CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - City leaders have a little more than three weeks to approve a budget for next year, and, even as Mayor Johnson calls himself the collaborator in chief, more than half of City Council members say he needs to do more to meet their concerns.
Those aldermen wrote the mayor Thursday, telling him he's running out of time.
Mayor Johnson and the Chicago City Council must pass a budget by the end of the month or risk a budget crisis and government shutdown.
The letter, signed by 28 aldermen, calls on the mayor to outline cuts to city departments, proposed money saving measures, increases in fees and fines, along with an analysis of future budget deficits.
They're also calling on the mayor to back off a plan to boost spending on youth employment by $20 million and to eliminate redundancies that exist between the mayor's office and city departments.
The mayor and city council are trying to close a nearly billion dollar budget deficit.
The council has already rejected a $300 million dollar property tax hike and a $10 million tax hike on wholesale alcohol.
A considerably smaller property tax hike plus boosts in fines and fees are possible ways to raise money to address a billion dollar budget deficit.
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