Government Budgets

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Civic Federation lays out painful plan to stabilize Illinois finances

This article covers the release of the Civic Federation’ s FY2017 State of Illinois Budget Roadmap, released in advance of Governor Bruce Rauner’s forthcoming budget address. Laurence Msall, President of the Civic Federation, is quoted in the article on the increasing lack of politically popular options the State has left in order to address its financial crisis.

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State of Illinois FY2017 Budget Roadmap

Prior to the release of the Governor’s annual budget recommendation, the Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability at the Civic Federation releases an analysis of the State of Illinois’ fiscal condition. This report presents the Civic Federation’s three-year plan to stabilize Illinois’ finances and addresses the State’s critical financial situation.   More than seven months into the…

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Civic Federation Proposes Comprehensive Plan to Stabilize Illinois Finances by End of FY2019

(CHICAGO) – In a report released today, the Civic Federation’s Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability proposes a comprehensive three-year plan that addresses Illinois’ ongoing financial crisis with painful but necessary spending limits and revenue enhancements. The full 55-page report is available here. More than seven months into the current fiscal year, the State of Illinois continues…

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CPS borrows $725 million at huge cost

This article examines a CPS bond sale that had been previously delayed. President of the Civic Federation, Laurence Msall comments that the 8.5 percent yield is due to a number of factors, one of which is the District’s poor credit rating, and warns that costs for any future borrowing will continue to be high.

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Short-term Liabilities of City of Chicago Increase through FY2014, while CPS and Cook County Short-term Liabilities Decrease

Short-term or current liabilities are financial obligations that must be satisfied within one year. They can include short-term debt, accounts payable, accrued payroll and other current liabilities. This blog post presents five-year trends for: 1) total short-term liabilities in the Governmental Funds, and 2) short-term liabilities as a percentage of operating revenues for the three largest…

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City of Harvey can’t afford USD 15m loss in revenue

View the Article This article discusses the continued fiscal strain faced by the City of Harvey, a south Chicago suburb, and a potential need for state intervention. Laurence Msall, President of the Civic Federation, explains the essential changes that have to be made by the city in order to move forward and also discusses the role of the State in this matter. Mentioned in the article is the…

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Chicago Lawmakers Say TIF Surplus Can Help Close CPS Budget Gap

This article reports on a proposal from local lawmakers that would use surplus TIF funds to close a portion of CPS’ budget deficit. Laurence Msall, President of the Civic Federation, commented on the need for a comprehensive plan to responsibly address CPS’ entire budget gap.

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Next CPS budget will have an even bigger hole to fill: $800 million

This article discusses the current $480 million CPS budget shortfall, impacts of the budget gap and proposed short-term solutions. President of the Civic Federation, Laurence Msall, remarked on the necessity of a long-term plan to help stabilize CPS’ finances.  

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Governor’s Budget Projection Shows Growth in Unpaid Bills

A new report by Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration projects that the State of Illinois’ backlog of unpaid bills could grow to $25.0 billion in FY2019 from $4.4 billion in FY2015 based on current tax and spending policies. The three-year forecast, issued on January 6, 2016, covers FY2017 through FY2019. It also includes actual budget results for FY2015, which ended on June 30, 2015, and…

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Why the State Budget Impasse Might Not End until Next Winter

This article reports on the signs indicating that the State of Illinois may not have a budget until later this calendar year. Civic Federation President, Laurence Msall, discusses the looming pressures to put an end to the budget impasse.