The Civic Federation issued a report in 2008 that reviewed the operations and finances of the Illinois International Port District (IIPD). In that report, A Call for the Dissolution and Restructuring of the Illinois International Port District, the Federation expressed concerns about:The District’s focus on recreational activities in its operation of a golf course rather than improving port…
The Governmental Research Association (GRA), a national group of organizations and individuals engaged in government research and public policy, convened in Worcester, Mass., in late July for its 2023 annual conference. The conference provides GRA members with an opportunity to network, share research, hear from expert panels and receive recognition for their work through a peer-reviewed awards…
How should Illinois pay for public transit? This was one of the key questions posed at a recent policy forum on the topic of public transportation in the Chicago region hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the Civic Federation and the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. The policy forum, held on April 13, 2023, targeted a pressing issue: transit agencies in Chicago and…
Thank you to everyone who joined us on Thursday, April 13, at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago for our half-day policy forum, “Public Transit in a Post-COVID World: Building a Financially Stable, Equitable and Accessible Mass Transit System in Chicago and Beyond.” We are grateful for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s ongoing partnership and for the involvement of the Civic Committee of the…
Following Cook County voters’ approval of a higher property tax levy for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC) via a referendum question on the November 2022 ballot, the Illinois General Assembly last week passed a law that will change the District’s funding schedule for its pension plan to an actuarially-sound 30-year plan with a 100% funding goal. It now awaits the Governor’s…
The CTA’s FY2023 budget of $1.8 billion was approved by the Regional Transit Authority Board of Directors on December 15, 2022. This blog presents an overview of that budget as well as data for CTA fiscal plans from FY2019 through 2025. Some of the key highlights of the current FY2023 budget and future fiscal plans include: The CTA has not cut bus or rail service, although there have been…
This blog examines online reporting of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) spending and performance measures by major U.S. cities. A key component of ARPA was a $350 billion infusion of federal funding to state, local and Tribal governments nationwide to support their pandemic recovery through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). The U.S. Department of Treasury outlined…
In the State of Illinois, non-home rule units of government located in counties subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) are limited in the size of their annual property tax extension to 5% or the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is less. However, the limitation is subject to some exceptions and can be increased by referendum. The Forest Preserve District…
In a position statement released yesterday, the Civic Federation announced it supports passage of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County’s (FPDCC) property tax extension limitation law (PTELL) referendum that will be on the November 8 election ballot for voters in Cook County. The referendum question asks Cook County voters whether the Forest Preserve District’s property tax limiting rate…
This blog post presents an overview of the Chicago Transit Authority’s FY2022 operating budget, including a summary of how federal stimulus funds were used to balance the budget, and an update on its recent $350 million debt issuance. The Chicago Transit Authority, like other transit agencies around the country, faces serious challenges to its future operations and fiscal solvency in the wake of…
