Chicago enters the FY2026 budget season at a pivotal moment. If it feels like we have been here before, it is because we have for as long as can be remembered. Ever-mounting taxes and fees, persistent structural budget gaps, high long-term debt, underfunded pensions, and debates over government spending are long-held staples of local political discourse. Despite occasional wins, the City’s fiscal…
Chicago is the only major city in the United States that operates without a constitution, which, for cities, is referred to as a charter. This absence is not just an anomaly; it fundamentally impacts every aspect of our City’s processes. Without a charter, Chicago’s governance rests on a patchwork of ordinances and informal traditions that can change with each administration. This has created a…
More than 5.5 million residents in northeastern Illinois rely on Lake Michigan for their drinking water needs. Yet, despite its undeniable importance, the system designed to manage this critical resource is a patchwork of competing interests and fragmented governance, resulting in inefficient delivery of this basic resource. This report explores the challenges and opportunities in our current…
The Local Pension Dashboard is intended for use as a resource and educational tool to increase the accessibility of local pension fund data. The dashboard reports metrics for the ten major local pension funds within the City of Chicago and Cook County, Illinois, with data from 1996 to 2024 (2024 CTA data is not included as that data has not been released as of publication). Using this tool,…
Equity-based budgeting is a framework for distributing government resources in a way that actively addresses systemic disparities and promotes fairness across communities. This approach prioritizes spending that meets the greatest needs, repairs historical harms, and expands opportunities—particularly for populations that have been historically underserved or marginalized. While much of this…
On September 17, 2025, Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson testified before the Cook County Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee in support of a resolution calling for an assessment and reform of mosquito abatement services in suburban Cook County. He emphasized that mosquito abatement is a vital public health function but is currently delivered through a fragmented and…
The City of Chicago faces one of its largest operating budget gaps in history, with a massive $1.15 billion shortfall projected for FY2026. Mayor Johnson’s proposed budget must close that gap by the time of introduction in October. Since the Mayor convened a working group to address the City’s structural budget gaps via executive order in April 2025, City stakeholders have been…
The Cook County Office of the Independent Inspector General’s July 2025 report reveals ongoing ethical and administrative failures at the South Cook County Mosquito Abatement District (SCCMAD), including trustees serving beyond expired terms, improper payments disguised as travel reimbursements, and limited transparency. While the County Board has accepted recommendations for corrective action,…
This report explains the system and method for how property taxes are levied, calculated and collected in Cook County, Illinois. This is called the tax extension and billing process. Additional Civic Federation primers will explain the Cook County assessment, property tax appeals and tax increment financing (TIF) systems.The purpose of this report is to make the property tax system more…
Over the past three decades, Illinois’ state government workforce has declined significantly from a peak in FY2001, with persistent staffing shortages despite recent increases in budgeted positions. High vacancy rates—driven by outdated hiring systems, labor market competition, and structural challenges—have strained the state’s capacity to deliver services, particularly in public safety and…
