Mayor Proposes Adding $2.64M Worth of New Speed Cameras to Help Balance City Budget
Budget Proposal Seeks to Generate $11.43M to Cover CPD Vacancies
Mayor Brandon Johnson is now trying to help balance the City of Chicago budget by installing more speed cameras throughout the city, according to a Chicago Tribune report. This was one of several ideas the mayor pitched to the City Council on Friday in an effort to reach a compromise on the city budget for 2025 by the end of this month. The City Council has until the end of the year to approve a budget for next year.
Speed Cameras to Generate $11.43M
Citing alders familiar with Johnson’s latest budget proposal, the Tribune reports that the new speed cameras would ticket Chicago drivers to raise about $11 million next year in order to pay for Chicago Police Department positions. According to the report, the city must cover the cost of restoring 162 CPD vacancies, which is necessary to comply with federal consent decree. That adds $11.65 million to the budget deficit, the report says.
New Speed Cameras to Generate $11.43M Toward CPD Vacancies
The Johnson administration is proposing to install $2.64 million worth of new speed cameras, which it estimates will generate $11.43 million toward covering the cost of restoring those CPD vacancies, according to the report. Another $2.86 million would be generated via accounting in the police budget, the report says.
Current Speed Camera Network
According to the report, the City of Chicago currently has more than 100 speed cameras, which issue tickets to cars driving 6 miles per hour or more over the speed limit.
Mayor’s Budget Proposal
Johnson and his administration are trying to find ways to shore up a $340 million budget shortfall for 2025. Last month, the city’s 50 alders unanimously rejected the $300 million property tax increase the mayor had proposed when he unveiled his $17.3 billion city budget proposal in October.
Conclusion
The proposal to add new speed cameras is just one of the many ideas being considered by the city to balance its budget for 2025. The city is working to find a solution to its budget deficit, and it is expected that more proposals will be forthcoming in the coming weeks.
FAQs
* What is the proposed budget for 2025?
The proposed budget for 2025 is $17.3 billion.
* What is the budget shortfall for 2025?
The budget shortfall for 2025 is $340 million.
* How many speed cameras does the city currently have?
The city currently has more than 100 speed cameras.
* How much will the new speed cameras generate?
The new speed cameras are expected to generate $11.43 million.
