City Council Meeting February 10, 2016
Council Office of Financial Analysis Oversight Committee
RAUNER PREMIUM RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, the Chicago Public Schools, and units of government across Illinois face unprecedented fiscal challenges caused by Governor Rauner's inability to work with the State Legislature to pass a budget; and
WHEREAS, Governor Rauner delivered his second budget address without passing a 2015 budget and has not presented a plan to pass a 2016 budget because of his obsession over right-to-work and other anti-union policies; and
WHEREAS, there is no end in sight to the Springfield budget stalemate caused by Governor Rauner's failure to recognize that his so-called 'Turnaround Agenda" is not supported by the vast majority of working families across Illinois; and
WHEREAS, due to Governor Rauner's callous cuts and dereliction of duty, thousands oflow-income families no longer qualify for childcare subsidies, funding for autism programs has been decimated, and countless social service agencies have closed their doors due to unpaid bills; and
WHEREAS, in contrast to Governor Rauner, the Chicago City Council and Mayor Emanuel took collective action to address the City's fiscal issues in the 2016 budget; and
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago raised its property tax levy in 2015 to shore up funding for the Policeman's Annuity & Benefit Fund and the Firemen's Annuity & Benefit Fund; and
WHEREAS, property taxes are the only revenue option available to local governments because of Governor Rauner's unwillingness to sign legislation creating progressive revenue streams at the State level and refusal to allow Chicago and other home rule municipalities to explore local revenue options to properly fund schools, social services, and basic services; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the inequities caused by a broken public education funding formula, Chicago Public Schools is the only school district in the State of Illinois...
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