City of Chicago City Council.
Rules of Conduct for Public Meetings 2023 to 2027.
Pursuant to the Chicago City Council rules of Order
and Procedure Rule 49.
Good afternoon, others. The meeting will begin shortly.
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I have your attention. Please welcome
to today's city council meeting.
The meeting will begin momentarily.
At this time, please take your seats
and silence your listening devices.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, council members.
The meeting will begin shortly.
Please remember to log into your devices. Thank you.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
Please take your seats. The meeting is about to convene.
Uh, good afternoon. Uh, everyone,
the council will come to order.
Madam Clerk, uh, please take a quorum. Roll call please.
The voting is now open. The voting is now open.
Please use your Eev device
and log in for the quorum roll call.
If you need support, please write, raise your hand.
The voting is now open.
All right. I will now take a voice.
Vote for anyone who has not used the Eev device.
Alderman LaSpada not present in
chambers, Alderwoman Dow.
Dow is present. Alderman Alderman Robinson,
not president in chambers.
Alderman Hall, present Alderman Mitchell.
Present, uh, Alderwoman Ramirez.
Present Alderman, uh, Quinn Present. Alderman Moore.
Present. Alderman Curtis, not President Chambers.
Alderman Oche. Osha Alderman.
OSHA is here. Alderman Tovaras. Tabba is present.
Alderman Burnett. Burnett is not present. Alder Woman.
Rodriguez Sanchez. Not present.
Alderman Conway Present. Alderman Viegas not present.
Alderwoman mitts Present.
Alderman Sato Podo is present.
Alderman Riley, present your
mayor. We have a quorum.
Very well. Thank you. There are 44 members
that are present, so we do have a quorum.
Um, there are a, a, a number of alders that wish, uh,
to participate in today's meeting remotely
for reasons stated in Rule 59.
Uh, and they are as following, ADA Viega Burnett, Curtis
Rodriguez Sanchez.
As well as Rodriguez.
Can I get a motion to, to approve their remote participation
and have them added to the roll call?
It's been moved. Um, can we confirm their
Yes. I will now call
on the city council members
for their presence on virtual Alderman LaSpada.
Present. LaSpada is present. Alderman Curtis.
Present. Curtis is present. Alderman Burnett.
Present. Burnett is present. Alderwoman Rodriguez.
Rodriguez Sanchez. Here present.
Alderman Viegas. Present.
Alderman Present. I think that was a present. Okay.
Viegas is present. And I see Alderman
Rodriguez is in Chambers.
Mayor, we have a quorum.
Very well just to make sure we complete all those in favor
of these individuals being able
to participate remotely signify by saying I.
Any opposed, say nay. This motion passes.
Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands,
one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty, Liberty
and justice for all.
Would you please remain standing for the invocation,
which will be delivered today by Pastor Rand Tucker
of the Vineyard Church of Hyde Park.
Good afternoon, council members. Thank you Mayor Johnson.
Good things are happening in the city of Chicago.
Just one testimony this last Sunday, uh,
new Life Little Village took over our facility.
They had started a church in a Chinese reformed
Christian Church in our neighborhood,
and 24 newly arriving couples got married in
our sanctuary altogether.
And before I pray, I just want to thank you all
for making this a welcoming and sanctuary city,
and God is doing great things here.
Let's pray. Father, you are always present
and we pause to invite your spirit to be present here today,
to lead and guide at this time.
Lord, we know that civil service is sacred
because we are gifted to lead
and bless those who are under our leadership
and we seek to serve them.
We pray that your kingdom would come here in Chicago,
on earth just as it is in heaven.
I pray in the place of fear, anger, sadness,
that you would bring love, joy,
and peace that you would provide
for each person in this city.
You would provide food, shelter, education, healthcare,
safety, and the opportunity not just
to survive, but to thrive.
I pray that you would make this city prosper.
Provide safety, strength
and success to public servants, industrious workers,
and the private sector, plus small business owners
and entrepreneurs who create jobs to employ others
and bring not only small business, but big business,
but only those who would leave a positive legacy.
Father, help us to be a city
of forgiveness rather than a violence, a place
of unity in the midst of diversity, a place of cooperation
where we have differing agendas.
I pray today that this city council would make godly
decisions and good ones for the sake of the people.
Lord, may this city that has historically been divided
by race be a place of reconciliation.
And as Jesus said, may this be a place
that we could love our neighbor as ourself.
And Lord, I pray that you would protect us from evil,
where our battle is not ultimately against flesh and blood.
It's not ultimately against other human beings.
The battle is against principalities
and powers of darkness in this world.
Help us to resist evil with good
and help us to shine light into darkness.
Thank you for the leadership
that is represented in this room.
And I pray that you would guide each one of them
and all of them together in major decisions
and mundane activities.
Thank you for their sacred service.
May your blessing be upon them to serve and lead.
And Lord, our prayer is that the wind of your spirit
might bless the windy city
and may it prosper, Lord, may it be so.
Amen. You may be seated.
Thank you Madam Clerk.
Please read the, um, the call of today's special media.
Yes, the chair recognizes Alderman Hopkins
On a point of personal privilege.
I I just wanted to state that, um, wearing these glasses due
to a medical condition I met, no disrespect to have them on
during the prayer and the
Pledge of allegiance. Thank you. Very
Well noted Madam Clerk.
Uh, please read the call of today's special meeting.
Call for special meeting.
The following call for a special meeting
with City Council was filed in my office on Tuesday,
November 12th, 2024 at 1:28 PM Clerk Valencia.
We, the undersigned, member of the City Council of City
of Chicago due hereby call a special
meeting the City Council.
The City of Chicago did convene convened on Thursday,
November 14th, 2024 at 2:00 PM The special meeting is
for the following purpose, no other purpose whatsoever
for the immediate consideration
of the oh 2 0 24 0 0 1 3 6 79,
an ordinance authorizing the fiscal year 2025.
Property tax levy on behalf of the City of Chicago,
signed Raymond Lopez, Alder Alder person, 15th Ward.
Marty Quinn, Alder person, 13th Ward, Savannah Tabba,
Alder Person 23rd Ward, Scott Waga, spec Alder.
Person 32nd Ward. Matt Oshe, Alder person 19th Ward.
Monique Scott Alder. Person 24th Ward.
Michelle Harris, Alder person Eighth Ward, Peter Chico,
Alder person, 10th Ward, Brandon Riley, Alder,
person 42nd Ward, Ben Lawson, Alder person 44th Ward.
Pat, do Al the person. Third Ward,
Nicole Lee Al person 11th Ward.
Emma Mi Al. Person 37th Ward. James Gardner Al the person.
45th Ward. Anthony Napolitano, Alder person 41st Ward.
Nicholas Pito Al the person. 38th Ward.
Very well. Thank you very much Madam Clerk.
This is the portion of the meeting from public comments.
The council will now begin the public comment period,
which is limited to a maximum of 30 minutes.
Each speaker is limited to three minutes.
Speakers cannot yield
or transfer their time to another speaker.
Any written comments that have been made
or submitted will be posted
and made available for all automatic review.
Our first speaker today is Gina Getty.
Hello, am I coming through? Yes. Good afternoon.
Good afternoon. Thank you very much.
Um, hello City council. My name is Gina Getty.
I live in the 41st Ward.
Thank you for the opportunity to address City Council today.
My purpose for speaking today is the bill banning the sale
of new fur in Chicago.
I'd like to thank my Alderman Napolitano
and the other alders
who have already co-sponsored this bill.
And today I am asking for the rest of city council
to support and pass this bill to ban the sale of new Fir.
It has come to my attention
that fir farms are breeding grounds for viruses such as
or worse than COVID-19.
I'd like to share some
concerning information from a September, 2024 article
published in the Telegraph.
Virologists involved in the study
of fur farms are very concerned with
what they call a zoonotic soup of viruses in farmed animals.
Here is what one virologist had to say.
What this study tells you is
that these species are also full of viruses
and some of these viruses are jumping species boundaries.
This fur trade is a roll of the dice.
We're exposing ourselves to viruses that come from wildlife,
which is an obvious route for the next pandemic to occur.
Another researcher said the conclusions aren't specifically
virus X was found in mink or rac dogs, and
therefore is a direct singular pandemic threat.
But more this practice seems to bring lots of divergent,
unusual viruses together from wildlife
and farm sources, which creates a mixing pot
for virus evolution and emergence.
End quote. I know none of us want
to see another covid like pandemic.
And as Covid tragically taught us whether a virus comes from
a fur farm in China or Europe
or the us it can spread to the whole world.
I don't want to roll the dice on that,
and this is why I'm calling on city council
to make Chicago a leader in pandemic prevention
and to stand the sale of new fur. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Thank you very much for your comments.
Please. Our next speaker is Joy Bunton
Joy, please press star six to unmute.
Hello, can you hear me? Yes,
we can. Good afternoon, joy.
Good afternoon. Uh, hi. I'm Joy Bunton.
Born and raised in Chicago. As were my parents.
They, myself and my siblings all went
to Chicago public schools.
I went to Whitney Young, my late father,
a black man like the mayor was a CTU member.
He went to U of I at Champaign Urbana in Northwestern
for his bachelor's and masters.
He taught at Inglewood where his choir was the first from a
black school to receive superior
ratings at state competition.
He was later promoted to an admin job
as vocal music coordinator for CPS
and conducted all city high school course for many years.
He was the epitome of black excellence.
I'm often greeted by people who were his former students
and loved him very much, many
of whom have gone on to do great things.
I'm grateful he had good benefits and a decent pension.
Long after he retired, he survived a heart attack,
but his health further declined.
He got a form of Parkinson's
and dementia, which was very painful to watch.
Thankfully my parents were able to get a caregiver for him.
And after he died, my mom didn't have to move.
We still have alders in office who were rubber stamp
for rom Emanuel who ruled carte blanche.
They let him close black schools
and fire black teachers, which led
to a $9.25 million se settlement.
There was no request to meet with the school board,
which he appointed no, no.
Questioning of the CEO fellas was allowed
to take on payday bond loans to the tune of $650 million.
Chief Administrator David Batal issued $1 billion
in toxic swaps.
I partly blame Obama for endorsing ROM in the first place.
And other Dems like Dick Durbin,
who endorses reelection even
after he boxed the Laquan McDonald's case
and David Axel rock kicked rocks
for recommending rom be DNC cheer.
Now, where were the elders who said nothing while rom
Emanuel screwed students, teachers,
and principals over, especially in the black community since
Mayor Washington, we finally have a mayor who wants
to fully fund public schools and pensions.
But now there's an issue. There's resistance.
He and CTU went to Springfield in May to try
and get the state to pay the $1 billion it owes
to avoid raising property taxes.
This mayor decided to forego a raise,
but the alders who co-signed rom
emanuel's actions aren't doing that.
Are y'all's pensions fully funded? How about firemen?
Policemen, all city
and municipal employees should have their pensions fully
funded, including CTUI read the last property tax hike was
under ROM Emanuel
and those als who are still here voted for it.
This mayor is trying to take care of the city's employees.
He's not demanding CPS take out a
high interest loan anymore.
Some of you have your six figure incomes raises benefits
and pensions wanna let other employees lose their jobs.
The double standard is disgraceful.
Those who are fine with mismanaging CPS
and demonizing CTU, which is member led for fighting
to give all students resources they deserve
and you're cosigning their pensions not be fully
funded, ripping them off.
You should be ashamed of yourself being independent now
under Johnson, but not then under wrong.
Do the tiffs or whatever,
but start fully funding pensions that teachers
and staff earn.
Thank you.
Thank you very much for your comments.
Our next speaker is Twan Sims.
Apologies. Our next speaker is Taiwan Sims.
You'll have a moment to settle a score or divide a people
or just get to the bottom of it.
But you, Brandon Johnson, have ignored every
plea call cry that I
or any individual have come in this room and made.
I called about my child. Two 3D 7 9 5 9 7.
Yake Roosevelt Sims told you about
the attack that's been taking place.
I came in here and told you that I'm homeless.
My HMIS number is 3 5 5 0 6 1.
I came in here, but I came in here
because I wanted my life back.
And lo and behold, wow, the answers that I've gotten,
what you sir said also the other day, that the presidency
or Trump disrupts black Americans.
It doesn't. You disrupt Black Americans.
You, your workforce development scheme
with Michael David Rodriguez, your immigration scheme
with um, Vasquez and your housing scheme with C Joe Lopez.
You a criminal. You should be investigated by the ig.
Who I was glad who was in here the day
that Maria Hadden was in here.
The gangster girl who ran me up outta my neighborhood.
I've been shot five times, six times I've been persecuted,
followed over a case cv, no, two two CV 5, 6, 9 1.
That was in the Northern District.
This took place in 2020, July 22nd.
I told him about a young man who named Brian Carryon,
who was murdered in the streets, chased around like
as if he was a Maud Arbery.
I told y'all so much,
but I know it's a gangster in this room.
A criminal one that thinks that he's above the law.
That he can dictate the law. Mr. Kaza, Mr.
Kazaa, the man who argued with you
because y'all want to be relevant.
But I'm telling you, the people in the city
of Chicago need good representation.
They need a representation
that don't lean towards corruption.
They need a representation that don't use people
because they think they can.
And you and them people over there, y'all
that I've been running from cowards
that wanna show me as a weak man.
I'm not a weak man. My child, Ian Walter OB Sims,
I want to be back with 'em.
Y'all put a order protection.
All of these papers is the ways that y'all have tried to
what criminalize me, villainize me.
All the ignoring of it.
Cornerstone Ms. Clay, this is a room full of criminals.
Y'all, this is a room full of criminals
and they don't want this man up here.
'cause I don't look, y'all can bird dog me all y'all want.
But if y'all, if it is relationship over duty,
then y'all don't serve the blue
and y'all don't pledge the oath.
Y'all pledge to serve us, not cotton.
Zara, not a personal interest, which y'all do.
And you can smirk all you want.
Mr. Sims, direct your attention towards me, please.
You a criminal. Why do I gotta address you?
The feds need to address you.
DOJ need to address you and pro
and hopefully Donald Trump will address you
because you gonna protect the undocumented.
Why you going to allow for the citizens in the Chicago
to suffer under your what?
33% UNC Joe Lopez cooked that 3% up a long time ago.
Y'all call it a circuit breaker. Y'all been talked about it.
Remember before you came in here and gave
that jovial speech, you need
to be inspected. You ran that creek
Over there.
Uh, Mr. Clerk, we'll just take a moment here.
We have the former al of the 40th ward, 1979 and 1983. Mr.
Ivan Rittenberg, thank you Alderman for joining us today.
Can you all just please give a quick
acknowledgement for the alderman?
Thank you very much. Uh, thank you for that salute there.
Uh, please. Uh, Mr.
Clerk, please continue with our public speakers.
Our next speaker this afternoon is Dan McNamara.
Sergeant at arms, please restore order please.
Alright, Please.
Thank you
Mr.
To our sergeant at arms, could you all please make sure
that this gentleman is removed?
Thank you.
This okay. Just patient. You all, they're handling it.
It's all right.
Thank you. Please continue to move.
Um, Mr. Sims out of the chamber.
Thank you, Sergeant at Arms for restoring order. Mr.
Clerk, could you please continue with our public speakers?
Our next speaker this afternoon is Dan McNamara.
Good afternoon. Good
Afternoon, sir.
My name is Dan McNamara, uh, mayor Johnson City Council.
The the reason for my being here today,
Excuse me for a second.
Uh, listen, listen, please
do not want to cast any judgment on Mr. Sims,
but we are fully aware of
that disruption and what happened there.
I would kindly and respectfully ask that this body
and those that are here to observe government to come back
to order and allow the police
and anyone else who can help address that situation
and bring it under control.
In the meantime, order has been restored.
Dan, you may begin again.
Okay. Uh, my name is Dan McNamara.
I've been a citizen of the city since 1979.
Um, my purpose in being here today was that I was hoping
to begin a dialogue about a strategy that could, uh,
effectively put over,
over a hundred million dollars back in the city budget
without cutting cost services or employees
and without raising taxes on, uh, mayor on,
on September 24th, I sent, uh, a letter to your office
and, uh, with your permission, I'll just read a portion
of the letter and might explain why I'm here.
It says, honorable Mayor Johnson.
I'm writing you with about the urgent matter facing your
administration in the City of Chicago budget.
There's considerable stress in the news recently about
looming deficits, both operational and legacy.
If there was a way to restore over $100 million annually
to the city coffers without cutting services
or raising taxes, how would you prefer to learn about it?
In the simplest terms, the city can achieve 2,500
to 7,500 per employee reduction per year
in quantifiable healthcare cost reductions.
By the way, the unions, many of them,
are already on board with this kind of strategy.
But here's the catch. It takes a certain amount of backbone.
Get these kinds of, uh,
initiatives passed the entrenched status quo.
While Mayor Lightfoot initially showed enthusiasm for this,
nearly all of the lower level administrators dropped the
ball and failed to follow through on even giving this course
of action a proper vetting.
I'm hoping that now your administration is up to the task.
And then it goes on to ask
that you have your budget director
or CFO get ahold of me to further this discussion.
First of all, I'd just like to confirm
that you got this letter and do you recall reading it?
I don't know if you're, I'm, if I'm allowed
to ask questions or not.
If, if so, um, what will it take
to begin a discussion about this kind of initiative
in your administration?
So the thing that I'm hoping for is to get some
eyes and ears looking at this as a, as a possible strategy.
Thank you very much. Thank
You.
Thank you very much for your comments.
Our next speaker this afternoon is Jessica Jackson.
Um,
What you just saw with Sams is
where you want all of us to be.
You want all of us to be stock. Rate out our minds.
You want us to feel pressed against the wall.
You want us to feel helpless. You want us to feel hopeless.
You wanna see us turn on one another?
Yeah,
there's some real ones out here and we gonna stick together.
But when it come to people like you, Brandon Johnson,
black people like you who sit up here
and think you gonna bully us.
That's why everybody coming after you now,
and Coten, Kwame, Raul,
but he, we gonna come for him.
'cause he ain't doing what he's supposed to do.
He's not helping us the way he's supposed to help us.
You wanna sit here and watch us be aggravated like that.
You, that lady next to you, what is it? Mary Richardson.
Lori her, her too. Not doing her job. You too.
Not doing your job.
Acting like you know, you just gonna bully everybody.
You got people what officers
who families don't even want you to come to the funeral.
You just like a school yard bully
that at some point, and you might not know nothing about it
'cause you grew up in Elgin.
But those of us who grew up on the south side
and west side of Chicago, we all know at some point
that bully gets cornered in the alley
and everybody come at him
and he ain't gonna have nobody to help him.
That's you. That's you
keep thinking you ain't going to, you ain't going to abide
by what the president of the United States said.
Everybody know better than that.
I see you Anna Valencia in your red. You know what it is?
This, the second time you showed up in city council in
red, you know what it is?
Yeah. Yeah.
So you and the rest of them that know
what time it is, y'all come on.
You leave that loser where he is. He's a loser.
He's a loser. No, me
and Zoe, we ain't doing nothing for nobody self by ourself.
We got you loser.
Thank you very much for your comments.
Our next speaker is Jody Whitaker.
Good afternoon, mayor Johnson
and Chicago Afternoon Council.
I know that today's meeting is focused on the city's budget,
but if a pandemic pandemic hits our city
or the country, Chicago will have even bigger
fi financial worries.
That's why I'm urging you to please support co-sponsor
and pass oh 2023 dash 2 9 83, the humane measure
to ban the sale of new fur in Chicago.
Here is another excerpt from another scientific journal
article about these serious threats dated
September 8th, 2024.
A recent study has identified 125 viruses circulating in
animals from fur farms in China,
raising concerns about the potential spillover into human
populations led by Chinese researchers
and co-authored by Virologists Edward Holmes.
The study emphasizes the urgent need
for enhanced virus monitoring.
Among the viruses discovered 36 were previously unknown,
and 39 were deemed high risk for crossing species, barriers,
possibly infecting humans published in nature.
The research spanned from 2021
to 2024 examining 461 animals, primarily minks fox,
raccoon dogs, rabbits,
and muskrats from fur farms with some from the food
and traditional medicine industries.
About 50 animals, wa I'm sorry,
around 50 wild animals were also included.
The viruses detected included hepatitis E,
Japanese encephalitis,
and 13 newly identified ones underscoring F farms
as potential hubs for virus transmission.
Holmes and other experts stress
that without proactive measures,
f farms could spark the next global outbreak.
Holmes warned the fur farming trade could easily lead
to another pandemic virus.
Scientists are urging global governments
to take the warning seriously
and implement policies to mitigate the risks posed
by fur farming end quote.
So banning the fur of fur in the second city won't stop
pandemics, but we will be doing our part
as a progressive city to end the immense suffering
of beautiful wild animals
and prevent the real risks
of dangerous viruses jumping from wild animals
who are tightly confined
and languishing in filthy disease ridden cages to humans.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration today,
and I hope that this common sense ordinance advances
and passes very soon.
And I hope you all have a safe
and happy holiday with your loved ones. Thank you. Thank
You.
Thank you very much for your comments.
Our next speaker is Tyler Cruz.
Good afternoon city council.
Um, I'm a concerned citizen who's in his mid
to late thirties working in finance
and I've called Illinois home for my entire life.
I grew up in the suburbs, went to school down in Champaign,
and I've called Chica Chicago's North side my home
for the last 15 years in the second ward.
Brian, uh, Mr. Hopkins.
I'm married with no kids yet and one dog,
and we are property owners.
We bought our, uh, uh,
home in 2021 when everyone else was flocking from the city.
And it's sad to say that I used to be proud
of calling myself a Chicagoan despite being a white male.
I did not vote for Donald Trump
and I did not grow up privileged.
My mother was a school nurse
and my father worked in the trades.
I had to get a full ride scholarship
to college in order to pay for my education.
I'm devastated to see
what has unfolded over the last 18
months under the current mayor.
We're living in a kleptocracy.
As we stand at a critical juncture in Chicago's future,
it is essential that we hold our leaders accountable
and address the pressing issues
that affect every single resident of this city,
not just the unions,
and not just the new arrivals as the mayor refers to them.
Today I'm here to express serious concerns about Mayor
Brandon Johnson's leadership
and the direction that he's taking Chicago.
Under Mayor Johnson's leadership,
Chicago's pension crisis has only deepened.
We have over $30 billion of unfunded pension liabilities.
Our city is facing a financial burden that threatens
to cripple future generations.
The pension obligations are destroying the city
and squeezing people outta the city,
and yet nothing has changed.
Chicago's pension debt has soared
by over $2 billion in the last year.
One week ago, the mayor tweeted
that the budget we unveiled today is furthering our
investment towards a better, stronger, and safer Chicago.
The plan to fill the budget shortfall included raising taxes
on property owners after numerous attempts in the past
that have all been shut down by voters
and cutting spend for police reform.
Neither of these initiatives will result in a stronger
and safer Chicago Vic, uh, bond rating agency.
KRBA recently put Chicago's bond rating on watch,
downgrade ending create,
indicating it will be downgraded if the budget does not
sufficiently address the structural deficit.
The inability to support headcount reductions
by the current mayor is lunacy.
I myself was unfortunately a part
of a reduction in force in October,
which is why I'm here at two o'clock on a Thursday.
It happens and people will survive.
It happens all the time in private, in the private sector.
Instead of making the difficult
but absolutely necessary cuts to, uh,
to government spending continues to push for tax hikes.
Our infrastructure is a mess. The bridges are a disaster.
The roads and traffic is a, is a joke.
Um, servicemen, I have several friends on the force
and they're exhausted.
We have a lack of fire trucks last a significant amount
of overhead overtime spend.
And it is ridiculous.
We're relying on casinos,
we're relying on property tax increases instead
of addressing the true issue,
which is we have an an addiction to spending.
We do not have a revenue issue.
We have an addiction to spending. I know I have two seconds.
Um, I urge my fellow Chicagoan
to continue pushing for response. Thank you
Very much for your Comments. What's
the needs of,
Thank you very much for your comments.
However your time has expired.
Our next speaker is Mrs. Lawrence.
I'm gonna start off with talking about the budget
and the real estate and all these things,
and I'm gonna get it out in three minutes.
14% rating is what you appear to have Brandon Johnson
across the United States or how they see you.
Uh, but 14% rating.
Now I'm gonna talk about all your, those known donations
of $11.5 million that came from places like the CTU,
the SEIU, the American Federation of Teachers,
Illinois Federal, uh, Federation of Teachers.
And then someone got the nerve to get on there
and talk about cutting, uh, the pensions.
What about our real estate?
Because see, we paid for these properties for a purpose
and not for you to go touching it with $300 million
that you wanna siphon out of the citizen's pockets, get rid
of the illegals and that'll take your money right back.
Start it off with that.
Now, let's go to a lot of the people here, these aldermen,
we had 31 aldermen
and we got one that's planned on the fence about protecting
the citizens and their real estate
and these property tax increases.
But let's also talk about these, uh, aldermen that we got.
15 of 'em that's getting money from the CTU, okay,
since 2009.
Oh yeah, I'm bringing the facts.
The facts is only what I'm gonna talk about.
And let's also talk about the five alderman
who not supporting the citizens,
but also are not supporting with this, uh,
and receiving money from CTU as well.
So you five, you know who you are.
And so do I list right in my hands?
Also, uh, let's talk about the 4.1%
increase of salary for 2025,
starting from $123,000 to 152.
So, I mean, this is all public information.
It's not like it's something that's hidden.
So, 'cause us as citizens, we need to know what's going on.
'cause all of you all are called many mayors
and the many mayors are responsible
for the citizens within your wards.
You are accountable, not just responsible to be able
to speak up on our behalf and not sit here weak
and not stand up for us.
But the 31 that has stood up, thank you for the one
that's riding the fence who don't wanna sign the letter,
but says that he's not gonna vote for this half.
Thank you. Because a man gonna stand up
and we know who all of you are
because again, it's in my hands.
So don't think you're not known because this is public.
So when you collect the money from somewhere, just know
that, uh, people like me research and find out
and expose, speak up for your citizens.
Thank you very much for your comments.
Our next speaker is Dennis.
Our next speaker is Dennis White.
Good evening everybody. Good afternoon.
I wanna know how does it feel
that Trump is in office right now?
You see that? Okay.
You see the, uh, mayor Brandon Johnson,
you underestimate us.
You underestimate the black people
and you underestimate Chicago Red.
We are the thorn in y'all side,
and we are going to be in a thorn on everybody else in this
council member's side too.
If you don't stop what you're doing, we going
to take matters in our own hand
and we going to stop it when you took shots fired off
after the DNC.
And so more shots have been committed.
Do you know how many people got shot and killed?
21 was a police officer and he was doing his duty,
and then some maniac over here want
to shoot him dead cold-blooded and stuff.
So my my, my thoughts
and prayers to the family of
that Chicago police Officer Ralph Hand,
but Brandon Johnson, I'm going to say this to you once.
I'm not gonna repeat myself again.
If you don't stop this madness, not only we gonna come
after your seat, but guess what?
The worst news is Trump assigned Mac gates after ag.
Once he come in after you, he going to sit up here
and audit all this money
that you've been spending on these illegals at the barber
shop on the south side that they didn't have no money
so far from you and stuff.
So why I, I know what's going to happen.
You going to go down to the press conference,
beat your chest up,
and then you going to talk all that smack
and then you going say it's a black man
has not had the opportunity like a white man.
But guess what? I'm a black man and I don't see at you.
I see through you and I see the lies
that you have been saying since you became office.
We had enough problem with lower Lightfoot
and now she's out, she's out because of racism.
So when we vote you out it,
which racism are you going to address?
White racism or black racism?
You say you cannot, you cannot, you cannot figure out
what the lesser of the two evil will be.
So guess what's going to happen?
Should you know that Trump had pulled 45%
of the voter in the state of Illinois,
37 in the city of Chicago?
That's the statistic.
That means that Illinois is turning purple.
We gonna turn red. And for the son
of these city councilmen member, I'll warn you,
do not sit with Brandon Johnson.
We going to get them seats.
Thank you very much for your comments.
Our next speaker is Zoe Lee.
I'm start with, uh, what you said, what Tuesday
Gonna defend the people of this city
because look, his attack, let's be very clear, uh,
the president-elect, former President Trump, um,
his threat is not just towards new arrivals
and undocumented families.
His threats are also against black families.
He has a vision to destroy public education.
So when he talks about project 2025
and dismantling public education,
we're talking about a system that has been designed
to create leveling opportunities for families
who are descendants of slaves really going to,
You always want to use black people in your press
conferences, but don't do nothing
for black people in Chicago.
You already know why I'm here,
and I've been coming here for a year
before I even knew who you was as a mayor,
you was dipping off going
to sides when I was out there protesting.
You have corporate counsel right next to you,
Mary Richardson Lowry, who has no idea what she's doing
because if she would, she would've told you
to settle my case.
Okay? So yeah, you can look the other way and roll your eyes
and do all that stuff,
but you do not care about the black Chicago citizens, okay?
You're trying to push this socialist agenda in this
capitalist society in 2019 when you was leadership,
head leadership with CTU, y'all did a little GoFundMe
and went over to Venezuela
because y'all already knew what y'all were going to do
with bringing them all over here, right?
So you're pushing, so you're pushing this agenda
with the illegal immigrants
because y'all done stole all their money
because you thought that
after that $51 million that the Feds gave you back then
that the, that, uh, Biden was gonna
keep sending y'all money.
But as you know, Biden is the real racist.
The one that y'all say Trump is, Biden been racist.
Biden been racist for a long time.
He just popped up with Obama as the vice president
and everybody just forgot.
Okay? You have, again, you have no idea how you're go, how
to governing 20 26, 20 27.
We're going to get you out.
Tony, pre Winkle out, JB Pritz her out.
Kwame Raul out
and probably half of the disgrace, 50 out too.
And the disgrace 50 is the alderman. Okay?
My case should have been settled.
They stealing in black people's property
and land in the city of Chicago
and they've been doing it for a very long time.
Okay? Majority of the people that work for the city
of Chicago and Cook County are realtors or
or part of real estate agents.
That is a, a conflict of interest.
So that's why y'all keep stealing our property and our land.
And y'all think that it's gonna be okay and you're gonna,
and it's gonna keep happening.
It's not going to happen. It's not gonna keep happening.
We have a new Department of Justice and it's going and, and,
and, and, and at the end of that, we have people
that are running for office.
Thank you very much for your comments. Your, your Honor.
There are no further speakers
who have timely signed up for the
Public comment. Very well. Thank
you, Mr. Kers. Clerk.
This concludes the public, uh, comment period.
Um, for the special meeting agenda
as set forth in the letter calling for the special meeting.
The only item up today for consideration
is item number
0 2 0 2 4 0 1 3 6 7 9,
and ordinance authorizing the fiscal year 2025 property tax
levy chair recognizes Alderman Mitchell.
Morning afternoon, Mr. President, good afternoon. In
Order that we may consider this item today, I move
to suspend the rules by roll call vote
Very well.
Uh, Madam Clerk, could you please, uh,
make the EVO application available
for the suspension of the rules?
Vote. Uh, members please use your EVO application
to record your vote at this time
By no opening,
no longer than normal.
The voting is now open. The voting is now open.
Please use your Eev device. The voting is now open.
I will now take a voice, vote for any of those.
Um, did not use the Eev device. Alderman Lata.
Yes, Sada is a yes. Alderman Hall.
Alderman Hall is a yes. Alderman Curtis.
Yes, Curtis is a yes. Alderman Burnett. Yes.
Burnett is a yes. Alderwoman Rodriguez Sanchez.
Aye. Rodriguez Sanchez is a yes. Alderman Viegas, yes.
Viegas is a yes. The voting is now closed.
Farewell, there are 50 yays, zero nays.
This motion passes and the rules are suspended.
Um, as we prepare, if there are any individuals that wish
to speak to this, um, I do know
that there are a variant thoughts
and expressions around this particular item.
We would ask that you all respect each other's time
and, um, contain your comments, uh, to a minimal.
Um, as I've said before, I remain committed
to being a true collaborator, uh,
during this budget process.
I do appreciate the seriousness of the members
of the city council, who are, again,
rolling up their sleeves, working with our team as well
as me to secure a balanced budget that works
for all of Chicago.
Uh, this budget must reflect our values,
including directly investing into the people of Chicago.
We remain focused on ensuring our budget
as progressive revenue sources At its core,
as I've stated from the beginning, I will
negotiate the details of this budget,
but I certainly will not negotiate my values again.
Are there any members who wish to speak to this item?
The chair recognizes Alderman Lopez.
Thank you, Mr. President,
and good afternoon members of the city council.
First, I would make a motion, uh,
to appro I move to approve
0 20 24 dash 0 1 3 6 7 9
ordinance authorizing the fiscal 20 20 25 property tax levy.
And call the question on the motion.
Well, there's a motion to call the question.
All those in fa in favor of calling the question signify
by saying, chair recognizes
Chairman Irvin.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Uh, if, if none of us are going to speak,
I do wanna say a few things to this, uh,
ordinance specifically, uh, kind of, um,
explain a couple things.
Um,
I know you've called the question, sir.
Uh, I'm just, we, we generally have,
we generally allow for comment.
Before we do call the question, I thought
that you were raising your hand
to give comment, not to call the question.
Question.
Just hold on a second. I'll,
I'll recognize you in just a second.
Okay. I, I promise I'm pretty good at that.
Yeah. So the previous question of calling the question,
um, the motion rather is not debatable.
So with that, all those in favor of calling a question
signify by saying, aye.
Any opposed, say nay.
And the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it.
The chair recognizes Alderman Lopez.
Thank you, Mr. President. Then I would ask
for a roll call on the original motion.
Very well. So there's a motion for this ordinance, uh,
to be completed with a roll call vote.
So with that members, please use the EVO application
to record your vote at this time.
Um, Madam Clerk, if you would, thank you.
The voting is now open. The voting is now open.
Please use your AE device. The voting is not open.
I will now call on those who have not, uh, cast their vote
for a ro uh, a voice vote.
Alderman Lada. No, LaSpada is a no.
Alderman Curtis News cause no,
Curtis is a no Alderman Burnett.
No. Burnett is a no Alderman.
You can't abstain Not in the rules.
You, you have to take a vote or you take a walk.
No, you have to take a vote if you're in your seat. Yeah.
I can't move past you.
I don't ever know.
Just can't take a vote.
If you present you, you have
to take a vote if you're present in chambers.
Okay, so first of all, let's not shout across the room.
You all just bear with us.
So the, the rules were suspended just for the enabling
of this vote and not for all purposes.
And so therefore, all members in the room
have to cast a vote.
Alderman Irvin is no Alderwoman Rodriguez Sanchez. No.
Rodriguez Sanchez is a no. Alderman Viegas.
No Vega Viegas is a no. The voting is now closed.
There are zero nays. 50 nays.
This matter has been voted down.
Ottman Mitchell on a motion to adjourn,
Mr. President, if there's
no further business
before this body, I'll move that. We adjourn
Hearing no objection.
So, or this meeting's adjourned.