Police, parks, streets, schools, community colleges, public hospitals, elections, courts, jails, mosquito abatement, sewage treatment…these are just a few of the services that, in Illinois, are provided by many different local governments. Illinois has more units of local government than any other state in the nation, with 6,994 as of October 2007. Many of these governments rely on property…
More details are finally available on the FY2010 operating budget, and it would be difficult to describe it as balanced—even on paper. Depending on how you look at it, there is technically either a $157 million deficit or an $872 million surplus in the budget approved by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Pat Quinn on July 15, 2009. However, those numbers don’t take into account the $3.5…
Hoping that Illinois lawmakers will agree to an income tax increase later this year, Governor Pat Quinn chose not to make the necessary cuts to work within the budget approved on July 15, 2009 by the General Assembly. At a press conference on July 31, the Governor said he had already trimmed more than $1 billion from the FY2010 budget that he initially proposed in March. However, Governor Quinn…
In this article about the City of Chicago's predicted FY2010 budget deficit, the Civic Federation is quoted saying that Chicago must look to reduce personnel expenditures, which make up 80% of the City budget.
This article examines the cuts Chicago Public Schools may have to make to its educational programs due to reductions in funding provided by the State of Illinois. The Civic Federation is quoted saying that CPS should prioritize its expenditures to match its revenues.
This morning news segment features the Civic Federation's commentary on the City of Chicago's anticipated FY2010 budget shortfall of $520 million. The Federation praised Chicago's aggressive steps to combat this year's financial crisis, but cautioned that furlough days will not be enough to bridge the predicted 2010 deficit.
This article discusses the City of Chicago's preliminary budget estimates that show a $520 million shortfall for FY2010. The Civic Federation is quoted saying that there are no obvious sources of revenue to fill the gap that the City has not already tapped, making painful structural cuts and a reinvention of the way Chicago delivers services necessary.
This article profiles the Civic Federation’s support of the City Colleges of Chicago budget. The Federation’s budget analysis praised City Colleges' decision to hold its property tax levy flat for the next two years. This article also mentions the Civic Federation’s work with L.E.K. Consulting to analyze the financial aspects of the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid. Click here to read the Federation's…
In this interview, Civic Federation President Laurence Msall discusses the Illinois State operating budget deficit and the State’s unwise choice to borrow money in order to make its mandatory pension contributions.
This editorial examines the Illinois General Assembly and Governor Pat Quinn’s difficulty in passing an operating budget that does not rely on borrowing to meet its obligations. The Civic Federation is quoted enumerating the many problems with the budget and how the State does business.
