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City of Chicago

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Cook County TIF Revenue Continues Record Growth

A report released by the Cook County Clerk in November 2023 found that revenue from tax increment financing (TIF) districts in Cook County increased for a sixth straight year to a record $1.7 billion, including approximately $1…

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How Much Does the Chicago Police Department Actually Spend Each Year?

As part of the total City of Chicago budget adopted for the 2024 fiscal year that began on January 1, the City Council approved a nearly $2.0 billion budget for the Chicago Police Department (CPD). The Police Department budget represents…

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Chicago to Vote on Graduated Real Estate Transfer Tax in March 2024

In September 2023 the Chicago City Council approved placing a referendum on the March 2024 primary municipal election ballot asking voters to approve a change in the structure of the City’s real estate transfer tax (RETT) from…

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2023 Year in Review

The following are summaries of the five most-read posts presented on the Civic Federation’s blog in 2023, listed here in chronological order. The posts examine issues related to Illinois taxes and debt, Tier 2 Benefits, the SAFE-T Act…

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Rising Pension, Healthcare Liabilities Help Drive $7.3 Billion Increase in Chicago Long-Term Liabilities Between FY2018 and FY2022

This blog post examines the City of Chicago’s long-term liabilities. It includes a review of trends in the City’s long-term governmental and business-type activities, liabilities, debt service trends and a discussion of its tax-supported…

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Civic Federation Releases Analysis of City of Chicago FY2024 Proposed Budget

Civic Federation Acting President Sarah Wetmore testifies to City Council during a budget hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 1. The Civic Federation on Wednesday released its latest report, …

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City of Chicago FY2024 Proposed Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

Click here to read the full report.Click here to read the press release for this analysis. EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe Civic Federation supports Mayor Johnson’s proposed FY2024 budget of $16.6 billion. The City of Chicago…

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Press Release: Civic Federation Supports Proposed City of Chicago FY2024 Budget

Federation praises supplemental pension payments, increase in Police Department civilian positions, but warns of budget’s structural imbalance and future fiscal strains Click here to read the full report. Click here to…

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How the Chicago Pension Funds Fared in 2022

In this blog post, the Civic Federation analyzes indicators of the fiscal health of the City of Chicago’s four pension funds based on the most recent FY2022 actuarial reports, dated December 31, 2022. The City of Chicago’s…

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Chicago Police Department Budget Q&A

This blog takes an updated look at the Chicago Police Department (CPD) budget and staffing levels for 2023 based on the City of Chicago’s adopted budget for fiscal year 2023. The Mayor will introduce a new…