The Illinois House adjourned on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 with no further session days scheduled before the 99th General Assembly begins in January 2015. The Illinois Senate is expected to adjourn on December 4, 2014 and has one addition session day scheduled for January 13, 2015. This will mark the end of the 98th General Assembly. At the end of each two-year legislative session, all of the…
In an analysis released today, the Civic Federation supports the Chicago Park District’s proposed FY2015 operating budget of $448.6 million. The proposal accommodates increased employer pension contributions mandated by the District’s 2014 pension reform legislation while holding the property tax levy relatively flat and expanding programming. The full 55-page analysis is available here. “We…
The Civic Federation supports the Chicago Park District’s proposed FY2015 operating budget of $448.6 million that accommodates increased employer pension contributions mandated by the District’s 2014 pension reform legislation while holding the property tax levy relatively flat and expanding programming. The Civic Federation strongly supported the District’s work with its labor partners, the…
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) recently released its FY2015 proposed budget. While the Civic Federation traditionally analyzes features common to all local government budgets, our analyses of the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) budgets include additional productivity measurement data. The Civic Federation uses expenditure, ridership and miles traveled data provided by the CTA to gain…
Shortly after a Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge ruled that the pension reform law passed in Illinois almost a year ago violated the State constitution, Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced she will be seeking an immediate appeal of the decision to the State Supreme Court. Judge John W. Belz issued the Circuit Court’s decision on Friday, November 21, 2014, one day after hearing oral…
This article follows the passage of Chicago’s FY2015 budget by a 46-4 City Council vote. The Civic Federation supported the budget in its November 3 analysis and said the proposal is a reasonable response to the City’s immediate financial situation. The Federation also warned that long-term financial stability cannot be achieved without further pension reform action from the Illinois General…
This editorial discusses financial improvements made by the Chicago Transit Authority in the past few years that have led to a more fiscally stable agency. It cites the Civic Federation’s FY2015 CTA Budget Analysis which supports the budget, but retains some concerns about the current pension funding plan and whether the budget relies too heavily on expected payments from the cash-strapped State…
The Civic Federation supports the Forest Preserve District of Cook County’s FY2015 proposed $187.4 million budget for holding the property tax levy relatively flat and minimizing the use of one-time resources. This balanced budget is very reasonable in the near-term, especially when paired with the extra information provided by the master plans recently adopted by the District. The Civic…
Report applauds level of public input in planning, warns of declining pension health In a report released today, the Civic Federation supports the $187.4 million budget proposed by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. The balanced budget holds the property tax levy relatively flat and minimizes the use of one-time resources. The Federation also commends the District for increasing the…
Proposal reflects past work to secure pensions, modernize labor practices In an analysis released today, the Civic Federation supports the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) proposed FY2015 operating budget of nearly $1.4 billion. The budget represents an improved level of fiscal stability made possible by the CTA’s efforts in past years to secure its pension fund and modernize its labor…
