Civic Federation shares cost-saving tips

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Updated: October 30, 2011 12:40AM

The Civic Federation is offering Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel a road map to financial stability that includes everything from cutting the city council in half and privatizing Midway Airport to targeting fire and police departments.

Emanuel has raised the idea of shrinking the council from 50 to 25 members during private meetings with aldermen, only to settle for a 10 percent cut in council spending.

Now, the prestigious watchdog organization is renewing the call for a change that can only be made by the Illinois General Assembly or by Chicago voters via referendum.

“Chicago’s Council is the second largest of the 15 largest American cities, exceeded only by New York’s 51-member legislative body. The average council size for the top 15 municipalities is 18,” according to the group’s 115-page report, which also points to a $25.8 million annual budget for city council expenses. “If most of the populous cities in the nation can operate successfully with smaller councils, it is difficult to understand why Chicago (cannot).”

The proposal to revive the $2.5 billion privatization of Midway, a deal that collapsed for lack of financing, flies in the face of Emanuel’s campaign pledge to steer clear of that deal on the heels of the city parking meter fiasco. A Midway deal would also have a difficult time winning city council approval for the same reasons.

The Civic Federation report includes many cost-cutting ideas, including eliminating ward-based service delivery, closing city health clinics and having the city clerk and treasurer appointed by the mayor rather than elected.

Other proposals are:

Consolidating pension funds, increasing contributions by the city and its employees, reducing benefits “not yet earned” by current employees and creating a separate retiree health care trust fund. An agreement that covers the issue expires in 2013.

Targeting the police department by eliminating “unnecessary layers of management” and supervisory benefits, reducing “chronic absenteeism,” redrawing maps of police districts and “strategizing beat staffing” based on the U.S. Census, 911 calls and relevant crime data.

Cutting the fire department’s $526.5 million budget by re-evaluating everything from minimum staffing requirements and the number and location of fire stations to possible outsourcing and ways to reduce disability absences.