Civic Federation Blog Archive: May 2010

05.26.10

Cook County Transition Reports and Reform Proposals

Each year the Civic Federation publishes an analysis of Cook County’s proposed Executive Budget (see e.g. Cook County FY2010 Proposed Budget: Analysis and Recommendations). As part of each report, we make recommendations on how to improve Cook County government. Some of our previous...

05.19.10

School Finance Authority: From Creation to Dissolution

The Chicago School Finance Authority (SFA) is scheduled to be officially dissolved on June 1, 2010. The SFA is a separate unit of government created in 1980 by the Illinois General Assembly and charged with “promoting the financial integrity” of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) (see the...

05.12.10

Eliminate Legislative Scholarships

On May 11, Governor Quinn vetoed Senate Bill 0365, a bill that would have limited but not eliminated legislative scholarships. His veto message states that he cannot condone a program that provides student assistance regardless of need or merit but relies instead on the favor of a legislator.

05.10.10

Cook County Health System Withstands Challenge to Purchasing Decision

The ordinance that established the Cook County Health and Hospitals System (Health System) in 2008 specifically granted its independent Board of Directors the authority to participate in purchasing consortia. At a meeting on April 30, 2010, the Board reaffirmed its right to award a contract through...

05.05.10

Civic Federation TIF Reforms Pass Both Houses

On May 4, 2010 the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill that will significantly improve the transparency of information about Tax Increment Financing districts in Illinois. Senate Bill 3152 implements a number of the recommendations made by the Civic Federation in our 2007 TIF position...

05.05.10

Best Practices in Public Pension Board Governance

There are over 3200 public pension board trustees governing 657 separate public pension funds in the State of Illinois according to data from the Illinois Department of Insurance.[1] These trustees have fiduciary responsibility for $135.7 billion dollars in assets, and paid out $10.5 billion in...