Government Budgets

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Civic Federation Position on the Cook County Property Tax System

This report articulates the Civic Federation’s overall position on the Cook County property tax system. The report expresses the Federation’s vision for a better property tax system and serves as a framework against which proposals to…

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Civic Federation Releases Vision for a Better Property Tax System; New Report Supports Property Tax as a Reliable Source of Government Revenue

(CHICAGO) The Civic Federation stakes out its comprehensive position on the Cook County property tax system in a new report released today. The goal of the report is not only to describe what a better property tax system might look like,…

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The Chicago Parking Garage Leases

 Although it does not receive as much attention as the Skyway and the metered parking system leases, the downtown public parking system lease was also…

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Chicago accepting private bids for lakefront summer fests

In this segment of the Eight Forty-Eight news program, Civic Federation President Laurence Msall discusses how a proposal to privatize City of Chicago lakefront festivals could help fill the City’s budget deficit.

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New report highlights Illinois’ state budget woes

This news segment discusses a recent report that describes the condition of Illinois’ finances as dire. Civic Federation President Laurence Msall assents with that assessment and adds that the State’s has few options to fix its fiscal…

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New Revenues from State Tax Amnesty Still Questionable

Despite initial results showing that the State of Illinois’ recent tax amnesty program brought in more than $500 million in delinquent tax revenues, a report from…

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Future Effects of P.A. 96-0889 on MWRD Pension System

Today the Civic Federation released its analysis of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s FY2011…

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District FY2011 Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s FY2011 Tentative Budget of nearly $1.0 billion. The tentative budget is a $681.1 million, or 41.1% decrease over final adjusted FY2010 appropriations. This decline…

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Civic Federation Supports FY2011 MWRD Budget, Urges Reform of Deteriorating Pension Fund

CHICAGO — The Civic Federation supports the nearly $1 billion tentative budget proposed by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). The District will reduce staffing levels and Corporate Fund spending as a…

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Why Should We? A closer look at the Cubs' plea for public money

This feature story examines the proposal by the owner of the Chicago Cubs to renovate Wrigley Field using funds from bonds issued by a State of Illinois agency. The Civic Federation explains how amusement tax proceeds are split between the…