federation; our research institute, the Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability; and our work to reduce costs and improve the quality of government services in Illinois.

Press Kit

To learn more about the subjects we study, please read our primers, which provide basic information on everything from public pensions to Medicaid.

Glossary

This growing glossary contains common terms used in Civic Federation research, reports and blog posts.

Actuarial Liability: A retirement system’s projected benefit obligation due to past service by employees and retirees.

Appropriation: Spending authority from a specific fund for a specific amount, purpose and time period. [2]

Assessment Level: The percentage of full value at which property is being assessed.

Sin Taxes: The Sobering Fiscal Reality 2015 Forum Agenda

Links to each presentation can be found within the agenda below:

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8:05 a.m. — Welcome
William Testa,Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

8:10 a.m. — Opening Presentation
Adam Hoffer, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse
Sin Taxes: An Economist's Perspective

8:50 a.m. — Break

9:00 a.m. Session I — Competition and Cooperation: Cross-Jurisdictional Issues and Tobacco Taxes

Unincorporated Cook County Glossary

Below is a list of terms commonly used in the Civic Federation's Unincorporated Cook County report.

Annexation
Is the extension of municipal boundaries into adjacent unincorporated areas and the corresponding expansion of city services to those newly incorporated areas. In Illinois, municipal governments have the authority to determine and expand their boundaries, subject to the provisions of the Illinois Municipal Code (See 65 ILCS 5/ Illinois Municipal Code).

Equalized Assessed Value
Or EAV, is the taxable value of real property.

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