Government Efficiency and Transparency

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Does it matter where city workers live? Rethinking the residency rule

In this article about Chicago’s city worker residency requirements, the Civic Federation says that it has seen no evidence that the residency requirement has deterred workers from moving to Chicago or increased City costs.

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Cook County Budget-Balancing Plan Relies on Major Agency Reductions

Today the Civic Federation released its analysis of Cook County’s FY2011 Executive Budget Recommendation. The…

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Civic Federation Supports Leaner Cook County Budget, Operational Reforms

(CHICAGO) The Civic Federation will announce its support for the proposed $3.0 billion FY2011 Cook County budget at a public hearing today. The plan cuts expenditures and employee headcount while committing to a full repeal of the sales…

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Cook County FY2011 Proposed Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports Cook County’s $3.0 billion FY2011 Executive Budget Recommendation as it reflects a significant effort to reduce expenditures. The new County administration also appears to be on a path toward significant…

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Financial Challenges for the New Mayor of Chicago: Analysis and Recommendations

This report identifies the most significant financial challenges facing the City of Chicago and provides recommendations to the new Mayor of Chicago for ways to improve and stabilize the City’s finances in the short- and long-term. Those…

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New Chicago Mayor Must Take Immediate Action on Perilous City Finances

The new Mayor of the City of Chicago faces three major fiscal challenges that will require the immediate attention of the new administration, according to a new report released today by the Civic Federation. The daunting difficulties…

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Forest Preserve District’s Revised FY2011 Budget is Late, But Still a Sound Proposal

The staff and President of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County filed a FY2011 proposed budget for review by the District’s governing board on October 6, 2010, almost three months before the start of the new fiscal year on January 1…

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Water agency pays $2.4 million to departing employees

This article is about large employee severance packages at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. The Civic Federation says that the District’s severance system was economically illogical and the changes to the…

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Cook County forest preserves could spend more on buying land

This article is about the Forest Preserve District of Cook County’s FY2011 preliminary budget plans. The Civic Federation calls for the creation of a separate board of commissioners for the District, instead of the current system in which…

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Forest Preserve District’s Governance Structure Causes Conflicts, Budget Delays

In its recently released analysis of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County’s FY2011 proposed budget…