The Civic Federation supports the Chicago Public Schools proposed $6.5 billion budget for FY2011, which is a reduction of 5.9% or $402.3 million from the proposed FY2010 budget. The proposed budget offers a short-term solution to the…
It’s no secret that the financially troubled State of Illinois owes billions of dollars in unpaid bills. What is not as widely known is that the State also owes $730 million in corporate income tax refunds, according to the Illinois…
On August 5, the Civic Federation released its analysis of the FY2011 City Colleges Tentative Annual Operating…
This article is about the personnel cuts, pay freezes, and furlough days in the Chicago Public Schools’ proposed $6.4 billion budget as well as the District’s plan to use the entirety of its $190 million reserve fund to help balance the…
This article discusses the Chicago Public Schools’ plan to close a $370 million budget gap through a combination of personnel cuts, pay freezes, and the use of all of its reserve funds. The Civic Federation says the District’s plan to…
This article is about Chicago Public Schools’ possible receipt of funding from the recent federal jobs bill, which could be used to restore class sizes and school programs. The Civic Federation says CPS should be cautious about making…
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently announced his plans for $500 million in mass transit infrastructure improvements across the State. $…
This article explores the challenges Mayor Daley faces in filling the City of Chicago’s $655 million budget gap. One of the options being considered involves using proceeds from the City’s recent privatization deals. The Civic Federation…
This news segment details how the City of Chicago had only $2.7 million in reserves at the end of FY2009. The Civic Federation says the City should have cash reserves of at least $200 million given the size of its operating budget.
In this news segment, Civic Federation President Laurence Msall explains that restructuring the City of Chicago’s government is the only fix for the City’s unbalanced budget. Msall adds the City could institute a grid-based system for some…
