Fines per Chicagoan more than triples since 1996 to prop up city budget

By Patrick Andriesen

10/13/2025

Chicago’s 2025 budget needed $345 million in fines, forfeitures and penalties. It was $99 million 30 years ago. What will the new budget extract from residents?

TAGS: budget, Chicago

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

By Ravi Mishra, Lauren Zuar

10/13/2025

Chicago’s $1.15 billion projected budget gap is the latest in a decades-long string of structural deficits. Making Chicago’s high taxes worse is not the solution.

Chicago Teachers Union undermines yet another charter school

By Hannah Schmid

10/09/2025

The Chicago Teachers Union’s attacks on charter schools are to blame for the upcoming closure of the Chicago High School for the Arts.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Without reforms, pension insolvency will eat Chicago alive

By LyLena Estabine

10/08/2025

If Chicago’s pension systems become insolvent, the city will have to reduce benefits or make serious cuts to city services. The only way out is constitutional reform.

Chicago misses grocery tax deadline, saving shoppers $40M

By Dylan Sharkey

10/02/2025

Chicago missed the Oct. 1 deadline to extend the grocery tax. Grocery shoppers will save $40 million for at least six months starting Jan. 1, 2026.

TAGS: grocery tax

Mandating unaffordability: How Chicago’s housing affordability requirements decrease supply and increase costs

By Josh Bandoch, LyLena Estabine

10/01/2025

As housing prices continue to soar out of reach for more Americans, an impulse from policy makers across the country has been to attempt to mandate “affordable” prices through legislation. One common idea is rent control, which limits how much landlords can increase rents on residents. A related one is inclusionary zoning, which forces developers...

Chicago budget rises over 2X faster than other big cities

By Ravi Mishra, Lauren Zuar

09/22/2025

Not enough revenue? How about too much spending. Chicago outpaces many of America’s biggest cities with a 62% spending spike since 2019. That’s what’s driving deficits.

Peoria Heights mayor vetoes grocery tax as Chicago considers it

By Brad Weisenstein

09/16/2025

Peoria Heights’ mayor vetoed a grocery tax, saying the village would not balance its budget on the backs of families at the grocery checkout. Now Chicago is considering taking $73.5 million through the tax.

TAGS: Chicago, grocery tax, taxes

Vallas: Chicago Public Schools’ new budget will fail, hurt taxpayers

By Paul Vallas

08/29/2025

The vote is over on the Chicago Public Schools budget. It dodged some immediate problems, but the financial mess will continue. Taxpayers will feel the pain long into the future.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, property taxes

A way out: Bankruptcy authorization would give struggling Illinois municipalities options

By Joe Tabor

02/10/2025

Published Feb. 10, 2025 Even though federal COVID relief funds provided an unexpected windfall, that one-time jolt of cash could leave many Illinois localities even worse off than they were before. That boost in revenue allowed local governments to put off difficult budgeting decisions, and as that revenue dries up, municipalities will have to contend...

Brandon Johnson

Fines per Chicagoan more than triples since 1996 to prop up city budget

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

Chicago Teachers Union undermines yet another charter school

Without reforms, pension insolvency will eat Chicago alive

Chicago misses grocery tax deadline, saving shoppers $40M

Mandating unaffordability: How Chicago’s housing affordability requirements decrease supply and increase costs

Chicago budget rises over 2X faster than other big cities

Peoria Heights mayor vetoes grocery tax as Chicago considers it

Vallas: Chicago Public Schools’ new budget will fail, hurt taxpayers

A way out: Bankruptcy authorization would give struggling Illinois municipalities options

Fighting poverty with employment: Chicago block clubs

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students