Mayor Brandon Johnson Addresses Chicago’s 2025 Budget Amid Federal Funding Threats

A “Lakeside Chat” on the City’s Fiscal Future

Mayor Brandon Johnson held a first of its kind “Lakeside Chat” on Tuesday evening, a public but personal conversation about the City of Chicago’s fiscal future. The mayor sat down with a group of Chicago residents inside the Harold Washington Library, discussing the city’s 2025 budget and how we got here.

A Fiscally Responsible Budget

“We never compromised our value system. We negotiated the details around this budget so that it was a fiscally responsible, balanced budget,” Johnson said. “Most of the things people care about, we were able to deliver in this budget.”

A $17.1 Billion Budget with Investments in Youth, Community Safety, and More

A $17.1 billion budget was approved in December 2024. It includes an increase in taxes and fees on parking, streaming services, and grocery bags to help close a $982 million budget gap. The budget also includes:

• 29,000 summer jobs for youth
• Prioritization of community safety, mental health, affordable housing, and homelessness
• $40 million investment in the one-system initiative, with no child on a waiting list for housing
• $2 million in rental assistance
• Nearly 1,500 new affordable housing units
• Nearly doubling the city’s shelter bed capacity

Concerns Over Federal Funding Threats

Looking ahead, there are concerns coming from the new federal administration with threats to pause or pull funding and dismantle the Department of Education. “We have to take all of his threats seriously, which is incredibly problematic, quite frankly abhorrent,” Johnson said. “That this president would move to end opportunities for bilingual education, special ed transportation within our public school systems, these threats are very real.”

Preparing for the Unknown

We have worked to put a team together within the City of Chicago that is looking at every single EO that comes out, looking at every directive coming out from federal agencies to our teams. We are meeting regularly with our departments to have those conversations,” City Budget Director Annette Guzman added.

A Focus on Community Safety

The budget allocates $100 million for nearly two-dozen programs, including:

• Youth intervention
• Domestic violence
• Victim support services

Conclusion

Mayor Johnson’s 2025 budget aims to prioritize the needs of Chicago’s residents, from youth to community safety. While the city prepares for potential federal funding threats, it is committed to delivering on its promises to the community.

FAQs

* What is the total budget for the 2025 budget?
+ $17.1 billion
* What are some of the key investments in the budget?
+ 29,000 summer jobs for youth, prioritization of community safety, mental health, affordable housing, and homelessness, and more
* What are the concerns about federal funding threats?
+ Threats to pause or pull funding and dismantle the Department of Education
* How is the city preparing for potential federal funding threats?
+ A team within the City of Chicago is reviewing every single EO and directive from federal agencies to ensure the city is prepared for any changes