Government Efficiency and Transparency

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Despite budget cuts, some school officials expect car allowances

This article is about how a few Chicagoland school districts have started evaluating the need for car allowance perks for officials in a time of shrinking budgets and tax revenue. The Civic Federation says that in the current economic…

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Open Meetings Act in Illinois

The Illinois Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS 120, was…

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Changes in Store for the DuPage Water Commission?

Last week the Illinois General Assembly adjourned for the summer. The House and the Senate sent numerous bills to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to either sign or veto. One such bill is Senate Bill 580, which would restructure the existing…

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Cook County commissioners make independent health board permanent

This article is about a vote by Cook County commissioners to make the Cook County Health and Hospitals System independent board permanent. The article mentions the Civic Federation’s support for the move, which has streamlined staff levels…

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Cook County Health System’s Independent Board Becomes Permanent

In a victory for good government, the Cook County Board of Commissioners on June 1, 2010 voted 13-3 to make permanent the independent Board of Directors overseeing the…

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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…

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Eliminate Legislative Scholarships

On May 11, Governor Quinn vetoed Senate Bill 0365, a bill that would have limited but not…

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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…

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Cook County Township Government FAQ Part 1

In Cook County, township government often gets overlooked amidst the various local governments including municipalities, school districts, park districts, community college districts and others. In order to shed light on this largely…

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Open County Initiative Takes Steps towards Improving County Transparency

Cook County has recently taken efforts to improve its transparency and accountability to the public through its Open County…