Government Budgets

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What is the Lapse Period and Why Should We Care?

The State of Illinois is allowed to carry bills from one fiscal year through a specified period of time in the next fiscal year. This period of time—known as the lapse period—has been extended for FY2010 from two months to six months to…

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Quinn accuses Brady of not being square on taxes

This article discusses remarks made to the public by Illinois gubernatorial candidates Rich Whitney and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn after a Civic Federation forum.

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Daley to put a bandage on 2011 budget

This article explores City of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s plans to close a $654.7 million budget gap with a mix of tax increment financing and reserve funds, cuts, and debt restructuring. The Civic Federation says drawing down reserves…

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Cook County property tax bills won’t be out until around Thanksgiving

This article discusses a delay in the mailing of Cook County property tax bills to around November 22, a month later than 2009’s mailing. The Civic Federation says that because of the delay, local governments may have to borrow money for…

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Moody’s Goes Negative on Illinois Debt

Citing reliance on one-time revenue sources, such as borrowing, to try and close its FY2011 operating shortfall, Moody’s Investors Service…

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Medicaid Update: Illinois’ Stimulus Funding Less Than Budgeted

  The State of Illinois will receive less federal Medicaid funding than it budgeted for in FY2011—but more than had been feared several months ago. After months of debate, Congress in August of 2010 passed and President Obama signed a…

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Funding Cliffs in Municipal Budgets

The Civic Federation often voices concerns when governments use one-time or nonrecurring revenue sources for ongoing expenses. There are a number of reasons this can be problematic. By definition such revenue sources will not be…

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State of Illinois Begins Borrowing Special Funds

Only two months into the new fiscal year, the State of Illinois has already begun pushing FY2011 operating costs into the next fiscal year.  By borrowing cash on hand in the State’s special funds, rather than sweeping it, the State…

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Cost-Cutting Proposals on Tap for MWRD – Part III

Over the past two weeks the Civic Federation blogged here and…

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State Budget Gaps: Debt Holes Deepen

This news segment is about how some states are coping with severe budgetary troubles in the current recessed economy. In a discussion of the State of Illinois, Civic Federation President Laurence Msall says Illinois’ fiscal troubles are…