Budget Committee Cancels Thursday Hearing Called to Turn Up Heat on Embattled CPS CEO Pedro Martinez
Dispute Over $175 Million Pension Payment for Non-Teaching School Employees
The Budget Committee has canceled plans to summon embattled Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez to a hearing on Rosh Hashanah to explain why he is refusing to absorb a $175 million pension payment for non-teaching school employees.
Complaint from Ald. Debra Silverstein
The hearing was canceled shortly after Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) complained to Budget Chair Jason Ervin (28th) about such an important meeting being held when she would be unable to attend. Silverstein is the City Council’s only Jewish member.
“I was one of the aldermen who signed the letter that he should stay on. … To go down that route when we have budget upon us, when we have elections upon us, when the school year just started, [is a mistake]. Right now, I am on the side of Pedro Martinez,”
Silverstein credited Ervin for responding quickly about the holiday conflict, but argued that it should have been flagged by a Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
Intergovernmental Affairs and Mayor’s Office
Holman resigned to protest Mayor Brandon Johnson’s decision to make former United Working Families Director Kennedy Bartley her boss. “They should have been aware because I do send a calendar of all the holidays every single year to every single department in the city so everybody has those dates. There’s no reason why [Intergovernmental Affairs] didn’t have that as a red flag,” Silverstein said.
Ervin’s Apology
Ervin apologized for the mistake, stating that he meant no disrespect. “My colleague called me and told me it was Rosh Hashanah. I apologized and so, we’re rescheduling the meeting. That’s what happened,” Ervin told the Sun-Times.
Pension Payment and Budget Crisis
Ervin still believes it’s borderline “malfeasance” for Martinez to have pushed through a $9.9 billion school budget that does not include the $175 million pension payment. “I would like for them to make the payment. … These are their employees. This is 100% their obligation,” Ervin said.
Mayor’s Request to Resign
The school system, however, had to close its own $505 million deficit this year and find solutions to historical underfunding. That’s why Martinez and Johnson’s hand-picked school board rejected the mayor’s request to take out a $300 million short-term, high-interest loan to cover the cost of both the pension payment and a new teachers union contract.
Conclusion
The Budget Committee has canceled the hearing, and it remains to be seen how the dispute over the pension payment will be resolved. The city’s budget crisis continues to worsen, and the mayor’s request for Martinez to resign has added to the uncertainty.
FAQs
* Why was the hearing canceled?
+ The hearing was canceled due to the Rosh Hashanah holiday, which prevented Ald. Debra Silverstein from attending.
* Why is the Budget Committee focusing on the pension payment?
+ The Budget Committee believes that the school system should absorb the $175 million pension payment, which was previously paid by the city.
* Why is Mayor Brandon Johnson pushing for Pedro Martinez to resign?
+ The mayor believes that Martinez is not effectively managing the school system, which is facing a significant budget crisis.
* How will the budget crisis be resolved?
+ It is unclear how the budget crisis will be resolved, but the mayor is exploring options such as taking out a short-term, high-interest loan to cover the cost of the pension payment and a new teachers union contract.
