(CHICAGO) – In a report released today, the Civic Federation’s Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability proposes a comprehensive three-year plan that addresses Illinois’ ongoing financial crisis with painful but necessary spending limits and revenue enhancements. The full 55-page report is available here. More than seven months into the current fiscal year, the State of Illinois continues…
This article examines a CPS bond sale that had been previously delayed. President of the Civic Federation, Laurence Msall comments that the 8.5 percent yield is due to a number of factors, one of which is the District’s poor credit rating, and warns that costs for any future borrowing will continue to be high.
Short-term or current liabilities are financial obligations that must be satisfied within one year. They can include short-term debt, accounts payable, accrued payroll and other current liabilities. This blog post presents five-year trends for: 1) total short-term liabilities in the Governmental Funds, and 2) short-term liabilities as a percentage of operating revenues for the three largest…
View the Article This article discusses the continued fiscal strain faced by the City of Harvey, a south Chicago suburb, and a potential need for state intervention. Laurence Msall, President of the Civic Federation, explains the essential changes that have to be made by the city in order to move forward and also discusses the role of the State in this matter. Mentioned in the article is the…
This article reports on a proposal from local lawmakers that would use surplus TIF funds to close a portion of CPS’ budget deficit. Laurence Msall, President of the Civic Federation, commented on the need for a comprehensive plan to responsibly address CPS’ entire budget gap.
This article discusses the current $480 million CPS budget shortfall, impacts of the budget gap and proposed short-term solutions. President of the Civic Federation, Laurence Msall, remarked on the necessity of a long-term plan to help stabilize CPS’ finances.
A new report by Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration projects that the State of Illinois’ backlog of unpaid bills could grow to $25.0 billion in FY2019 from $4.4 billion in FY2015 based on current tax and spending policies. The three-year forecast, issued on January 6, 2016, covers FY2017 through FY2019. It also includes actual budget results for FY2015, which ended on June 30, 2015, and…
This article reports on the signs indicating that the State of Illinois may not have a budget until later this calendar year. Civic Federation President, Laurence Msall, discusses the looming pressures to put an end to the budget impasse.
This article discusses that the city of Harvey, a south suburb of Chicago, is in serious financial trouble with millions of dollars unaccounted for. President of the Civic Federation, Laurence Msall, notes that the lack of records and documentation to showing how the cities’ money was spent is troubling.
This article discusses an upcoming Chicago City Council vote on $3 billion worth of bond issuances for 2016. Some Aldermen have called for more time in order for the new City Council independent budget expert to review all of the plans. President of the Civic Federation, Laurence Msall, remarked on the importance of a full understanding by the City Council on the cost of this borrowing.