City of Chicago

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Civic Groups Call on Chicago City Council to Improve Transparency and Public Access

In a joint letter sent Tuesday, the Civic Federation, the Better Government Association and the League of Women Voters of Chicago urged Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago’s City Council to improve transparency and public access to…

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Civic Groups Urge Greater Transparency and Public Access from Chicago City Council

The Better Government Association, the Civic Federation and the League of Women Voters of Chicago have called on Chicago’s City Council to improve transparency around Council and committee agenda items and increase public access to and…

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Cook County TIF Revenue Continues Record Growth

report released by the Cook County Clerk in November 2023 found that revenue from tax increment financing (TIF)…

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How Much Does the Chicago Police Department Actually Spend Each Year?

As part of the total City of Chicago budget adopted for the 2024 fiscal year that began on January 1, the City Council approved a nearly $2.0 billion budget for the Chicago Police Department (CPD). The Police Department budget represents…

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Chicago to Vote on Graduated Real Estate Transfer Tax in March 2024

In September 2023 the Chicago City Council approved placing a referendum on the March 2024 primary…

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2023 Year in Review

The following are summaries of the five most-read posts presented on the Civic Federation’s blog in 2023, listed here in chronological order. The posts examine issues related to Illinois taxes and debt, Tier 2 Benefits, the SAFE-T Act…

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Rising Pension, Healthcare Liabilities Help Drive $7.3 Billion Increase in Chicago Long-Term Liabilities Between FY2018 and FY2022

This blog post examines the City of Chicago’s long-term liabilities. It includes a review of trends in the City’s long-term governmental and business-type activities, liabilities, debt service trends and a discussion of its tax-supported…

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Civic Federation Releases Analysis of City of Chicago FY2024 Proposed Budget

Civic Federation Acting President Sarah Wetmore testifies to City Council during a budget hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 1. The Civic Federation on Wednesday released its latest report, 

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City of Chicago FY2024 Proposed Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

Click here to read the full report.

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Press Release: Civic Federation Supports Proposed City of Chicago FY2024 Budget

Federation praises supplemental pension payments, increase in Police Department civilian positions, but warns of budget’s structural imbalance and future fiscal strains …