(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — He didn't have much room for error, but Mayor Brandon Johnson has prevailed in his push to get a budget through the City Council. Around 5 p.m. on Monday, 27 aldermen voted "yes" on bills to enact the mayor's $ 17 billion spending plan for 2025.
While some of the mayor's most controversial proposals are not in this spending plan, that doesn't mean it was set for smooth sailing.
The $17 billion spending plan is different from the one he first put forward several weeks ago. It no longer would raise property taxes in Chicago, but it includes a host of fine and fee increases to help close a projected $1 billion budget deficit.
The mayor thanked aldermen after the passage of the budget.
“I know this was a long and arduous process and seemed insurmountable. The City of Chicago, however, is better because of your collaboration and your leadership.”
Rogers Park Alderwoman Maria Hadden urged colleagues to vote "yes" on the spending plan, acknowledging that it's not perfect, but that it moves the city in the right direction.
“Thank you for ensuring that bills will get paid, services will be delivered and that we have continuity of government. To my colleagues who are voting against this budget, thank you to many of you for engaging in good faith and working to make this proposal better. Much of your feedback is reflected here as well.”
However, Englewood alderman Anthony Beale said he was a “no” – saying the Johnson Administration still had not done enough to trim spending from the budget, and predicted City Council would have to address an even deeper budget crisis next year.
“So we have to stop this train wreck. We have to stop this spending. We have to continue to fight for our people who have elected us to do the right thing, which we are not doing today.”
Earlier on Monday, Beale said the mayor's budget was in danger of nickel-and-diming Chicagoans to death and urged colleagues to vote "no."
Before the budget was passed, one of the mayor's City Council allies, Byron Sigcho-Lopez from Pilsen, thanked the mayor for listening to concerns from aldermen and constituents.
“For being an administration that is willing to compromise and actually discuss with this body, have we achieved something that every single ward and our constituents ask for, was not to have a property tax increase,” Sigcho-Lopez said.
Technically, Monday’s meeting is a continuation of the meeting abruptly brought to a halt on Friday, but it got off to a rocky start with a disruption among spectators that forced the mayor to order the chamber cleared of the members of the public.
Debate on the budget was delayed for about a half-hour as security cleared the chamber after people in the public gallery started fighting.
During an earlier news conference by community leaders outside, organizer, Asha Bransby-Sporn worried about proposals from the mayor and others that might limit funds for needed programs,
“Cuts to CDPH and cutting the Guaranteed Income Pilot are setbacks to important progress made to better promote safety and wellness in our city,” Bransby-Sporn said.
“And as we enter uncertain political terrain with a Trump federal government threatening to cut even more needed public infrastructure, and some members of our city government touting similar rhetoric, it's more important than ever that our city unifies to protect our communities.”
They were calling for the mayor to hold the line on expanding youth jobs and help for the homeless.
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