In many of its past reports, the Civic Federation has recommended that local governments integrate performance management into their budgeting process and make that information public. In the Cook County Modernization Report released last fall, the Civic Federation recommended that the County make full implementation of performance-based budgeting a priority. The data should be a mix of…
After two consecutive years of losses, the State of Illinois is reporting moderate growth in sales tax revenue for FY2011, which ended on June 30, 2011. Not only did sales tax revenue collected by the State grow but it also beat the projections on which the budget was based. Total General Funds revenues from sales taxes declined from FY2008 through FY2010 by nearly $1 billion, from $7.2 billion…
The Civic Federation supports the City Colleges FY2012 tentative budget totaling $651.5 million, an increase of $69.6 million, or 12.0%, over the adopted FY2011 budget. Unrestricted operating funds, the portion of the budget over which the District exercises maximum control, will increase by 1.7%, or $5.3 million dollars over the previous year. The property tax levy will be frozen at the…
The Civic Federation announced today its support for the City Colleges of Chicago proposed FY2012 operating budget of $651.5 million. The Federation supports the budget because it exercises fiscal restraint and follows many of the Federation’s previous recommendations. Visit civicfed.org to read the full report. “The Civic Federation applauds City Colleges and Chancellor Hyman’s commitment to…
Governor Pat Quinn signed the State of Illinois’ FY2012 budget on June 30, 2011, a day before the start of the new fiscal year. The FY2012 budget is expected to generate a mountain of unpaid Medicaid bills and a possible court battle over union pay raises. In signing the budget, which includes $32.987 billion in general operating funds, the Governor reduced the budget passed by the General…
Findings in a report from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas that show that the County owes $108 billion in accrued debt is the focus of this article. The Civic Federation says the report is a good contribution to the debate over local government debt and pension obligations.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago recently co-hosted a conference featuring analysis and discussion among local and national budget experts to better understand the fiscal condition of states and prospects for economic recovery after several years of ongoing financial stress. The meeting was co-hosted by the by the Federal Reserve Banks of Philadelphia and New York in partnership with the John…
The Civic Federation released today a comprehensive set of forty recommendations to improve the City of Chicago’s long-term fiscal condition. The new Federation report includes reforms that can be implemented now and over the next few fiscal years and cover a wide array of functions, from public works to procurement to pensions. The Civic Federation has in recent years become increasingly…
The purpose of this report is to provide the City of Chicago’s Mayor and City Council with detailed recommendations on ways to address the City’s serious financial challenges and create a government that is more efficient, less costly and more accountable. On February 14, 2011, the Civic Federation released Financial Challenges for the New Mayor which identifies the most significant fiscal issues…
Since Cook County passed its FY2011 budget in February 2011, it has been evident that the County’s public health system would face major hurdles in achieving the budget goals. The size of those hurdles became clearer on June 24, 2011 at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Cook County Health and Hospitals System. The Health System is expected to be slightly under budget on expenses for…
