Popular Annual Financial Reports: The Potential for Increased Transparency, Accountability and Public Inclusion The Civic Federation has long encouraged government transparency and accountability, both of which are emphasized in our…
This Curious City segment on the CTA asks “How many fares does it take for a bus to get to the break even point?” The Civic Federation said the concept of breaking even is not a reasonable expectation for the public agency; rather that the…
The Civic Federation has long supported sensible legislation aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations in Illinois. The purpose of this blog is to summarize briefly consolidation legislation and…
This segment investigates the costs associated with an abandoned CTA “superstation,” a plan for non-stop airport train service left unfinished underneath Block 37 in the Chicago Loop. The Civic Federation said the expensive, unfinished…
This article discusses a proposal by Governor Bruce Rauner to allow cities, towns and counties in Illinois to file for bankruptcy protection. The Civic…
Annexation is the extension of municipal boundaries into adjacent unincorporated areas and the corresponding expansion of city services to those newly incorporated areas. In Illinois, municipal governments have the authority to determine…
Cook County’s unincorporated areas account for 125.8 square miles, or 13.1% of the County’s total land area. (Of that land area, 60.26% is located within a forest preserve.) Residents of these areas rely on the County to provide municipal…
This article discusses a report released by the Civic Federation that examines selected areas within Cook County that have never been incorporated by a…
In-depth analysis also includes recommendations to facilitate incorporation A report released today by the Civic Federation examines selected areas within Cook County that have never been incorporated by a municipality. The full 208-page…
