The Civic Federation supports the Chicago Park District’s proposed FY2015 operating budget of $448.6 million that accommodates increased employer pension contributions mandated by the District’s 2014 pension reform legislation while holding the property tax levy relatively flat and expanding programming. The Civic Federation strongly supported the District’s work with its labor partners, the…
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) recently released its FY2015 proposed budget. While the Civic Federation traditionally analyzes features common to all local government budgets, our analyses of the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) budgets include additional productivity measurement data. The Civic Federation uses expenditure, ridership and miles traveled data provided by the CTA to gain…
Shortly after a Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge ruled that the pension reform law passed in Illinois almost a year ago violated the State constitution, Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced she will be seeking an immediate appeal of the decision to the State Supreme Court. Judge John W. Belz issued the Circuit Court’s decision on Friday, November 21, 2014, one day after hearing oral…
This article follows the passage of Chicago’s FY2015 budget by a 46-4 City Council vote. The Civic Federation supported the budget in its November 3 analysis and said the proposal is a reasonable response to the City’s immediate financial situation. The Federation also warned that long-term financial stability cannot be achieved without further pension reform action from the Illinois General…
This editorial discusses financial improvements made by the Chicago Transit Authority in the past few years that have led to a more fiscally stable agency. It cites the Civic Federation’s FY2015 CTA Budget Analysis which supports the budget, but retains some concerns about the current pension funding plan and whether the budget relies too heavily on expected payments from the cash-strapped State…
The Civic Federation supports the Forest Preserve District of Cook County’s FY2015 proposed $187.4 million budget for holding the property tax levy relatively flat and minimizing the use of one-time resources. This balanced budget is very reasonable in the near-term, especially when paired with the extra information provided by the master plans recently adopted by the District. The Civic…
Report applauds level of public input in planning, warns of declining pension health In a report released today, the Civic Federation supports the $187.4 million budget proposed by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. The balanced budget holds the property tax levy relatively flat and minimizes the use of one-time resources. The Federation also commends the District for increasing the…
Proposal reflects past work to secure pensions, modernize labor practices In an analysis released today, the Civic Federation supports the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) proposed FY2015 operating budget of nearly $1.4 billion. The budget represents an improved level of fiscal stability made possible by the CTA’s efforts in past years to secure its pension fund and modernize its labor…
The Civic Federation supports the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) proposed FY2015 budget of nearly $1.4 billion. The budget represents an improved level of fiscal stability made possible by the CTA’s efforts in past years to secure its pension fund and modernize its labor practices. The agency is working under a more sustainable labor agreement, no longer relies heavily on one-time revenue…
Nearly all indicators point to positive economic growth in the State of Illinois for the fifth consecutive year in 2015 but due to a change in income tax rates, State government finances remain in crisis. In a report issued earlier this month on the results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2015, which began on July 1, 2014, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) reviewed the State’s…
