A proposal from City Council ethics chair Ald. Matt Martin (47th) would add a public funding option to Chicago’s campaign finance landscape, bringing the city more in line with its […]
Geoffrey Cubbage
Geoffrey Cubbage is a policy and budget analyst focusing on the Illinois General Assembly and Chicago's City Council. Prior to joining the Better Government Association in 2022, Geoffrey served as Director of Policy and Economic Development for Chicago's 40th Ward.
One Year In, Johnson’s City Council Spends One-Third of its Time on Honorary Resolutions
A year of City Council meetings since the 2023 elections hasn’t seen much change in the body’s time management: Roughly one-third of regular meeting time, from the end of public […]
Campaign Cash from City Contractors Target of New Ethics Ordinance
New limitations on campaign contributions from the owners and executives of city contractors could potentially keep hundreds of donations and hundreds of thousands of dollars out of Chicago’s next election […]
Hidden Costs: Proposed FOP Contract Contains Millions in Raises, New Protections from Discipline
Salaries and bonuses for Chicago police officers represented by the Fraternal Order of Police in 2024 could exceed the budgeted position costs approved by City Council by $76.8 million or […]
Johnson Proposes Historically Large Pay Raises for Police
Rank-and-file salaries could add more than $200 million to police budget under new offer.
Department of Law- BGA Policy 2024 Budget Snapshot
Snapshot: Appropriation & Staffing Changes from 2023 Budget 2023 Budgeted 2024 Proposed Net Change Percent Change Appropriations $45,641,696 $46,427,927 $786,231 1.7% Positions & FTEs 427 427 0 0.0% Departmental Highlights […]
Department of Human Resources- BGA Policy 2024 Budget Snapshot
The city’s Department of Human Resources manages the city’s hiring, firing and employee discipline administration, including the civil service testing and application process. DHR also manages payroll, benefits and other […]
Department of Administrative Hearings- BGA Policy 2024 Budget Snapshot
The Department of Administrative Hearings is a quasi-judicial body authorized to administer hearings on ordinance violations that do not include a penalty of imprisonment. Administrative hearings offer an alternative to […]
Board of Election Commissioners – BGA Policy 2024 Budget Snapshot
The Board of Election Commissioners is established under state elections law and technically is part of the judicial branch, but receives operational funding from the City of Chicago. BoEC oversees […]
City Treasurer’s Office – BGA Policy 2024 Budget Snapshot
The city treasurer is one of three elected city-wide officials, along with the mayor and the clerk. The treasurer manages the city’s bank accounts, as well as its pension and […]