This segment covers the proposed FY2016 City of Chicago budget released September 22, which includes a $543 million property tax increase that would be phased in over four years. The Civic Federation said the increase won’t solve all of the City’s financial challenges, but it is a big step in the right direction.
This article reviews a report released by the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs on the funding gap facing Illinois’ infrastructure. It cites an August blog post by the Civic Federation’s Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability which discusses lower-than-projected revenues from the Illinois Jobs Now! program that funds the State’s capital budget. The Civic…
The State of Illinois is often cited for its unique financial challenges. However, at least in one respect, Illinois does not stand alone in its financial difficulties. Illinois is one of four states that began the fiscal year without an enacted budget and is one of three still struggling to produce a spending plan in the third month of the fiscal year. As discussed here, although Governor Bruce…
This article reviews discussions surrounding the idea of allowing Illinois municipalities to file for chapter 9 bankruptcy. Earlier this year, the Civic Federation proposed the Local Government Protection Authority that would create a quasi-judicial entity to provide financially distressed local governments support for finding alternative solutions to financial challenges before resorting to…
This op-ed by State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie urges the Illinois General Assembly to adopt a budgeting approach that balances spending reductions with new revenues. It discusses several recommendations from the Civic Federation’s FY2016 State of Illinois Budget Roadmap released in February, including expanding the sales tax to certain services and implementing stronger spending controls.
This column covers Illinois’ current budget stalemate and the programs and bills that can continue to be paid for without a formal operating budget, meaning the State is spending at FY2015 levels although its revenue has dropped. The Civic Federation said the longer this spending goes on, the more painful the legislature’s remaining budget options become.
This article discusses the FY2016 Chicago Public Schools budget passed by the Board of Education August 26 which relies on $480 million in State funding that has not been appropriated. The Civic Federation’s annual analysis opposed the FY2016 budget for being unbalanced and unsustainable.
This article covers the Civic Federation’s FY2016 Chicago Public Schools Proposed Budget Analysis released August 25. The Federation opposes the budget that relies on $480 million in additional funding from the state that has not been appropriated, and calls for a detailed contingency plan if state funding fails to materialize.
This article discusses the Civic Federation’s analysis of the proposed FY2016 Chicago Public Schools budget. The Civic Federation opposed the budget for being unbalanced and unsustainable, providing no reassurance that CPS has a plan for emerging from its perpetual fiscal crisis.
This editorial reviews the governing history of Chicago Public Schools and calls on today’s leaders to address the District’s current financial crisis. It cites the Civic Federation’s FY2016 CPS Budget Analysis, which opposes the budget as yet another short-sighted, risky proposal from the District.
