CHICAGO CITY HALL (WBBM Newsradio) -- The city of Chicago is one week into its new budget year, and Mayor Brandon Johnson said he and his team are already preparing for the possibility of cutting city jobs.
Mayor Johnson told reporters at City Hall Wednesday that he and his team continue to believe that the "alternate "budget sponsored by a group of aldermen and approved over his objections will not bring in the money that's been projected.
"I'm now bracing for what could be mid-year layoffs," the mayor said. "Every month when the revenue comes in, we're going to have to make strategic decisions around how we salvage or address the shortfall."
City Council members approved the $16.6 billion budget in the final days of 2025 after rejecting the mayor's call for a "head tax" on the city's biggest employers. Mayor Johnson chose to neither sign nor veto the budget, allowing it to take effect automatically.
One of the sponsors of the budget, Albany Park alderwoman Samantha Nugent, rebuffed the mayor's criticism and prediction of potential job cuts.
"This is not the first or even the second time the administration has raised doomsday scenarios," said Ald. Nugent (39th Ward). "We passed a balanced budget and what I'm looking to do in the New Year is work with them on the efficiencies and the revenues we put forth in that budget."
Another alderman told WBBM Newsradio the mayor should be held accountable for "undermining" the budget, and noted the departure of city Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski next month is a sign of "more upheaval" in his office.