Supporting Quality Of Life in Chicago

The annual Aldermanic Menu budget of $60 million ($1.2 million per ward) continues to be an increasingly important part of total Neighborhood Infrastructure spending.  Contact your Alderman and become part of deciding the list of Menu projects in your Ward. For assistance, contact John Jones at NCBG, 312-939-7198.

Funded" vs. "Unfunded"

Each year, when the City develops the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) -- its 5-year road map for public works investments -- it takes into account how much money is available and where that money will come from. These sources include State and Federal dollars that will be available to the City, as well as money the City can raise locally through bonds and other sources such as property taxes, water bills, and other fees.

In the CIP, the City projects its capital spending over a 5-year period and shows how much of each project is slated for funding in the first year of the plan. NCBG considers the 5-year figure for each capital project its allocation, while the first year projected spending is considered what is funded, since this is the only actual funding information the CIP offers.

Why is this important? Because unfunded projects are more likely to be delayed -- sometimes for many years -- or dropped from the books altogether. An unfunded project represents a lesser commitment by the City than a project to which it has pledged specific Federal, State or local dollars. Unfunded projects are usually planned for outlying years, rather than in the first year or two of a 5-year spending plan. Whether or not an unfunded project will get full funding or any funding at all as the 5-year plan proceeds is not reflected in the CIP.

What Neighborhood Projects Have Committed Funding in 2003?

The graph below shows, by category of Neighborhood Infrastructure projects, how much of the 5-year capital program for 2003-2007 has committed funding for 2003.

As shown in the graph below, a larger percentage of the 5-year plan has committed funding this year than was the case last year, although there has been an overall downward trend in first-year funding commitments.