The Civic Federation opposes the unaffordable program expansions and long-term borrowing proposed in the FY2009 State budget recommendation, but supports the proposed 3% cut from non-priority agencies and other efforts to streamline and modernize state government. The Federation again strongly urges the General Assembly to implement pension benefit reforms.
The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2008 include public pension reform, tax increment financing disclosure, creation of a separate board of commissioners for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, school financial management accountability reforms, property tax assessment appeal reforms, timely county audits, and retiree health care trust fund authorization.
The Civic Federation supported the Chicago Park District's FY2008 Budget because the District did not raise its property tax levy this year, and has continued to hold down operating costs through a combination of careful management practices, privatization of services, and public-private partnerships. However, the Federation is concerned about the decline in health of the District's pension fund and recommends a variety of pension reforms.
The Civic Federation supports DuPage County's proposed FY2008 $420.4 million budget, which includes a 12.1% or $60.1 million decrease in spending over the previous year and calls for the elimination of 10% of the workforce or 241 full-time positions, including 168 positions in public safety. The Federation's support is due to the County's established record of managing its existing resources and responsibly living within the means its citizens provide. The Federation recommends that DuPage…
The Civic Federation opposes the City of Chicago's proposed $5.9 billion budget. The budget proposes an additional $266.6 million in new spending and includes a $108.0 million property tax increase, the largest in recent Chicago history. We believe that the 15.1% property tax increase should be rejected and the city should maintain its self-imposed property tax cap. We believe that the city has not made a compelling case for why libraries--the intended beneficiaries of the property tax increase…
The Civic Federation supports the Forest Preserve District's proposed $175.2 million budget because the District has issued a Capital Improvement Plan for the second consecutive year and made it available on its web site. The Federation makes a number of recommendations on ways to improve the financial management of the District.
The Civic Federation opposes the Cook County FY2008 proposed budget. The $3.2 billion budget includes a 267% increase in the county sales tax, the addition of 1,130 new positions, and other tax hikes that could generate as much as $979.8 million when fully implemented in FY2009. The Federation’s analysis includes recommendations that would both contain costs and provide much-needed improvements to the county’s management of tax dollars.
The Civic Federation opposes the massive expansion of health care and long-term borrowing proposed in the FY2008 State budget recommendation, but offers qualified support for sale/lease of the State lottery and for reasonable revenue enhancements to fund education and mass transit. The Federation also urges the General Assembly to implement pension benefit reforms.
The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2007 include public pension reform, property tax exemptions and assessment reform, revision of the Regional Transportation Authority Act, tax increment financing disclosure, timely county audits, and other post employment benefit trust fund authorization.
The Civic Federation offers qualified support for Cook County’s FY2007 Budget based on the County’s plan to meet its 502 million dollar budget deficit with substantial spending cuts rather than tax increases. The Civic Federation opposes, however, the County’s plan to borrow 104 million dollars to make its FY2007 pension contribution, and calls upon the County to implement an effective performance measurement system in order to improve the County’s budgeting process.
