Pushing out Martinez carries huge risks for Mayor Johnson
Mayor’s high-stakes gamble
Mayor Brandon Johnson is making a high-stakes gamble — and taking enormous political risk — by pressuring the Chicago Board of Education to fire Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez in the middle of contract negotiations and before a partially elected school board is seated.
Resisting high-interest loan
Johnson wants Martinez out in part because he has resisted the mayor’s call for CPS to take out a high-interest loan to bankroll a new teachers contract and a $175 million pension payment.
Risks of removal
Even if the mayor succeeds in removing Martinez, there is no guarantee the pressure tactic will work.
In fact, it could backfire spectacularly.
Pritzker and Johnson already have a strained relationship. The governor could resist the mayor’s demand and possibly even force CPS into bankruptcy. That could spiral into a repeat of what happened during the early days of Mayor Jane Byrne’s administration.
“If the end game of Johnson and the CTU is to crash the system financially and force Pritzker to bail ‘em out, people better be careful what they wish for. It’s a huge risk,” said Gery Chico, Chicago Board of Education president under Mayor Richard M. Daley — the last time the system faced a fiscal crisis this dire.
Tougher task ahead in Springfield
State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, said “political infighting” over school leadership will only make it more difficult to make what he believes is a legitimate case for additional CPS funding.
“The city has to come to Springfield as early as five weeks from now when we start our veto session under a united front and say, ‘This is what we are asking for. How can we convince you guys to help get us there?’ That means without some of the dissension and the personality politics that seems to be playing out right now in the public sphere,” said Buckner, a former mayoral challenger who now counts himself as one of Johnson’s allies in Springfield.
Financial risks
Beyond all of the politics is the financial risk.
CPS already had a $505 million deficit this fiscal year, faces a $700 million deficit next fiscal year and pays $800 million a year to retire its existing mountain of debt. Is it fiscally prudent to make that mountain even higher?
“When you talk about a $300 million loan at a 7.5% interest rate, it puts you at about $500 million in interest over the full term of the loan. That brings it just shy of $1 billion that folks would have to pay for. That conversation deserves sunlight, and it deserves scrutiny — no matter who is the person pushing it,” Buckner said. “On its face, these numbers don’t make it sound like a great idea.”
Rocky road in Council, too
The mayor’s high-stakes maneuver comes during increased tension between the mayor and an emboldened City Council.
Alderpersons twice tried to stop Johnson from getting rid of ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology and refused to confirm Johnson’s first choice for Zoning Committee chair.
The mayor is struggling to close a $223 million budget gap this year and a nearly $1 billion shortfall in next year’s budget, heading into a 2025 budget season where he will need every vote.
Meanwhile, the mayor’s lobbying team is in turmoil. Sydney Holman, the mayor’s chief liaison to the Council and a lobbyist in Springfield, resigned this month to protest Johnson’s decision to put Kennedy Bartley in charge of the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Two top deputies followed Holman out the door.
Conclusion
Pushing out Martinez carries huge risks for Mayor Johnson. The mayor must weigh the potential benefits of removing Martinez against the potential costs of alienating the governor, the City Council, and the business community. If the mayor fails to secure the funding he needs, the consequences could be dire for the city and its schools.
FAQs
Q: Why is Mayor Johnson trying to remove Martinez?
A: Johnson wants Martinez out in part because he has resisted the mayor’s call for CPS to take out a high-interest loan to bankroll a new teachers contract and a $175 million pension payment.
Q: What are the risks of removing Martinez?
A: Removing Martinez could backfire spectacularly, leading to a strained relationship with the governor and potentially even forcing CPS into bankruptcy.
Q: What are the financial risks of taking out a high-interest loan?
A: The loan would put CPS at risk of paying over $500 million in interest over the full term of the loan, bringing the total cost to nearly $1 billion.
Q: How does this impact the mayor’s relationship with the City Council?
A: The mayor’s high-stakes maneuver comes during increased tension between the mayor and an emboldened City Council, which could make it harder for the mayor to secure the funding he needs.
