March 31, 2011
The Civic Federation spurred the Forest Preserve District of Cook County to establish a capital improvement plan. The Civic Federation had opposed the District’s issuance of $100 million in general obligation bonds without a capital improvement plan as to how it would spend the money. A capital improvement plan, which helps inform taxpayers how government spends tax dollars, should be in place before capital funding is released. Many of the Federation’s recommendations to improve the capital plan were implemented in the District’s FY2008 budget.