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2 weeks ago | 
chicagotribune.com | Joe Ferguson |David Greising
Illinois has 8,923 local governments — more than any other state. Texas, which has more than double Illinois’ 12.7 million residents and nearly five times Illinois’ land mass, is next-highest, with 5,433 government units — about two-thirds as many as Illinois’. Our state’s extraordinary number of local governments contributes to increased costs, overlapping jurisdictions, duplication of effort, a lack of transparency and accountability and, often, outright corruption.
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Nov 17, 2024 | 
chicagobusiness.com | Joe Ferguson
A good compromise is when all parties are equally unhappy. That’s not true for the delivery of a critical public service. No one is happy with public transit in our region. It is time for that to change. A FY 2026 fiscal cliff of $730 million looms over our regional transit system. It is a challenge that offers the last, best generational leverage opportunity to effect governance reform for a system that is not working well for anyone. The main source of corrective funding is the state of Illinois.
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Nov 5, 2024 | 
bettergov.org | Geoffrey Cubbage |Derek Douglas |Joe Ferguson |David Greising
The Office of Budget and Management (OBM) is responsible for the administration of the city’s budget.
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Nov 5, 2024 | 
bettergov.org | Geoffrey Cubbage |Derek Douglas |Joe Ferguson |David Greising
Snapshot: Appropriation & Staffing Changes from 2024 Budget2024 Budgeted2025 ProposedNet ChangePercent ChangeAppropriations$104,908,871$111,004,093$6,095,2225.8%Positions & FTEs663639-24-3.6%This year’s headcount reduction is the largest since 2021, with 24 positions eliminated for a net -3.6% reduction in budgeted workforce.
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Nov 5, 2024 | 
bettergov.org | Geoffrey Cubbage |Derek Douglas |Joe Ferguson |David Greising
The office of the mayor contains the mayor’s administrative staff and several small offices focused on specific policy areas, such as the Office of Equity and Racial Justice, Office of Community Safety, etc.
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Nov 5, 2024 | 
bettergov.org | Geoffrey Cubbage |Derek Douglas |Joe Ferguson |David Greising
The finance general category is a budgetary catch-all for non-departmental spending. There is no dedicated budget hearing devoted specifically to finance general appropriations, although in recent years it has made up close to half of the city budget.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
bettergov.org | Derek Douglas |Joe Ferguson |David Greising |Geoffrey Cubbage
A new day in Illinois’ fiscal future may be on the horizon. Responsible stewardship of the state’s budget over the past few years and the elimination of the state’s unpaid bill backlog have put Illinois in its best fiscal position in years. And now, credible proposals to address Illinois’ pensions, coming from across the state’s political landscape, are under discussion in Springfield. We cannot overstate the importance of enacting legislation to address the state’s legacy pension obligations.
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Oct 13, 2024 | 
chicagotribune.com | Derek Douglas |Joe Ferguson |David Greising
A new day in Illinois’ fiscal future may be on the horizon. Responsible stewardship of the state’s budget over the past few years and the elimination of the state’s unpaid bill backlog have put Illinois in its best fiscal position in years. And now, credible proposals to address Illinois’ pensions, coming from across the state’s political landscape, are under discussion in Springfield. We cannot overstate the importance of enacting legislation to address the state’s legacy pension obligations.
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Jun 4, 2024 | 
chicagotribune.com | Joe Ferguson
The debate over the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system is a classic case of unintended consequences when politics, rather than facts, guides policy. The three major players — the mayor, the City Council, and the company — have all put themselves in a box. There is a way forward, however, if everyone involved can agree to let independently verified facts drive the decision. Mayor Brandon Johnson is in a political box.
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Apr 28, 2024 | 
chicagotribune.com | Derek Douglas |Joe Ferguson |David Greising
The glacial march to addressing Illinois’ state pensions and stabilizing state finances took a meaningful step forward with the latest budget proposal from Gov. J.B. Pritzker. We particularly note the governor’s proposal to adjust Tier 2 pension benefits to comply with federal law without adding unnecessary benefit sweeteners.
