Taxes and Fees

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Illinois Senate OKs Income Tax Increase

In this news segment about a proposed increase to the Illinois income tax, the Civic Federation expresses concerns that too much of the focus in Springfield is on raising taxes, rather than fixing the state’s current fiscal problems. The…

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Funding Culture: The Report of the Task Force on the Public Funding of Cultural Institutions in Northeastern Illinois

This report analyzes the public funding for 12 major cultural institutions in Cook County that receive property tax-based funding from the Chicago Park District or the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. It makes recommendations for…

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Civic Federation 2009 Legislative Priorities

The Civic Federation's legislative priorities for 2009 include public pension reform, the dissolving of the Illinois International Port District, creating a new governing board for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, requiring all…

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Civic Federation Urges Cook County Commissioners to Reject Borrowing That May Cost Taxpayers an Additional $214 Million

The Civic Federation urges Cook County Commissioners to reject the proposed $2.9 billion FY2009 County operating budget, which is based on $364.0 million in ill-considered borrowing for operational expenses.

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Cook County FY2009 Proposed Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation opposes the Cook County FY2009 proposed budget because it is built on an unstable foundation of $364.0 million in borrowed funds to pay for operating expenses less than a year after the County raised its sales tax by…

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Metropolitan Water Reclamation District FY2009 Tentative Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the MWRD's FY2009 Budget because it minimizes the burden on taxpayers and demonstrates reasonable financial planning. The Civic Federation recommends that the District pursue numerous pension reforms in order…

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City of Chicago FY2009 Proposed Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the FY2009 City of Chicago budget of $5.97 billion because it does not rely on raising property tax and begins the painful yet necessary step of reducing payroll by 2,618 full-time equivalent positions to…

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Chicago Park District FY2009 Operating Budget Recommendations: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the Chicago Park District’s FY2009 budget because it is a fiscally responsible plan and demonstrates a commendable emphasis on cost containment and avoids a property tax increase for the fifth consecutive year…

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Chicago Transit Authority FY2009 Proposed Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the CTA’s FY2009 budget of $1.3 billion as a responsible short-term plan to provide critical mass transit services to the Chicagoland population. The CTA’s proposed fare increases of 25 to 50 cents per ride,…

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Forest Preserve District of Cook County FY2009 Proposed Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation supports the Forest Preserve District's proposed $193.6 million budget because the District will freeze its property tax levy this year and maintains a prudent fund balance. However, the Federation warns that the…