City of Chicago

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City of Chicago FY2015 Proposed Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the City of Chicago's proposed $7.3 billion budget because it reflects both reasonable structural changes and significant actions toward long-term stability, including the 2014 pension reform law for the City'…

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How to Calculate an Effective Tax Rate for Your Community

Since the release of our 2012 Effective Tax Rates report on September 29th the Civic Federation has fielded many inquiries about how to…

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Analysis Indicates Strong Fiscal Health for LEARN and Namaste Charter Schools, Mixed Results for Others

An analysis this week released by the Civic Federation uses 13 indicators of financial condition to provide a snapshot of the fiscal health of four Chicago charter schools or networks between fiscal years 2007 and 2011. The analysis…

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Financial Viability of Chicago Charter Schools: Financial Analysis of Selected Chicago Charter Schools

This report is a quantitative analysis of the finances of four Chicago charter schools. The report uses 13 indicators of financial condition to provide a snapshot of fiscal health for the five-year period between fiscal years 2007 and 2011…

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Status of Local Pension Funding Fiscal Year 2012

Chicago-area public employee pension funding levels continued to decline in FY2012, with total unfunded liabilities for the ten funds analyzed rising to $37.2 billion from $32.0 billion in FY2011. On average, the ten funds analyzed had an…

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Pension Funding Basics: Investment Rate of Return

The declining health of public employee pension funds throughout the State of Illinois is primarily due to two causes: inadequate employer contributions over a sustained period and recent investment losses. This blog will discuss the role…

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Estimated Effective Property Tax Rates 2003-2012: Selected Municipalities in Northeastern Illinois

This annual report compares effective property tax rates in the six-county region of northeastern Illinois…

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Pension Funding Basics: Assets and Liabilities

The most basic question about a pension fund is whether its assets are sufficient to cover total liabilities incurred. In this blog post, we examine the aggregate pension liabilities and Other Post…

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Pension Funding Basics: Unfunded Liabilities as a Percentage of Payroll

The difference between a pension fund’s assets and accrued liabilities is known as the unfunded liability. The unfunded actuarial accrued liability (UAAL)

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How the Chicago 911 Surcharge Frees Up Additional Funding for the Municipal and Laborers’ Pension Funds

Public Act 98-0641, the City of Chicago’s pension reform bill, originally called for an increase in property taxes to help fund the Municipal Employees’ Annuity and…