The Civic Federation

The Civic Federation is a non-partisan government research organization working to maximize the quality and cost-effectiveness of government services in the Chicago region and State of Illinois.

The Federation’s membership includes business and professional leaders from a wide range of Chicago-area companies and institutions.

The Civic Federation publishes reports and commentary about local government tax policies, government services, and public expenditures. The Federation’s new research institute, the Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability, examines a wide range of fiscal issues relating to the State of Illinois.

Recent Research

08.30.10

Cost of the Crisis: An Analysis of the Additional Bond Costs Paid by the State of Illinois Due to the State’s Ongoing Fiscal Crisis

This issue brief provides a comparative analysis of the cost of the $9.6 billion in bonds the State of Illinois issued between September 2009 and July 2010. The report estimates that Illinois...

08.23.10

Effective Property Tax Rates 1999-2008: Selected Municipalities in Northeastern Illinois

This report compares effective property tax rates in selected communities around metropolitan Chicago and finds that while all communities’ effective tax rates increased in 2008, rates have...

08.23.10

Chicago Public Schools FY2011 Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the Chicago Public Schools proposed $6.5 billion budget for FY2011, which is a reduction of 5.9% or $402.3 million from the proposed FY2010 budget. The proposed budget...

08.05.10

City Colleges of Chicago FY2011 Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the City Colleges FY2011 proposed budget totaling $581.9 million, which includes $454.4 million for the operating budget and $127.5 million for capital improvements. The...