This report articulates the Civic Federation’s overall position on the Cook County property tax system. The report expresses the Federation’s vision for a better property tax system and serves as a framework against which proposals to change the Cook County property tax system may be evaluated. The report identifies positive and negative features of the current system as well as unintended…
(CHICAGO) The Civic Federation stakes out its comprehensive position on the Cook County property tax system in a new report released today. The goal of the report is not only to describe what a better property tax system might look like, but also to serve as a framework that will help government officials and residents evaluate proposals to change the property tax. Together with a series of four…
Although it does not receive as much attention as the Skyway and the metered parking system leases, the downtown public parking system lease was also a very significant privatization transaction. It was undertaken by the City of Chicago, which owned one parking garage in the system and also involved the Chicago Park District which owned the other three garages in the system. The downtown…
In this segment of the Eight Forty-Eight news program, Civic Federation President Laurence Msall discusses how a proposal to privatize City of Chicago lakefront festivals could help fill the City’s budget deficit.
This news segment discusses a recent report that describes the condition of Illinois’ finances as dire. Civic Federation President Laurence Msall assents with that assessment and adds that the State’s has few options to fix its fiscal troubles including major program cuts or reductions in pension contributions.
Despite initial results showing that the State of Illinois’ recent tax amnesty program brought in more than $500 million in delinquent tax revenues, a report from the legislature’s financial oversight commission questions how much new General Funds revenue is actually included in the total funds received. The General Assembly approved the tax amnesty program to help boost revenues as part of the…
Today the Civic Federation released its analysis of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s FY2011 tentative budget. The Civic Federation supports the nearly $1.0 billion budget proposal, which represents a $681.1 million, or 41.1% decrease over final FY2010 appropriations. The large reduction in appropriations reflects the variance that often occurs between budget years for MWRD, due in…
The Civic Federation supports the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s FY2011 Tentative Budget of nearly $1.0 billion. The tentative budget is a $681.1 million, or 41.1% decrease over final adjusted FY2010 appropriations. This decline is largely due to decreases in appropriations for the Construction Fund and Capital Improvements Bond Fund. The District plans to reduce Corporate Fund…
CHICAGO — The Civic Federation supports the nearly $1 billion tentative budget proposed by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). The District will reduce staffing levels and Corporate Fund spending as a response to difficult economic conditions. However in a 39-page report released today, the Federation voices concern about the continued decline of the fiscal…
This feature story examines the proposal by the owner of the Chicago Cubs to renovate Wrigley Field using funds from bonds issued by a State of Illinois agency. The Civic Federation explains how amusement tax proceeds are split between the City of Chicago and Cook County and how that money is used.
