This article discusses the Chicago Public Schools’ plan to close a $370 million budget gap through a combination of personnel cuts, pay freezes, and the use of all of its reserve funds. The Civic Federation says the District’s plan to…
This article is about Chicago Public Schools’ possible receipt of funding from the recent federal jobs bill, which could be used to restore class sizes and school programs. The Civic Federation says CPS should be cautious about making…
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently announced his plans for $500 million in mass transit infrastructure improvements across the State. $…
This article explores the challenges Mayor Daley faces in filling the City of Chicago’s $655 million budget gap. One of the options being considered involves using proceeds from the City’s recent privatization deals. The Civic Federation…
This news segment details how the City of Chicago had only $2.7 million in reserves at the end of FY2009. The Civic Federation says the City should have cash reserves of at least $200 million given the size of its operating budget.
In this news segment, Civic Federation President Laurence Msall explains that restructuring the City of Chicago’s government is the only fix for the City’s unbalanced budget. Msall adds the City could institute a grid-based system for some…
Roughly a month ago, on July 1, 2010, Governor Pat Quinn announced that he planned to cut $1.1 billion from the $26.0 billion FY2011 State of Illinois budget previously approved by the General Assembly. At that time, the Governor did not…
The Civic Federation will announce its support for the proposed $581.9 million FY2011 City Colleges of Chicago budget at a public hearing today. The Federation’s 41-page analysis found that the proposed budget plans a $3.0 million…
The Civic Federation supports the City Colleges FY2011 proposed budget totaling $581.9 million, which includes $454.4 million for the operating budget and $127.5 million for capital improvements. The City Colleges is proposing to reduce…
This article is about how the City of Chicago’s unreserved 2009 cash balance of $2.7 million is indicative of major budget troubles. The Civic Federation says that a city as large as Chicago should have a budget reserve of at least $200…
