Setting the Stage for the FY2026 Chicago Budget
by Grant McClintockDownload the report summaryChicago enters the FY2026 budget season at a pivotal…
by Grant McClintockDownload the report summaryChicago enters the FY2026 budget season at a pivotal…
by Grant McClintockChicago is the only major city in the United States that operates without a constitution, which, for cities, is referred to as a charter. This absence is not just an anomaly; it fundamentally impacts every aspect of our…
The Civic Federation’s Local Pension Dashboard is intended for use as a resource and educational tool to increase the accessibility of local pension fund data. The dashboard reports metrics for the ten major local pension funds within the…
Read the Civic Federation's statement on the Budget Working Group's Report here.The City of Chicago faces one of its largest…
by Daniel VeseckyTax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts are a complex, often misunderstood part of Chicago’s tax structure. TIF Districts segment and dedicate a portion of property tax collections within a designated geographic area to…
by Grant McClintockChicago is the only major city in the United States that operates without a constitution, which for cities is referred to as a charter. Chicago’s outlier status in how it governs itself is reflected in structural…
by A.D. Quig, Olivia Olander, and Jeremy…
By Grant McClintockFollowing a lengthy political debate, Chicago’s FY2025 enacted budget managed to technically fill a nearly $1 billion projected budget gap. However, as the Civic Federation noted in its…