On December 11, 2013, the City Council approved an ordinance to establish the City Council Office of Financial Analysis (COFA), modeled on the independent agencies established in the cities of New York, San Diego and Pittsburgh. The Civic Federation commends the City Council, legislation sponsors Alderman Ameya Pawar, Alderman Michelle Smith and Alderman Pat Dowell, Budget Committee Chairman…
This editorial calls for the creation of a Forest Preserve Board separate from the Cook County Board, saying the current governing structure has held the Forest Preserves back in recent decades. The Civic Federation has long called for a separately elected, unpaid Forest Preserve Board that can focus more specifically on Forest Preserve needs.
The Civic Federation supports the City Colleges tentative FY2014 budget totaling $657.0 million for continuing the District’s exemplary work to improve its financial and operational health. The FY2014 proposed budget holds the property tax levy flat for the fourth consecutive year and reduces the unrestricted operating portion of the budget, the portion over which the District has the most…
Proposed budget holds property tax levy flat and prepares for State’s uncertain fiscal outlook (CHICAGO) In an analysis released today, the Civic Federation supports the City Colleges of Chicago’s proposed FY2014 budget of $657.0 million which continues the District’s exemplary work to improve its financial and operational health. The full 44-page report is available at www.civicfed.org. “Under…
The following opinion piece by Civic Federation President Laurence Msall was published by Crain's Chicago Business on May 30, 2013. Wrapped around the recent Memorial Day weekend were some of the most important meetings of Chicago's City Council Finance Committee in recent years. For two days, committee members heard from Mayor Rahm Emanuel's financial team on their efforts to sweeten the bitter…
This story discusses the future of buildings that will be left vacant when school closings approved by the Chicago Board of Education on May 22 take effect later this year. The Civic Federation said the District needs to produce a long-term financial plan reflecting how projected costs and savings from the closings fit into a broader plan for addressing the District’s $1.0 billion projected…
This editorial supports a proposal by Alderman Ameya Pawar to create an independent budget office for the Chicago City Council. The Civic Federation recommended an independent budget office in its 2011 report, Recommendations for a Financially Sustainable City of Chicago, because it would allow aldermen to seek independent, professional expertise before considering major legislation, including…
This article examines recent efforts to dissolve township governments in Evanston, Palatine and Wheeling. In its 2013 Legislative Priorities the Civic Federation recommends the General Assembly pass legislation to clarify township dissolution procedures and allow dissolution via referendum. Illinois has nearly 7,000 units of local government, far more than any other state.
On December 12, 2012, an ordinance to create an independent budget office was introduced to City Council. The ordinance, sponsored by Aldermen Ameya Pawar (47th Ward), Michelle Smith (43rd Ward) and Pat Dowell (3rd Ward), was assigned to the Committee on Committees, Rules and Ethics to be considered. Although more detail about the proposal is needed, the Civic Federation supports the initiative…
In a report released today, the Civic Federation supports the $190.3 million proposed FY2013 Forest Preserve District of Cook County budget for its discipline in identifying non-tax revenue sources as an alternative to increasing the property tax levy. The proposed budget also maintains the District’s substantial reserves. The full 60-page report is available at civicfed.org. “President…
