After three years of increasing budget deficits, the State of Illinois is expected to see a smaller budget gap at the end of FY2011 because of tax increases and expanded borrowing for operations. The FY2011 year-end deficit is currently…
In this article about Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle's moves to reform County government, the Civic Federation says that the County is moving in a positive direction and is more transparent in its operations.
Today marks the 100th day since Toni Preckwinkle took office as President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. During that time, the County has begun to implement a variety of reforms including many of the recommendations from the…
The Illinois House of Representatives took a significant step in its annual budget negotiations this week when legislators unanimously passed a resolution limiting General Funds spending to $33.2 billion. The cap on spending is…
The Cook County Board recently passed the County’s FY2011 budget. The budget included…
In this article about the budget-balancing challenges facing City of Chicago Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel, the Civic Federation says the next Mayor must make the City's finances his top priority.
This article discusses the fiscal challenges facing Chicago Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel. It cites a report by the…
This editorial about the State of Illinois' plan to borrow to pay down its past-due bills cites the Civic Federation, which says the plan is financially reckless.
For the second year in a row, the State of Illinois raised funds in the municipal bond market to make its annual pension contributions. On February 23, 2011, the State finalized the sale of $3.7 billion worth of Pension Obligation Bonds (…
On Saturday February 26th, the Cook County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the FY2011 Annual Appropriations Ordinance. In the…
