Yeah.
Good afternoon.
Committee on.
Budget and government operations, call to order, will begin
with roll call.
Alderman. Uh, I'm the vice chair Lee.
Wow, I heard that. Okay. All right.
On the spot.
On the dial.
On Robinson.
On the Y.
On the Mitchell.
I'm in Harris here.
I got you coming in, uh, ottoman Ramirez.
Let me Quinn, the Lopez.
Ottoman Moore, ottoman. Oh, say
Mosley.
Alderman Rodriguez.
On a Scott.
Or the CTO Lopez.
Ottoman Bernett.
Aaliyah Farrell.
Otman Cardona.
Ottoman Rodriguez. Sanchez.
Ormond Conway.
Quezada.
Or Venus.
Or admits.
Or the spaz.
On renew.
On the Vasquez.
Got you on the Riley.
On Newton.
On Martin.
On Manhattan.
Automate Silverstein.
we have 20 members, an ottoman Irvin
it's 21, we have 21 members present, we have a forum, um,
we will have, we have, uh,
Alder's.
Harris.
The Apollo Tano mitts and mosy who requested uh
participation via rule 59, uh, Alderman laspata. So moves
all in favor. Signify by saying, I
Any opposed any opinion of chairs, the eyes, have it. And
those members will be added, who's here?
see Alderman, uh, Harris and
On the politano are on right now. Got a question. Uh,
Auto. I think we should double check. That didn't sound
like chairman Harris. That sounded like an impostor, can
we? This is no impostor. That's, that's her, that's her.
Do you want? What's, what's her Alter Ego? Do you remember
the alter ego from Rules from the remap? I don't know if
you want to see you that 1, you don't want her in the room.
All right. Uh Now's the Time for public comment. We have 2.
People have signed up for public comment and we begin with
George Blakemore followed by Taiwan Sims.
Good afternoon, Mr. Blake Moore. You had 3 minutes?
You don't want me to have a good afternoon.
I can't believe it.
It's brutal economic that's going on here.
Hey, Mr. Break on. You should take care of your your help.
These people will be doing this when you dead and gone.
But what I'm so happy to continue to do God's work.
because everybody, you gonna reap the seed, you sow,
you going to reap the seed that you sow?
But it's boo economics.
With its voodoo economics.
That went on and Pat dial a committee and still going on.
Flip red.
Go red.
Continue to go Blue.
The federal government Trump.
Go black. You got these Black Faces in high places,
spelling. Black people out.
Now Mr. Yes, say Mr. Blakemore, you your health? This going
to be going on.
You all have gone on. I said Mr. I couldn't believe what?
What happened to Pat down. I couldn't believe, Mr. Antsy.
and these black people voted for illegals of sanctuary for
them to have house Goods, contracts and jobs
I can't believe it.
And then now you saying you're in Shady water with Trump,
you don't know what's going on.
When you pass this affordable housing with this little
rigged up Council, they know they not getting paid. All of
them are getting paid.
All y'all are getting paid.
All of y'all are getting paid to abuse the system.
You don't care about all of you, but what's so a, a good
about it? All of y'all going to have to pay too.
And worry about Mr. Beamo and his help.
And he'll die, you going to pay on your grandchildren going
to pay and your great-grandchildren going to pay. You know
what I'm saying? Away.
You do not get away.
Now, I'm supposed to been over to the hospital, peeing.
Black, a doodoo black, that's something wrong with me. It's
something wrong here.
Something wrong here. And if I'm going to pay why you think
you're not going to pay, it might be 10 years. It might be
20 years, it might be 4 years. What you gonna pay?
You going to pay?
A head back to your mouth. Thank you. Uh Mr. Blakemore next
we'll have Mr. Sims
Say that Mr. Be
um, good afternoon committee, we don't have well we don't
have a department of government efficiency here in the city
of Chicago.
and,
Due to last year's. Well, I was privileged to sit in the
room.
through the financial meetings, through the
Bond meetings and whatnot.
But I wasn't privy to sit fully all year long, not through
November and December to watch the debacle, The budgetary
debacle, that was taking place.
Here. We have our chairman. Ervin made sure that I didn't
sit in the room, but this, y'all, I'll be calm. I'll be
good.
Because I want to watch, I want to watch y'all push the
pieces this year.
With a 900 this morning. I forgot was I said 928 million,
that was generous 982. Million dollar shortfall already
looming over the heads of the budgetary committee order
about
This Think Tank.
And where we at?
And still for the 300 million or better.
That you all spent on the new arrival Initiative, for the 39
million that you put into building structures. And what for
for all of the money that y'all consider to spend on
individuals once again. And I'm going to say it who have
not contributed nor put into any
But yet, you all chose to take taxpaying dollars and do
whatever you please with it hunt C, Joe. That's why I'm the
man still standing at this Podium homeless.
but,
Lopez. You said something, you said a producer fiscal
responsibility.
That means that you are all supposed to look out for us the
residents here, in the city of Chicago.
Financially consider us before whatever end that y'all
choose.
But we didn't meet that. We didn't get that knot out of
this representative.
Well, representing body with the chairman there.
and we don't get it from our president when he stepped up
to the podium,
So we stuck financially, and so this year, I wonder how you
all. As I say, push this piece 982 million
Already a budgetary shortfall not structured. It was not
written in.
Already struggling with the pensions.
That's 39 Point. What? 39.7 billion dollars?
Unpaid.
But we're investing in the people, this is always his
comment, we're investing in the working class. Well, those
municipal.
Police.
Fire department. And y'all also falling that pension plan.
Let's just talk about that. Let's talk about Chicago and
how we're losing.
But I, I want to sit in here for the budget. Um, Irvin, I
want to see how you work that magic that voodoo economics.
As Mr. Blake Moore said,
Thank you. Uh, thank you, Mr. Sims, uh, we've had, uh,
Alderman Rodriguez, uh, join us
Uh, as well as Alderman kutson is on virtually. Can I get a
motion to allow for ultimate kenootz? Participation, so
moved by Vice chair, Lee all in favor, signify by saying, I
In your Post Independent chairs eyes, having an ultimate
canoe and will be added. Uh, we will, uh, begin, uh, with
the, uh, monthly rule, 45 report for the month of March
2025, which was transmitted electronically to all members
created a motion to accept the rule, 45. So move all the
men to all in favor. Signify by saying, I
In your post, in the opinion and chairs of the eyes, have
it, and the motion passes.
The committee will now uh consider item number 1 of our
agenda item. Number 1 has been a substitute and sent around
to all members of the committee do have a motion to accept
the substitute.
so, so moved by Alderman, uh,
Lopez. I thought that was Quinn. I'm sorry. But Lopez
2 sound alike. All right. Be that as in May almond Lopez
all in favor. Signify by saying, I
Chair. This is Alderman, Ken, I'm here for Quorum. I got
you Timmy. Thank you sir. Very well. Um, and paying the
chairs I have the substitute is now before us
Deputy budget director. Chloe bails out is here to explain
the substitute. Please proceed.
Uh, good afternoon. Uh, my name is Chloe, belac. I'm the
deputy over grants Administration for the budget office.
Um, we are uh, introduced or substituting the mayoral
annual appropriation ordinance for 2025, for fund, 925 for
the Department of Public Health, the Department of Family
and support services and the Department of Transportation.
The total appropriation request is for 8 million and
89,000.
The first being for the Department of Public Health, which
has been awarded Federal grant funds in the amount of $2
million from the United States Department of Housing, uh,
Urban, uh, Urban Development and for the healthy homes
program.
Second is for cdph, uh, for private Grant funds in the
amount of 122,000, by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Illinois, uh, for the Caravan Blue Cross program,
Next, is from the Department of Family and support
services. They have been awarded State Grant funds in the
amount of 334,000, uh, by the Illinois Department of Human
Services for the Emergency transitional housing renovation,
tax write-off program
Uh, next is for the Department of Transportation cedat,
which has been awarded additional private Grant funds in
the amount of 3,800,000 by the belt. Railway company of
Chicago, BRC for, uh, private grant for the create Project,
G, uh, S9 program,
Next is also for C dot, which has received State Grant
funds in the amount of 533,000 from the Illinois. Commerce
Commission for the multimodal, uh, Transportation bond fund
program. And lastly, C dot has been awarded additional
Federal pass through Grant funds in the amount of 1,300,000
by the Illinois Department of Transportation for the state
planning and research program. Thank you.
Thank you. Deputy director any questions?
Um, Lopez.
Thank you, chairman and again good afternoon members of the
committee um with regards to the dfss grant. Can you
explain what a tax write-off program is
Sure. Uh Kimberly Howard. I'm a director with the homeless
services division at the Department of Family and support
services.
Um this is a good question, this is just how the what the
state uh funding award is named. So I'm actually not sure
how the, like, where the funding comes from on the state
side. Um, but the way that it comes to the city is that the
state's sort of offers for us to apply, um, for funding
through that Grant. Um, so it is sort of typically a grant
that they uh make uh, open to us uh on an annual basis. Um,
Um, and then they have very specific guidance that we can
follow on how to spend those funds, um, which is mostly for
renovations and purchase, um, of supplies for shelters.
chairman, if we could have provided through the chair, what
exactly, the tech tax write off program entails from the
state's perspective,
I'd be curious if there's ways for us to better maximize if
that's a write-off program at
Citywide for us to be able to create more opportunities for
funding. I would appreciate it.
Um, and then also chairman with 3 respect to the
2 railroad for C dot particular. The create the
3.8 million create Grant from the state.
Uh, couple questions 1 is that money different from the
what we get from the federal government or is that just
passed through from the federal to the state to us?
Good afternoon. My name is Grant Davis with the Chicago
Department of Transportation. The 3.8 million that is a,
uh, the railroads participation cost share for the project.
So it is, neither fate State nor Federal funding its
funding from the railroad.
And how much of the private share, how much is available of
the private share of that money?
Or What's the total available currently floating around out
there?
This is specific to this project so for this project just
for this yeah 3.8 million. Are there any other areas where
we're seeing similar projects like this?
Or is there a list of potential projects that we see?
Because I know many of us who deal with railroads um our
oftentimes asking for other funding opportunities to deal
with many of the issues, particularly as they relate to
retaining walls. So I'd like to know is that also included
in any of the discussions, or are we looking at ways to
find money for those as well?
So this funding is specifically for create, which is a
regional program, that is looking at improving for Freight.
Okay, familiar. So, I am not aware of a
Separate fund that the railroad provides to the city for
retaining walls. Okay, thank you.
Thank you. Al any other questions?
If not move to pass, all right, move to pass. All in favor.
Signify by saying, I
Any opposed any opinion of chairs eyes. Have it in this
matter will be reported out at our next, regular meeting of
the city council on April 16th. We will now, um, item
number 2 will be held in committee at the request of the
grantee. Um, item number is 3 and 4 on the agenda, both of
which are transfer fund ordinances. A substitute is
proposed for item number 4 in the 23rd World, which has
been distributed all committee members do have a motion to
accept the substitute for the 23rd. Ward
so moved by Vice chair, Lee all in favor signify by saying
I
Any oppose, any opinion that chairs, the eyes have it? And
the substitute is now before us
so, items number 3, and 4 are a transfer of funds within the
first world, wage allowance and automatic expense account
for your 2025 and a transfer of funds within the 23rd
World, wage allowance and automatic expense accounts for
year 2025. Uh, any questions. Uh,
Or Lopez. Thank you, chairman. I know these are fairly
routine. Is there anyone here from the finance?
Or budget office to answer a question. What is your
question? So, the question that I have chairman is as we
all are aware, we have a million dollar turnover in the
budget for City Council.
Uh, my question is, does that turnover, which generally
relates to hiring or gaps and and spending that create
savings, is any of that taken into account when we're
dealing with any of these
Fund to fund transfers, whether it's Force for for expense
to Personnel, or Personnel to expense.
Uh, yes. Theoretically the uh, the ward and the ward
encumbrance of 10,800 was really left to the discretion of
the aldermen to figure out how they wanted to apply it. So
if you felt that you know, for example let's say you didn't
didn't hire someone in the first part of you, you had a
vacancy and that money could have been eaten up in the
could then transfer it from because it's it's sitting in
everyone's expense account today but you could have
transferred money into your from the salary line to the
expense.
Line to cover it or vice versa. If you have, you know, if
you feel, you still need enough salary as long as the
amount was taken care of within your War via VIA expense
Andor. Uh, wage allowance. That was ultimately it. So as
long as you meet the meet the threshold, that's it is what
it is. Now it could it change during the year potentially?
Uh, change that depends upon, you know, revenues look
better than what we anticipated. Could, we essentially
change the amount? We could, um, however, uh, that's,
that's when we were looking at coming in and we'll see what
that looks like, as we go through our mid year, another
times of the year, so. So I guess the question chairman is
and I understand that answer and I guess the question is as
we do with other departments our members of this body being
encouraged to make that allocation and then not
Fill that space or you're just leaving it to the discretion
of the, uh, member. So there, if, if the member does
nothing, it will stay in the expense line if you, if you do
absolutely nothing. It'll just stay in your expense line if
you want to adjust, how that, that 10,800 is conserved
that's totally up to the member. But if you do nothing,
it'll sit as an encumbrance on the expense side. Got it.
Thank you. All right, any other questions?
Uh, is there a motion to pass, uh, items, 3 and 4?
So moved by Alderman, jansy all in favor signify by saying,
I any opposed any opinion of the chairs, the eyes have it
in. These matters will be reported out at our next regular
city council meeting on April 16th 2025. With there being
no further business before the committee, uh, going to have
a motion to adjourn. So, moved by Alderman, Cardona all in
favor, signify by saying I None opposed. All right, we are
a jour.