Snapshot: Appropriation & Staffing Changes from 2023 Budget
| 2023 Budgeted | 2024 Proposed | Net Change | Percent Change | |
| Appropriations | $86,469,596 | $82,657,537 | -$3,812,059 | -4.4% |
| Positions & FTEs | 212 | 221 | 9 | 4.2% |
Departmental Highlights
- As in the previous two years, BACP continues to be heavily funded by COVID relief funds. In the proposed 2024 budget BACP appropriates roughly $47.8m from the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, down slightly from $50m in 2023, as well as $2m in CARES Act Community Development Block Grant funding.
- Roughly 60% of BACP’s proposed 2024 budget is pass-through spending to delegate agencies, most of it from COVID relief funds. A further 3.5% of the department’s proposed 2024 budget is dedicated to outside contracting, largely from CARES act funding.
- Since the pandemic, BACP’s budgeted workforce has increased each year, and the 2024 proposed budget adds nine more positions, a roughly 4.2% increase.
Historical Context
The Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection has been a recipient of COVID relief funds, which significantly distort its historical comparisons. BACP was budgeted $46 million in 2022 and $50 million in 2023 from COVID relief funds. The proposed 2024 budget largely retains that level of funding, with $47.8 million drawn from COVID relief funds for BACP.
Prior to the pandemic, the department budget grew at an average rate of 7.2% per year from 2011-2021. Departmental budgets overall increased an average of 3.2% per year over the same time period, while the total city budget including Finance General appropriations grew at an average rate of 5% annually.
BACP’s pre-pandemic budgeted workforce had been declining at a rate of roughly -0.9% annually from 2011-2021. Overall budgeted positions for the city remained relatively flat across the same time period, with minor year-to-year fluctuations averaging out to an overall growth rate of -0.5%.
Since the pandemic, BACP’s budgeted workforce has increased each year, and the 2024 proposed budget adds nine more positions, a roughly 4.2% increase.
Staffing
BACP’s proposed 2024 staffing added five budgeted positions for the new title of Projects Administrator, while eliminating three Project Coordinator and one Project Manager positions.
Also new this year are Chief Investigator, Forensic Data Analyst, and Senior Attorney positions.
Appropriations
Largest Appropriations
Roughly 60% of BACP’s proposed 2024 budget is pass-through spending to delegate agencies (third parties that do work on the city’s behalf). About 91% of that appropriation comes from the federally-funded Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, with the remainder drawn from the city’s general corporate fund.
A further 3.5% of the department’s proposed 2024 budget is dedicated to outside contracting via the professional and technical services appropriation, largely from CARES act funding.
The department also budgets a significant operations and maintenance reserve, funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The reserve appropriation is roughly $6 million in the 2024 proposal, up 31.1% from the previous year’s budget.
Change from Previous Year
BACP’s 2024 budget calls for significant increases to a number of non-personnel appropriation categories, including delegate agency pass-throughs, software maintenance and licensing, and students as trainees.
Outside contracting via the professional and technical services appropriation is down substantially from 2023, and is no longer funded by the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund.
