Key Topics
- Public Administration
- Government Efficiency
- Municipalities
- Public Programs and Effectiveness
Our Publications on Public Management
The last time the state of Illinois contributed its rainy day fund
Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently made his annual budget address, in which he touted the improved fiscal condition of the state as well as roughly $1 billion in extra revenue. Some of the highlights include providing financial relief to taxpayers by freezing taxes on gasoline and groceries. This is expected to cost the state $135 million…
What reassigning CPD’s tactical officers to patrol districts means
A recent letter from Alderman Marty Quinn of the 13th Ward called for Superintendent Brown, head of the Chicago Police Department (CPD), to reverse the decision in which tactical officers would be reassigned to beat cars. This piece explains what that means. Since 1994, Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) has been implemented in which communities, the…
Legislative Look: Amending Illinois’ Open Meetings Act
One bill on deck this legislative session is amending the Open Meetings At. The Open Meetings Act (OMA) ensures that public body meetings are open and held publicly. This allows for a more transparent government for the people, as deliberations within the public body can be observed by the general public. Public Act (P.A.) 101-0640…
Understanding and Analyzing Municipal Real Estate Transfer Taxes
Overview There are three things that are certain in life: birth, death, and taxes. While we don’t like paying them, they play an important role in helping fund public services, like police and fire departments, schools, and garbage collection. They can hit us from all corners, but one area of taxation where people seem to…
Crime will continue to be the definitive local issue in 2022
By: Christopher Ryan Crisanti Crime has probably been the hyperlocal, defining issue of 2021 and with no signs of the numbers decreasing, it seems like this trend will continue in 2022. Prairie State Policy has published a few pieces as it relates to crime. One particularly notable piece illustrated where homicides occur in the city…
Something stinks on Chicago’s Southwest Side
Midway Defective Windows Cause for Concern Residents of Chicago’s Midway area have been couping with the smell of odorous chemicals coming from the installation of soundproof windows procured by Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA). The issue began over ten years ago, when the city of Chicago created the Midway Residential Sound Insulation Program (RSIP) to…
Comparing Chicago’s budget size to other U.S. cities
Overview Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently unveiled her $16.7 billion budget proposal to the City Council for FY 2022. Having the third largest population in the Union (2.7 million), the city of Chicago’s budget is also one of the largest among U.S. municipalities. This piece will compare the size of Chicago’s General Fund budget to the…
“Weak mayor” vs. “strong mayor” systems of government
By: Christopher Ryan Crisanti Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently unveiled her 2022 budget proposal to the City Council. While normally delivered in mid-October, the annual budget address not only provides an overview of the city’s fiscal priorities, but also reflects the significance and the power of the position of “mayor.” As the chief executive of a…
The tax funding of Illinois college football programs
Introduction Big-time college football is big-time business. And with big-time business comes big-time money. The United States is undoubtedly an (American) football nation. When the leaves start to fall, we go giddy for the gridiron. While Chicago may be regarded as a pro-football town, college football is no exception. What is sometimes forgotten is that…
Prairie State Policy 