Government Budgets

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City Colleges of Chicago FY2005 Program Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation opposed the City Colleges proposed FY2005 budget because it significantly increased both spending and revenues with little effort to control costs. The budget increased spending by 9% over FY2004, raised tuition by $10…

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Forest Preserve District of Cook County's Proposed $100 Million Bond Issue

The Civic Federation was concerned about the lack of transparency of this proposal. It questioned the rationale for approving $100 million in proposed projects without producing a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and before presenting the…

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Illinois State Toll Highway Authority's Proposed "Open Roads for a Faster Future" 10-year, $5.3 Billion Capital Plan

The Civic Federation supported the Tollway's plan to rebuild the toll road system and construct an I-355 south extension by raising tolls for trucks and non-I-PASS users. Unlike past proposals, this plan uses a mix of bond and "pay-as-you…

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Chicago Public Schools FY2005 Recommended Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation was pleased with some elements of the $5.05 billion CPS budget, but also identified several areas of concern and opposed the $50 million maximum allowable increase in the property tax levy.

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SB 2196: Stormwater Management in Cook County

The Civic Federation supported granting the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) the authority to manage stormwater in Cook County, but opposed exempting the proposed stormwater management property tax levy…

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GASB 34 Reporting Guidelines For Government Financial Statements: A Civic Federation Issue Brief

This issue brief provides a "plain English" description of how GASB 34 has increased transparency in government financial reporting. It is illustrated with examples from the City of Chicago's FY2002 CAFR, as well as State of Illinois and…

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State of Illinois FY2005 Operating Budget: Final Update

The Civic Federation supported the rejection of any broad-based tax increases but opposed the proposal to reduce pension funding by $310 million and extend payment of that amount over a 41-year period.

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State of Illinois FY2005 Recommended Operating Budget: Position

The Civic Federation supported the Governor's rejection of any broad-based tax increases but opposed the proposal to reduce pension funding by $527 million to balance the budget. It urged the General Assembly to hold public hearings to…

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State of Illinois FY2005 Recommended Operating Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supported the Governor's rejection of any broad-based tax increases but opposed the proposal to reduce pension funding by $527 million to balance the budget. It urged the General Assembly to hold public hearings to…

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Regional Transportation Task Force Resolutions

The Civic Federation supported some of the resolutions before the Northeastern Illinois Regional Transportation Task Force. It urged the Task Force to consider the criteria of sound fiscal policy, improved service, and continued federal…