Government Budgets

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Chicago Park District FY2014 Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the $425.6 million Chicago Park District budget for continuing the District’s multi-year effort to reduce its structural deficit. The proposal includes a broad-based property tax increase after eight years of…

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Chicago Council Passes Balanced Budget Overshadowed By Looming Pension Cliff

(The full text of this article is only available to the publication’s subscribers.) This article covers the City Council’s November 26 vote to approve the FY2014 City of Chicago Budget. The…

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State of Illinois Level Principal Rule Helps Keep Total Debt Cost Low

A provision of the General Obligation Bond Act in Illinois requires the State to structure its bonds so that equal amounts of the funds borrowed are repaid in each year of the loan. This structure, called level principal, benefits the…

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Editorial: Chicago City Council needs a finance team

This editorial discusses an ordinance that would create an Office of Financial Analysis for the City Council to evaluate budget proposals separately from the Mayor’s advisory team. The Civic Federation…

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Civic Federation Position Statement on Proposed City Council Office of Financial Analysis

The Civic Federation strongly supports the proposal to create an Office of Financial Analysis for the Chicago City Council. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed FY2014 budget includes funding for an Office of Financial Analysis to help vet…

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Illinois Revenue Projections Continue to Climb After Early Sales Tax Gain

Only four months into the State of Illinois’ 2014 fiscal year, which began on July 1, 2013, annual revenue projections have increased by more than $300 million from the initial estimates. Positive first quarter results from the State’s…

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Illinois to Seek Federal Waiver for Medicaid Overhaul

The State of Illinois plans to apply for a sweeping federal waiver to overhaul its Medicaid program, according to a

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Ventra card complaints dominate CTA budget hearing

This article covers the Chicago Transit Authority’s November 12 budget hearing in advance of the Chicago Transit Board’s November 13 budget vote. The Civic Federation recently released its…

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Chicago's FY2014 Budget an Urgent Reminder of Need for Pension Reform

Pension Contribution Increase in FY2015 Threatens to Derail Fiscal Progress In a report released today, the Civic Federation announced its support for the City of Chicago’s proposed $7.0 billion budget as a reasonable short-term plan that…

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City of Chicago FY2014 Proposed Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the City of Chicago’s proposed $7.0 billion budget as a reasonable short-term plan that closes approximately two-thirds of a $338.7 million budget gap with structural changes that will continue to reduce the…