As the role of the federal government in funding state and local governments has shifted rapidly, it has become important to understand what federal funding looks like on a state-level basis. This dashboard provides detailed information on…
by Grant McClintockDownload the report summarySee the Civic Federation's…
by Grant McClintockChicago is the only major city in the United States that operates without a constitution, which, for cities, is referred to as a charter. This absence is not just an anomaly; it fundamentally impacts every aspect of our…
The Civic Federation’s Local Pension Dashboard is intended for use as a resource and educational tool to increase the accessibility of local pension fund data. The dashboard reports metrics for the ten major local pension funds within the…
By Lily PadulaDownload a PDF of the report here.Equity-based budgeting is a framework for distributing government resources in a way…
Click to read the full report.EXECUTIVE SUMMARYOn August 28th, 2025, Chicago Public Schools (CPS, or the “District”) passed a…
Read the Civic Federation's statement on the Budget Working Group's Report here.The City of Chicago faces one of its largest…
by Daniel VeseckyTax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts are a complex, often misunderstood part of Chicago’s tax structure. TIF Districts segment and dedicate a portion of property tax collections within a designated geographic area to…
This report was updated on August 22, 2025 to incorporate additional details on K-12 Education.by Lily PadulaOn May 31, the Illinois General Assembly passed three budget bills for the 2026 fiscal year: the appropriations bill, which…
The following is testimony delivered by Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson to the Illinois House Executive Committee at a July 31, 2025 hearing on Chicago Public Schools' finances. The original testimony has been edited slightly for…
