Chicago Civic Federation
Encyclopedia
Summary
The Civic Federation is a ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based non-partisan research organization focused on governments in the Chicago area and the state of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The Civic Federation’s mission is to help local and state governments reduce their costs and improve public services by “Promoting opportunities to reform local tax structures; guarding against wasteful expenditure of public funds; and serving as a technical resource to public officials and opinion leaders through non-partisan tax and fiscal research.”
Research Focus
The Civic Federation publishes reports and commentary about government tax policies, government services and public expenditures in the Chicago region. Its annual analyses of local government operating budgets evaluate the governments’ fiscal policy decisions and provide recommendations for effective financial management. These reports are often cited by the press and have helped guide lawmakers’ decisions, as detailed on the Federation’s website. The Federation focuses on the following governments:- Chicago Park DistrictChicago Park DistrictThe Chicago Park District is the oldest and largest park district in the U.S.A, with a $385 million annual budget. It has the distinction of spending the most per capita on its parks, even more than Boston in terms of park expenses per capita...
- Chicago Public SchoolsChicago Public SchoolsChicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
- Chicago Transit AuthorityChicago Transit AuthorityChicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
- City Colleges of ChicagoCity Colleges of ChicagoThe City Colleges of Chicago is a system of seven community colleges which provide learning opportunities for Chicago residents at the schools or online, and also members of the US military through the Navy Campus to enhance their knowledge and skills. Student enrollment was 115,000 in 2007...
- City of Chicago
- Cook CountyCook County, IllinoisCook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
- Cook County Health and Hospitals System
- DuPage County
- Forest Preserve District of Cook CountyCook County Forest PreservesThe Cook County Forest Preserves are a network of open spaces, containing forest, prairie, wetland, streams, and lakes, that are set aside as natural areas. Cook County contains Chicago, Illinois, and is the center of a densely-populated urban metropolitan area in northeastern Illinois...
- Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater ChicagoMetropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater ChicagoThe Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago , originally known as the Sanitary District of Chicago is a special-purpose district, chartered to operate in northern Illinois since 1889...
- State of Illinois
Of major interest to the Civic Federation is the impact that public employee pension systems have on government budget
Government budget
A government budget is a legal document that is often passed by the legislature, and approved by the chief executive-or president. For example, only certain types of revenue may be imposed and collected...
s and finance
Public finance
Public finance is the revenue and expenditure of public authoritiesThe purview of public finance is considered to be threefold: governmental effects on efficient allocation of resources, distribution of income, and macroeconomic stabilization.-Overview:The proper role of government provides a...
. In standalone pension status reports and government budget analyses, the Civic Federation provides a look at pension funding trends, estimates the accumulated liabilities of the systems and suggests reforms that could improve the fiscal health of the systems.
The issue of property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
assessments, collections and appeals is another major focus of the Civic Federation. The Federation has published a number of issue briefs on property tax issues in the Chicago area.
The Federation has also taken on special initiatives in addition to its regular government finance research. Some of those projects include:
- A call for the creation of a separate board for the Forest Preserve District of Cook CountyCook County Forest PreservesThe Cook County Forest Preserves are a network of open spaces, containing forest, prairie, wetland, streams, and lakes, that are set aside as natural areas. Cook County contains Chicago, Illinois, and is the center of a densely-populated urban metropolitan area in northeastern Illinois...
- The dissolution and restructuring of the Illinois International Port District
- An analysis of the financial aspects of the Chicago 2016 Olympic BidChicago 2016 Olympic bidThe Chicago bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics was an unsuccessful campaign, first recognized by the International Olympic Committee on September 14, 2007...
The Civic Federation also discusses government finance and policy issues on its blog, updated weekly. The Federation blog has researched topics such as Cook County township government
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
, privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
and tax increment financing
Tax increment financing
Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, is a public financing method which has been used as a subsidy for redevelopment and community improvement projects in many countries including the United States for more than 50 years...
or TIF. Federation blog posts accompany its publications and help provide additional commentary and context on those topics as well as provide reactions to current events.
A list of the accomplishments the Civic Federation has achieved through its research and advocacy for government reform is available on the “About Us” section of its website.
The Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability
In 2008 the Federation established the Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability (IIFS), which examines fiscal issues relating to the state of Illinois. Its mission is to “improve the state’s decision making process by providing timely fiscal policy analysis and recommendations to state officials, the media, and the public through education and digital outreach.” Major funding for IIFS is provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The Institute has published numerous studies of Illinois’ finances, including:- Analyses of the enacted State of Illinois FY2011 and FY2010 budgets;
- The Cost of the Crisis, an issue brief that estimated how much extra Illinois would spend in borrowing costs due to its deteriorating bond rating;
- A “Fiscal Rehabilitation” plan that described the basis of Illinois’ fiscal crisis and presented the Federation’s plan for restoring fiscal solvency to the state’s finances ;
- Analyses of the Illinois Governor’s proposed FY2011, FY2010 and FY2009 operating and capital budgets;
- An issue brief on the Illinois Medicaid system.
IIFS also publishes a regularly updated blog http://civicfed.org/iifs/blog that provides additional information and commentary on state finance issues.
History of the Civic Federation
The Civic Federation was founded in 1893 as a reform organization by several of Chicago’s most prominent citizens, including Jane AddamsJane Addams
Jane Addams was a pioneer settlement worker, founder of Hull House in Chicago, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace...
, Bertha Honore Palmer and Lyman J. Gage
Lyman J. Gage
Lyman Judson Gage was an American financier and Presidential Cabinet officer.He was born at DeRuyter, New York, educated at an academy at Rome, New York, and at the age of 17 he became a bank clerk...
. The group united around the need to address concerns about Chicago’s economic, political and moral climate at the end of the 19th century. The group’s formation was catalyzed by a book by a visiting journalist, William T. Stead. Lyman J. Gage, president of the First National Bank, and the prominent socialite Bertha Honore Palmer were elected President and First Vice President of the Federation. The Director of Hull House
Hull House
Hull House is a settlement house in the United States that was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. Located in the Near West Side of , Hull House opened its doors to the recently arrived European immigrants. By 1911, Hull House had grown to 13 buildings. In 1912 the Hull...
, Jane Addams, served as a trustee. Chicago-area merchants, educators, bankers, ministers and labor officials joined them as charter members. In its early years, the Civic Federation advocated for social and political reform. It led efforts to improve sanitation and education, as well as improve Chicago-area government efficiency.
In the 1930s, the Civic Federation transitioned to an organization chiefly interested in improving government efficiency and tax reform. The work of the Federation continues to evolve in the 21st century as a greater emphasis is placed on working with government officials to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of Chicago-area governments.
Funding
The Civic Federation is classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity under U.S. Internal Revenue Code. The Civic Federation focuses on educational outreach and policy work, consistent with its tax-exempt status. It accepts no government support.The Federation receives funding from its members, which include many Chicago area corporations and service firms.
The Civic Federation and Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability are also supported by a number of foundations including:
- The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- The Chicago Community Trust
- The Commercial Club Foundation
- The Joyce Foundation
- Motorola Foundation
- Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust
- The Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust
- The McCormick Foundation
- The Polk Bros. Foundation
- The Field Foundation of Illinois
- Woods Fund of Chicago
- Crown Family Philanthropies
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation