Chicago Alders Urge Mayor to Cut Municipal Spending to Pre-Pandemic Levels
Fifteen City Council Members Send Letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson
Fifteen City Council members, led by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward), have sent a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson proposing that the city cut municipal government spending to pre-pandemic levels. The move is an attempt to avoid layoffs and furloughs, which the alders believe will be necessary if the mayor’s current budget proposal is implemented.
A Budget Shift Needed, Say Alders
“We’re trying to get the administration to shift their priority,” said Ald. Brian Hopkins. “They started out saying, ‘We’re going to raise revenue to fill this deficit and then we’ll talk about cuts to fill the gap that’s left over.’ We want to flip that around. We want to do cuts first, and government efficiencies, and then we’ll talk about revenue to fill whatever the residual gap is.”
A Budget Worth Cutting
The city’s 2020 budget was $11.7 billion, but the 2025 budget proposed by Mayor Brandon Johnson exceed $17 billion. The alders argue that the city can no longer afford the increased spending and that cuts need to be made.
Alders’ Concerns
Ald. Brenden Reilly (42nd Ward) expressed concerns about the direction of the budget negotiations, stating, “Taxpayers in Chicago are wiped out.” He has sent budget officials an email requesting information about municipal salaries, current headcount, and the number of vacancies the mayor plans to carry over to the next year.
Behind the Scenes
Behind the scenes, small groups of alders have exchanged ideas with the mayor’s budget team, but so far, the mayor is holding to his commitment not to slash jobs. Hopkins expects “very few if any” cuts to currently filled union positions but said there may be some vacant union positions that could be lost through collective bargaining.
Alders’ Concerns about Management Jobs
Hopkins stated, “But there’s a lot of management jobs that are not union jobs that were created in the last five years. We have to look at every one of them, and my suspicion is many of them are not justified in the post-pandemic era.”
The Letter Signatories
The alders who signed the letter include:
* Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward)
* Ald. Brenden Reilly (42nd Ward)
* Ald. Anthony Beale (9th Ward)
* Ald. Peter Chico (10th Ward)
* Ald. Marty Quinn (13th Ward)
* Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward)
* Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th Ward)
* Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd Ward)
* Ald. Monique Scott (24th Ward)
* Ald. Felix Cardona (31st Ward)
* Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward)
* Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th Ward)
* Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st Ward)
* Ald. James Gardiner (45th Ward)
* Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th Ward)
Conclusion
The City Council has until the end of the year to approve a budget for 2025. The alders’ proposal to cut municipal spending to pre-pandemic levels is an attempt to avoid layoffs and furloughs, which they believe will be necessary if the mayor’s current budget proposal is implemented.
FAQs
* What is the current budget proposal?
The current budget proposal exceeds $17 billion, a significant increase from the 2020 budget of $11.7 billion.
* What are the alders’ concerns?
The alders are concerned about the direction of the budget negotiations and the potential need for layoffs and furloughs.
* What is the proposal to cut spending to pre-pandemic levels?
The alders propose cutting municipal government spending to pre-pandemic levels, which would require significant budget reductions and potentially lead to layoffs and furloughs.
* What is the deadline for the City Council to approve a budget for 2025?
The City Council has until the end of the year to approve a budget for 2025.
