Other Governments

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Forest Preserve District of Cook County FY2016 Executive Budget Recommendation: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the Forest Preserve District of Cook County’s proposed $190.3 million budget. The proposed plan is reasonable and balanced, does not use fund balance reserves for operations and holds the property tax levy…

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Chicago Transit Authority President's FY2016 Budget Recommendations: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) FY2016 operating budget of nearly $1.47 billion. The budget represents a continued effort to actively manage costs and improve service levels. The CTA is continuing to…

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City Colleges of Chicago FY2016 Tentative Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the City Colleges tentative FY2016 budget totaling $695.6 million because it continues to minimize the financial burden placed on taxpayers by avoiding a property tax increase at a time when other local…

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Chicago Area Governments Bond Ratings Fall Below Investment Grade

Recently, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the City of Chicago,…

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City Colleges of Chicago Ends FY2014 with Lower Level of Budget Reserves

UPDATE: New information from City Colleges of Chicago has been provided to the Civic Federation that makes adjustments to past years’ Statements of Net Position to comply with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)…

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Chicagoans’ Pension Obligations Per Capita Rose 199.4% Since 2004

The Civic Federation’s previous blog examined the long-term debt of eight major local governments in northeastern Illinois.This…

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Long-Term Debt for Eight Major Chicago Governments Rises by 59.2% in 10-Year Period

The Civic Federation regularly analyzes and comments on the budgets and audited financial statements of eight major local governments in northeastern Illinois: 1.…

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Change in Public Pension Plan Investment Return Assumptions 2001-2013

The Civic Federation and IIFS blogs have written extensively about reductions to assumed rates of return on investment by State and some local public pension plans over the last several years. These changes are part of a nationwide…

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2014 Year in Review on the Civic Federation Blog

The following posts were among the most highly read on the Civic Federation blog in 2014 and represent some of the most closely followed local government issues this year:…

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District FY2015 Tentative Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s tentative budget of $1.3 billion and praises the organization’s continued use of long-term financial planning to guide its operations and future projects. …