Search: 2012

Mayor Rahm Emanuel presented a plan to prevent youth violence at the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Forum, held April in Washington, D.C., was attended by representatives from federal agencies and six peer cities.

Civic Consulting Alliance worked with City agency heads to draft the plan, which outlines 14 initiatives to reduce youth violence. The plan is part of work by the cross-sector anti-violence leadership group launched last summer by Mayor Emanuel and Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle. 

"Chicago has an abiding commitment to ending youth violence in our communities," said Monica Haslip, Executive Director at Little Black Pearl and leadership group member. "The forum provided an extraordinary opportunity to see how this important issue is being addressed nationally and to hear the voices of youth who are effecting positive change in their communities."

Allstate Insurance Company, McDonald's Corporation, Ernst & Young LLP, DLA Piper LLP, Sidley Austin LLP, Burrell Communications,Perkins Coie, LLP, N'DIGO, McKinsey & Company, and Civic Consulting have provided pro bono support for the anti-violence program. This effort builds off last summer's work by Bain & Company, Trotter Consulting Group LLC, and Civic Consulting.

An intergovernmental agreement that will significantly enhance how cigarette taxes are enforced was passed last month by the Cook County Board and the Chicago City Council.

Since 2010, cigarette distributors have been required to place a joint City and County Cigarette Tax stamp on each cigarette pack intended for sale in Chicago. Retailers may not legally sell cigarettes without the stamps. Until now, City and County inspectors have enforced their respective taxes separately. Any given violation received a single citation from either the County or the City, even though cigarette packs being sold without the stamp violate both City and County tax ordinances.

Under the new agreement, City and County inspectors are able to write tickets for both County and City violations at the same time. Additionally, City and County attorneys can prosecute cases for both governments and Administrative Hearing Officers hear both County and City cases back-to-back.

"Residents and businesses," said Zahra Ali, Director of the Cook County Department of Revenue, "will benefit from increased compliance, more revenue for the City and County, more cost-effective enforcement, and a stronger deterrent to tax scofflaws, giving honest retailers a level playing field."      

In January 2012, the City of Chicago announced the ambitious goal of attracting 50 million visitors per year to the city by 2020 by overhauling the city's approach to tourism.

In 2010, Chicago hosted 39 million visitors, who spent more than $11 billion in the city. A new tourism organization, combining the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau and the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, will be charged with increasing visitor numbers by 25%, with emphasis on international markets. The changes will generate an estimated $4 billion a year in additional revenues for the local economy. Additionally, the new organization, now named Choose Chicago, will save $1.3 million in administrative costs, which will be reinvested in marketing campaigns promoting Chicago.

Griffin Strategic Advisors LLC, Jones Day, and Civic Consulting Alliance have provided pro bono support to help the City set its tourism goal and identify best practices for achieving it. The team conducted benchmarking research comparing Chicago to 10 peer cities, interviewing more than 50 tourism experts and stakeholders. The partners also analyzed national tourism trends (including return on investment analysis) and researched the structure of Chicago tourism operations and funding. 

"As a Chicago native, it was a joy and honor to contribute to a project that explored the city's tourism potential," said Barbara Ford, Principal at Griffin Strategic Advisors, LLC. "Chicago has so much to offer year round, and we are confident that it is well-poised to be a prime destination for domestic and international travelers."