Council. Profane, threatening,
harassing, abusive, or defamatory behavior or
speech, which in the judgment of the meeting's chair or the
sergeant-at-arms may lead to a breach of the peace or
disrupt the orderly conduct of the meeting is not permitted.
Disruptive or distracting actions, such as the stomping of feet,
waving of arms, throwing any item, whistling,
booing, shouting, or other loud utterances are not
permitted when in the judgment of the meeting's chair or the
sergeant-at-arms, such actions are disrupting or impeding the
orderly conduct of the meeting.
Any item that poses a potential safety hazards, as determined by the
sergeant-at-arms, is prohibited in the gallery.
Such items include, but are not limited to, one, any
pointed objects, including knives of any kind;
two, banners, flyers, or other forms of
signage; three, food and beverages, including
in glass or metal canisters; four,
backpacks, large bags, and sealed packages.
Clear bags, not tinted in color, that do not exceed twelve
inches by six inches by twelve are permitted and subject to
search. And five, firearms,
ammunition, fireworks, laser pointers, stun
guns, tasers, mace pepper spray, and toy
weapons. Cell phones and other small handheld recording
devices must be placed in silent mode, can only be
used while seated, and can only be used in a manner
that does not interfere with the ability other individuals to
view or hear the proceedings. Individuals or
groups failing to adhere to these rules will be subject to
removal from the remainder of the meeting by the
sergeant-at-arms. City of Chicago City
Council Rules of Conduct for Public Meetings, Twenty
Twenty-Three to Twenty Twenty-Seven.
Pursuant to Rule fifty-eight of the Chicago City Council Rules of
Order and Procedure, the sergeant-at-arms sets forth the
following rules of conduct for members of the public.
These rules shall be in effect at all times that a viewing
gallery or room is open for a meeting of the City Council or
any of its committees. All individuals and their belongings are
subject to search at entry or upon request.
Individuals must remain seated at all times except,
one, when entering or exiting the gallery;
two, when providing public comment during the portion of a meeting
set aside for that purpose; or three, when
asked to rise and be acknowledged by a member of the City
Council. Profane, threatening,
harassing, abusive, or defamatory behavior or
speech, which in the judgment of the meeting's chair or the
sergeant-at-arms may lead to a breach of the peace or
disrupt the orderly conduct of the meeting is not permitted.
Disruptive or distracting actions, such as the stomping of
feet, waving of arms, throwing any item,
whistling, booing, shouting, or other loud utterances
are not permitted when in the judgment of the meeting's chair or the
sergeant-at-arms, such actions are disrupting or impeding the
orderly conduct of the meeting. Any item that poses a
potential safety hazards, as determined by the sergeant-at-arms,
is prohibited in the gallery. Such items include, but are
not limited to, one, any pointed objects,
including knives of any kind; two, banners,
flyers, or other forms of signage; three, food
and beverages, including in glass or metal
canisters; four, backpacks, large bags, and
sealed packages. Clear bags, not tinted in color, that do
not exceed twelve inches by six inches by twelve are
permitted and subject to search. And five,
firearms, ammunition, fireworks, laser
pointers, stun guns, tasers, mace pepper
spray, and toy weapons. Cell phones and other small
handheld recording devices must be placed in silent
mode, can only be used while seated, and can
only be used in a manner that does not interfere with the
ability other individuals to view or hear the
proceedings. Individuals or groups failing to
adhere to these rules will be subject to removal from the
remainder of the meeting by the
sergeant-at-arms. City of Chicago City
Council Rules of Conduct for Public Meetings, Twenty
Twenty-Three to Twenty Twenty-Seven.
Pursuant to Rule fifty-eight of the Chicago City Council Rules of
Order and Procedure, the sergeant-at-arms sets forth the
following rules of conduct for members of the public.
These rules shall be in effect at all times that a viewing
gallery or room is open for a meeting of the City Council
or any of its committees. All individuals and their
belongings are subject to search at entry or upon
request. Individuals must remain seated at all
times except, one, when entering or exiting the
gallery; two, when providing public comment during the
portion of a meeting set aside for that purpose; or
three, when asked to rise and be acknowledged by a member of the
City Council. Profane, threatening,
harassing, abusive, or defamatory behavior or
speech, which in the judgment of the meeting's chair or the
sergeant-at-arms may lead to a breach of the peace or
disrupt the orderly conduct of the meeting is not permitted.
Disruptive or distracting actions, such as the stomping of
feet, waving of arms... Throwing any item,
whistling, booing, shouting, or other loud utterances
are not permitted when in the judgment of the meeting's chair or the
sergeant-at-arms, such actions are disrupting or impeding the
orderly conduct of the meeting. Any item that poses a
potential safety hazards, as determined by the sergeant-at-arms,
is prohibited in the gallery. Such items include, but
are not limited to: one, any pointed objects,
including knives of any kind; two, banners,
flyers, or other forms of signage; three, food
and beverages, including in glass or metal
canisters; four, backpacks, large bags, and
sealed packages. Clear bags, not tinted in color, that do
not exceed twelve inches by six inches by twelve, are
permitted and subject to search. And five,
firearms, ammunition, fireworks, laser
pointers, stun guns, tasers, mace/pepper
spray, and toy weapons. Cell phones-
Uh, good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
I appreciate your patience. Um, we are waiting
for a few more aldermen so that we can
have quorum and we can begin the meeting.
Your patience is appreciated.
Small handheld recording devices must be placed in silent
mode, can only be used while seated, and can only
be used in a manner that does not interfere with the ability
of other individuals to view or hear the
proceedings. Individuals or groups failing to
adhere to these rules will be subject to removal from the
remainder of the meeting by the
sergeant-at-arms. City of Chicago
City Council Rules of Conduct for Public Meetings, twenty
twenty-three to twenty twenty-seven.
Pursuant to Rule fifty-eight of the Chicago City Council Rules of
Order and Procedure, the sergeant-at-arms sets forth the
following rules of conduct for members of the public.
These rules shall be in effect at all times that a viewing
gallery or room is open for a meeting of the City Council
or any of its committees. All individuals and their
belongings are subject to search at entry or upon
request.
Individuals must remain seated at all times, except,
one, when entering or exiting the gallery;
two, when providing public comment during the portion of a meeting
set aside for that purpose; or three, when
asked to rise and be acknowledged by a member of the City
Council. Profane, threatening,
harassing, abusive, or defamatory behavior or
speech, which in the judgment of the meeting's chair or the
sergeant-at-arms, may lead to a breach of the peace or
disrupt the orderly conduct of the meeting, is not permitted.
Disruptive or distracting actions, such as the stomping of feet,
waving of arms, throwing any item, whistling,
booing, shouting, or other loud utterances, are not
permitted when in the judgment of the meeting's chair or the
sergeant-at-arms, such actions are disrupting or impeding the
orderly conduct of the meeting. Any item that poses a
potential safety hazards, as determined by the sergeant-at-arms,
is prohibited in the gallery. Such items include, but
are not limited to: one, any pointed objects,
including knives of any kind; two, banners,
flyers, or other forms of signage; three, food
and beverages, including in glass or metal
canisters; four, backpacks, large bags, and
sealed packages. Clear bags, not tinted in color, that do
not exceed twelve inches by six inches by twelve, are
permitted and subject to search. And five,
firearms, ammunition, fireworks, laser
pointers, stun guns, tasers, mace/pepper
spray, and toy weapons. Cell phones and other small
handheld recording devices must be placed in silent mode,
can only be used while seated, and can only be used in
a manner that does not interfere with the ability of other
individuals to view or hear the proceedings.
Individuals or groups failing to adhere to these
rules will be subject to removal from the remainder of the
meeting by the sergeant-at-arms.
City of Chicago City Council Rules of Conduct for Public
Meetings, twenty twenty-three to twenty twenty-seven.
Pursuant to Rule fifty-eight of the Chicago City Council Rules of
Order and Procedure, the sergeant-at-arms sets forth the
following rules of conduct for members of the public.
These rules shall be in... City of Chicago-
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
The Committee on Finance meeting is called to order.
Today, we will be holding a public hearing on the proposed
formation of the Chicago Tourism Improvement
District and the levy of transaction charges on
certain hotels within the Chicago Tourism
Improvement District. Any hotel
proposed to be subject to a transaction charge
will have the opportunity to be heard today during the
public hearing. Any proposed-- Any
hotel proposed to be subject to a transaction charge
has the opportunity to file objections to the formation of the
district with the city clerk at any time prior to the
conclusion of today's
meeting.Representatives of the Office of the
City Clerk are available in the back of the council chamber to collect
written objections from any business owners or hotels that
may be subject to a transaction charge and Michelle LeVar
is here from the clerk's office. Please raise your hand so, and stand so
people see who you are. Um, we will now have
a roll call to establish
quorum.
Alderman Lapada,
Alderman Hopkins, Alderman Hall,
Alderman Mitchell, Alderman Harris, Alderman
Beal, Alderman Lee, Alderman
Ramirez,
Alderman Lopez, Alderman Curtis, Alderman
O'Shea, Alderman Rodriguez,
Alderman Burnett, Alderman Irvin, Alderman
Taliaferro, Alderman Cardona, Alderman
Waguespack, Alderman Casada, Alderman
Sposato, Alderman
Vasquez, Alderman Knutson, Alderman
Martin, Alderman
Ex Officio,
President Pro Tem Nugent. Chair
Dowell is here.
Alderman Citro Lopez.
We have a quorum. We have eighteen present in chambers.
Alderman
Mitz, Vice Chair Conway, Alderman
Silverstein, Riley, Quinn, Moore,
Villegas, Mosley, Rodriguez, Sanchez, Taylor, and
Lawson have requested remote participations for
reasons stated under the provision of Rule
fifty-nine.
Alderman Scott.
Hold on, Alderman Scott. Um, can I have a motion to
allow these aldermen? So moved by
Alderman Irvin. All those in favor signify by saying
"I." Opposed and the opinion of the
chair. Yes, Alderman Sposato, we'll, we'll record
that. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, and the
motion carries.
That was Rule fifty-nine.
Uh, I will count them. I think there's more than
ten. Um,
I'd like to confirm, Vice Chair Conway.
Present. There's a, there's a-
Alderman Mitz.
Alderman Silverstein.
Present.
Alderman Riley. Present. Alderman Quinn.
Here.
Alderman Scott.
Present.
Alderman Moore.
Present, Chairman, thank you.
Alderman Villegas.
Present.
Alderman Mosley.
Alderman Rodriguez Sanchez.
Alderman Taylor.
Alderman Lawson, who is with us as a
non-member. Alderman Lawson?
All right. Let the record reflect that this is a public hearing
that is being held pursuant to the requirements of Section twenty-five of the
Tourism Preservation and Sustainability Dist- District
Act, which is codified at s- in the
Illinois, um, uh, the
ILCS
number thirty-four fifty-five
slash twenty-five. Notice of this public
hearing was published on January twenty-six, twenty twenty-six on the
website of the Office of the City Clerk.
Let the record reflect that
the-- We have a
exhibit number one, which is the notice
given to the court
reporter.
This is a hearing regarding the proposed formation of the Chicago Tourism
Improvement District and the levy of transaction taxes,
charges on certain hotels with the s- within the CTID and
the levy of transaction charges on certain hotels
within the CTID. Written comments related to the
proposed formation of the Chicago Tourism Improvement District
and the levy of transaction charges on certain hotels within
the district must have been submitted by email to the Committee on
Finance no later than ten AM Thursday, February
twenty-sixth. Let the record reflect that there were no written
comments submitted for this project.
Um, ladies and gentlemen, if any resident, taxpayer,
hotel, or other interested parties attending this
hearing desires an opportunity to express their views
for or against the proposed formation of the
CTID and the levy of transaction charges on
certain hotels within the CTID, please do one of
the following. For those attending the public hearing in
person, please come to the microphone in the aisle when your name is
called, and for those who have called in or on the
toll-free line, uh, please enter nine on
your-- Star nine on your phone to notify the host
of the call-in number. And once you are called upon to provide your
comments, please enter star six to unmute your
phone. Um, each speaker will be limited to three
minutes. Is there any member of the public,
taxpayer, hotel, or interested person who wishes to make a statement
with respect to this matter?
The first person to speak this morning is George
Blakemore.
Thank you. Your job is to inform,
engage your community. I, I, I'm
totally against this tax. Why are you
against it, Mr. Blakemore? Because it would end up the
people, poor people, coming to our
city, uh, for their conventions, and some
are just coming to visit, that tax will be
passed on to them.
And taxation w- without representation and that
on, uh, uh, it's terrible. You set
a poor example. You didn't have a quorum, and then you, uh,
have allowed some of these other aldermen to, to be at
home.
That was during COVID-19. It's over. Your...
Their presence should be present here.
Now, while I'm talking, Ms. O'Shea and this other one is, uh,
carrying on another conversation.
That shows disrespect for the public.
You don't have, uh, uh, to, uh, hear a- and want to
hear, but play like you do, 'cause you are public
servants. You are paid, and this is
ridiculous. Your timing and all, and do you
realize what you said when you f- asked these people to wait,
'cause you didn't have a quorum? You all are getting paid to be on
time. Any job you get on, you, you got a, a
starting time, and you got a break, and you got a quitting time.
Uh, you're not above the law. This is why it's very
important for a man of Mr. Blakemore caliber to come to these
meetings, to inform the public, uh, and engage the
public how this nonfunctional government is
working.
And they're all Democrat. I urge, uh, Reverend
Trump, Reverend Trump to come and clean up this swamp.
Well, Trump is a racist. Well, the Democrats are,
too. What about Mr. Blakemore going black?
Going black. So both of them. But I
encourage somebody to come and clean up this swamp
here. Trump, Reverend Trump, come down here
and clean up this swamp. This is fraud, waste, and abuse
here, and it's a one-party system.
There, there's no check and balance here.
So that alone, uh, breeds corruption and fraud
and abuse. Now, in a few minutes, my three minutes would be up.
Then you're gonna come and tell him, "Uh, uh, uh, Mr.
Blakemore, your minutes is, are up.
You sit down." But
the minutes tick on you all, too.
Uh-huh. The minutes tick on you all, too.
And it's time for all y'all to go,
'cause the system is broken,
and it, it, it's sad, and you all are the laughing
stock of America.
The laughing stock o- of Chicago. Now come on-
Thank you, Mr. Blakemore. Our next speaker is Jaime
DiPaolo.
Uh, good morning, Madam Chair, members of the committee.
Good morning.
Thank you for allowing me to speak. My name is Jaime DiPaolo.
I'm the president and CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and I'm
here to express our very strong support for the Tourism Improvement
District, an initiative that will bring meaningful economic benefits, not
just to Chicago, but to all the neighborhoods and bus- small businesses and
working families. The TID is a modest ve- visitor-funded
mechanism that strengthens Chi- Choose Chicago and expands
the city's ability to attract visitors.
Without raising costs for residents, increased tourism drives the, uh,
new revenues for hotels, restaurants, retailers, transportation
providers, and countless services, industries across the
city. These dollars support essential public services that generate
thousands of jobs that Chicago families rely on.
For the Hispanic business community, TID represents a particularly powerful
opportunity for the neighborhoods such as Belmont Cragin, Archer
Heights, Gage Park, Little Village, Pilsen, and many others are
home to vibrant commercial corridors, family-owned enterprises,
culturally destinations, and culinary gems that thrive
when foot traffic increases. Tourism dollars flow
into these communities, helping, uh, raise local entrepreneurs
higher, grow, and reinvest. At the same time,
Chicago business community are tied, uh, are tied together by
interconnected, uh, supply chains for hospitality and
food services to transportation, professional services, local
ar- ar- artisans, and retail. This tourism growth de-
demands increases across, uh, the sectors, creating new op-
opportunities and strong economic stability citywide.
Supporting one industry strengthens the entire ecosystem
and keeps Chicago eco- economy moving.
For those reasons, I respectfully urge, I respectfully,
respectfully urge this committee to support the Tourism Improvement
District by passing the TID. With your help, small
businesses, workers, and families across Chicago and diverse neighborhoods.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you very much. I'd like to acknowledge, uh, Alderman Mitchell, who
has joined us and will be counted towards quorum.
Our next speaker is Mark Doyle, followed
by Janu
Jackson.
Hi, Madam Chair. It's good to see you again.
Good morning.
My name is Mark Doyle. I am the founder of Rags of Honor
and Veteran Roasters. I founded it eight years ago when I
got back from Afghanistan. We hire homeless and at-risk veterans.
We have an apparel company and a coffee company.
... and I don't want to be the skunk at the family picnic here, but I want to
remind everybody who's listening
that every day, twenty-two veterans take their own
life. Every
single day, veterans
take their own life, twenty-two of them.
So the work we do
gets people off the street, w- earning a living
wage, and trying to have the life they
deserve. The reason this is important to us, right across the street, I've
got two- I've got a cafe across the street.
Two people working for me were homeless nine months ago.
We get visitors in that cafe
who buy coffee, buy T-shirts, go online.
We get visitors at the airport, at our
cafe. It is important work that Choose
Chicago is doing. They're a great customer for us.
We do a lot of T-shirt work for them. We do coffee cup work for them.
So you want to make a difference in the life of not just veterans
who are struggling, but there's a, there is a, um,
a multiplier effect, as you all know, when people
come to this city and they spend money, and we see it every
day. Hyatt Hotels, we do all the T-shirts
for Hyatt Hotels worldwide, and we do it out of this city.
And so I urge people to understand that a mere one and a
half percent that people will pay at these hotels will help us
be competitive, it puts tourists down on our street spending
money, and it helps me do my job to
make sure that nobody who wore the uniform
gets left behind. Thank you.
Thank you. Um, uh, our next speaker is
Janu Jackson, followed by Tommy
Vann.
Good morning, and thank you so much for having me.
Good morning.
My name is Janelle Jackson, and alongside my mother, Jackie
Jackson, we own and operate seven Kilwins Chocolates Fudge and Ice
Cream franchises across the city, with an eighth location
coming soon, in addition to a Fatburger franchise in
Chatham. As a small business operating all over
the city, in tourist destinations like Navy Pier
and in neighborhood commercial areas like Andersonville, we
have a very unique perspective on why passing the TID is so
important for small businesses and local communities in
Chicago. Tourism is a net positive for any small
business, regardless of location, and it may not be at no
surprise that Navy Pier and Michigan Avenue locations see an
upward of seventy-five percent of their business from tourists.
But what may surprise you is that some of those other locations
are not far off. Our Hyde Park location, for
example, gets anywhere between fifty to sixty percent of its
business from tourists. Many stop in while they're taking
the, uh, South Side bus tours, uh, visiting the Obamas in the
Kenwood neighborhood, and spending time at the University of
Chicago. With the TID, Chicago can drive more
tourism to areas across the city, leading to growth
for businesses like ours and creating opportunities for local
residents. Our locations-- uh, across all
of our locations, we employ thirty to fifty employees
year-round, plus another fifty seasonal workers in the
summertime. Growth for us means Chicagoans have new
economic and cultural opportunities.
We also participate in the J-1 visa program to host
international workers, contributing to Chicago's status as a
world city and helping our local employees engage
in global cultures. I hope you all consider my words
and those that have spoken today. The TID is a smart solution
that supports our local economy in a very profound
way. Tourism spending benefits far more than just the
traditional tourist areas. Supporting tourism means supporting
neighborhoods and creating new pathways for our local
residents. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Ms. Jackson. Our next speaker is Tommy
Vann, followed by Nedra
Fears. And we would count... Hello,
Alderman Harris, we will count you towards
quorum.
Good morning, Madam Chair-
Good morning
... members of the City Council. My name is Tommy Vann, and
I'm proud to serve as chairman of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging
Association. IHLA represents hotel of all
sizes across Chicago and throughout Illinois, and we are here
today to express our strong support for the creation of the
Tourism Improvement District. Hotels are on the front lines
of Chicago's visitors' economy. When visitors come to the
city, they stay in our hotels, they eat in our restaurants,
attend conventions, and support local jobs.
Tourism dollars flow directly into our seventy-seven neighborhoods
across Chicago, supporting workers, small
businesses, and city services. A tourism
improvement district is a smart and proven tool.
It allows the hotel industry to reinvest in Chicago by
funding sales, marketing, and promotion efforts that drives
new demand. These are efforts focused on bringing more
meetings, conventions, and leisure travelers to
Chicago. That is especially important as cities across the
country compete aggressively for these
visitors. I want to be clear, this is about hotels stepping
up to help Chicago compete. TIDs work because the funds
stay local and are used for one purpose only, to increase
visitation. For over thirty-five years, I've been able to see
firsthand how increased visitation fills
rooms, supports staff, and creates stable jobs.
When Chicago wins more visitors, local hotels
benefit, and so do the communities around them.
On behalf of IHLA and the hotel industry, I urge the
finance committee and the full city council to support the creation of
a tourism improvement district. This is an investment in Chicago's
economy, workforce, and future growth.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Thank you, Mr. Vann. Um, next speaker is Nedra Fears,
followed by Nick, uh,
O-or I can't read this, Orince or
Oprince. Ms. Fears.
Yes. Good morning, Madam Chair and the Committee on
Finance. Um, thank you for listening
to, um, me and other community members as you
consider the TID. I'm Nedra Sims
Fears, the Executive Director of the Greater Chatham
Initiative. We serve residents and small businesses in
four South Side communities, N- Chatham, Greater Grand
Crossing, Avalon Park, and Auburn Gresham.
Today, I'm here to urge you to support the TID
proposal. Greater Chatham might be more than ten miles
away from downtown hotspots like The Bean and Mag
Mile, but our community none-nonetheless directly
benefits from tourism. Chicago is one of the
best food cities in the country, and Greater Chatham
is home to the area's soul food,
Caribbean, and West African food
district, anchored by the legendary and
James Beard Award-winning Lem's Barbecue,
Brown Sugar Bakery, and others. People
know about three million people,
visitors, eat at our local restaurants each year, with
ten percent of them coming from outside Chicago as far
as Southeast Michigan and to Schaumburg.
I know in my heart that Greater Chatham has an even larger
role to play in continuing to grow Chicago
tourism and hospitality industry.
All we need is for people to know what's on the
menu. The TID will be incredibly important
to bring awareness to commercial corridors that
tourists might normally consider off the beaten path,
especially on the South Side. When one neighborhood
succeeds, everyone does. Diners at Chatham
Restaurant may wander into a small shop or
head up the road to Jackson Park or the South Shore Cultural
Center, or vice versa. It goes without saying
that more visitors we have into our neighborhoods, the more
jobs and economic op-t-- opportunities we can
support. The TID is good policy to
uplift every single community. So thank you so much for your
time, and I hope you j-join me in
enthusiastically supporting the TID. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Fears. Uh, Nick Orince
or Oprince, followed by Nabil
Moubayed.
Hi. Good morning, Chairman and Committee. My name's Nick Orrico.
I'm the General Manager at the Fairmont Chicago, and I'm in, I'm here today
to support the tourism improvement district for Chicago.
For us to have a healthy travel economy, we need to be attracting visitors
from all segments. This includes our domestic leisure travelers, our business
travel, and most importantly, our meeting and conventions.
These visitors eat in our restaurants, shop in our
stores, use our transportation, stay in our
hotels, and most importantly, support our working, uh, our
workforce. The TID is so important because it's a
dedicated fund to ensure that we're attracting those visitors.
It's gonna help improve our economy and our workforce.
Chicago has so many amazing attractions.
We have, uh, uh, we have the largest convention center in
North America, we have amazing local attractions, and in
my opinion, one of the best workforces in, uh, in the
country. For us to compete with the rest of the
country that's already implemented this, we need the TID to be able to be
competitive. Chicago is a
growing economy that we need to continue to support, and I believe that
the TID will do that. So thank you once again for the time
today, and, um, I hope you guys can all appreciate this.
Thank you.
Uh, thank you. Our next speaker is Nabil Moubayed,
followed by Travis Latham.
Good morning. Thank you for having us. Appreciate your time.
My name is, uh, Nabil Moubayed. I'm the General Manager at the
InterContinental Hotel in Chicago on the Magnificent
Mile. I'm here today to s- to be in
support of the tourism improvement district, or TID.
Uh, my hotel is actually owned by a local Chicago
company. We actually employ over three hundred, uh, folks
that, that l-live in your districts.
And I can tell you that competition for group business, for conventions,
and for major events is very intense out there.
We all know that competition from all the other bigger cities, as
well as some up-and-coming cities around the country, is not gonna stop,
so we need to really work on our funding.
Um,
the competition is not standing still.
They're investing in, aggressively in destination, uh, marketing and
convention sales, and Chicago needs the tools to keep
pace.
From my perspective, a TID would really help provide the resources needed to
sell Chicago more effectively
so that we can pursue more meetings and conventions, strengthen marketing
efforts, and drive overnight stays that support hotel
workers, small businesses, and the broader city
economy.At an individual property,
occupancy does not just happen on its own.
We need demand generation. We need strong city-wide sales
efforts. We need to give meeting planners and event
organizers every reason possible to choose Chicago over
another market. A TID helps make that
possible.
For hotels like ours, more room nights
creates a very simple equation. More room nights
become more shifts for our employees,
more business for our nearby restaurants and shops, and definitely
more economic activity throughout every neighborhood in the
city. It's crucial. I
respectfully encourage the sh- city council to
move forward with this effort and help position Chicago for
long-term success
as a leading global destination. Thank you for your time.
Uh, thank you. Our next speaker is Travis
Latham, followed by Sheila
Ward.
Good morning, Chairman and members of the committee.
Morning.
My name is Travis Latham. I'm the president of Fellowship Fleet Limousine and Bus
Company. We're a proud business based in Chicago since two thousand and
six. I'm here today to express my strong support for the
Tourism Improvement District proposal and to encourage your support
as well. This initiative represents a, a significant opportunity
for economic growth in our city and state.
The TID is estimated to create between five thousand and fifty-six hundred new
jobs, driving growth for small businesses like mine and
providing income for families throughout Chicago.
Our company specializes in luxury rel-reliable
transportation for a variety of needs: corporate travel,
conventions, nights on the town, and personal activities
like family reunions and special events.
Chicago is more than just a city to me. It's a home.
I'm a proud homeowner in the Third Ward.
This incredible place opened doors for me and gave me the chance to build
something meaningful. My roots, and the roots of our business,
are woven deep in Chicago. Even, even though we've been
fortunate enough to grow and reach other cities like New York, Atlanta,
DC, and Memphis, Chicago is still home.
It's the base. Chicago holds my heart.
It's the foundation of who we are and what we do.
The work we pour into our, ourselves, into
closely, is closely connected to Chicago's
vibrancy, the very growth that propose--
this TID is proposed to support. Establishing the TID
will create opportunities not just for c-companies like
mine, but for all businesses in Chicago.
Increased tourism means greater demand for our limousine and bus
services, leading to more jobs and economic growth.
When we invest in tourism, we support a wide network of local
businesses, hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and attractions
which benefit from increased
flow of visitors. Over the next five years, the TIG is projected
to generate two hundred and sixty-nine point three million in new
incremental tax revenue from out of s-town visitors.
This substantial investment will strengthen communities, support local
businesses, and build a bright future for all Chicagoans.
As tourism grows, so does local spending, and visitors dine
in local eateries, shops, neighborhood stores, and participate
in our worldwide cultural events.
We already collaborate with many other tourism partners in the city,
but the, the formation of this district would allow us to build even
stronger relationships and work together to promote Chicago as a premier
destination. We all know it is. I tell everyone
to get one of-- I tell everyone that gets in one of our limousines that
Chicago is the greatest city, city on Earth.
In closing, I urge you to support this Tourism Improvement
District. It is a step forward for our city, our
businesses, and our communities. Thank you for your time again.
Thank you very much. Um, Sheila Ward has elected
not to speak, um, but she signed in in favor
of the, uh, creation of the Tourism
Improvement District. Our last speaker is Carl
Gutierrez.
Ah, Carl has his babies with him.
Okay.
Uh, I'm sorry then. While we wait for Carl, Andrea
Kluger from the Chicago... She stepped out
too? Hey, Carl.
That's what happens when you're a father, right?
Yeah, no, bring your kids to City Council day.
Um, I will obviously keep my remarks brief, only to give a
full-threaded-- a full-throated support on behalf of the Chicagoland Chamber of
Commerce and its members for the Tourism Investment District, um, uh,
project. It is an outstanding opportunity for all of us to seize an
a terrific opportunity to enhance and, as you heard from everyone else here,
the multiplying effect that tourism can have in Chicago within our central business
district and specifically with this district that extends far into our, you know,
Hyde Park South Side, North Side, West Side, uh, communities.
Only to say, so you can hear it from me, we love this, and I want to give a
special shout-out to Michael and our partners in the hotel and lodging
industry, a-as well as the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and all
others who have been part of this, and, and hope to see this through.
So thank you very much.
Thank you very much for your comments.
Our last, our last speaker is, uh, Andrea
Kluger.
Good morning. Thanks, Chair Dowell, members of the committee.
My name's Andrea Kluger. I'm Chief of Staff at the Chicago Federation of Labor.
The CFL represents half a million working people in Chicago and Cook
County, including tens of thousands in the ho-tourism and
hospitality industry, who welcome visitors to our city every
day. These are the workers setting up trade shows before doors
open, checking guests in at the front desk, preparing meals in hotel
kitchens, staffing museum floors, loading concert equipment, cleaning
rooms between stays, and serving a last drink at the end of the
night. On behalf of those workers, we are here in support, in
strong support, of the Tourism Improvement District.
It's not every day the chamber and the hotel association and the CFL
find ourselves fired up about the same policy, but when labor and industry
come together around bringing more business, more visitors, and more union jobs
to Chicago, it's probably for a good reason.
The hotel industry is stepping up here, assessing itself, reinvesting in
Chicago's visitor economy. That's private sector funding stream
for sales, marketing, and convention recruitment, work that drives real
activity in the Chicago economy. In twenty
twenty-four, tourism supported more than a hundred and thirty thousand jobs and
generated two point eight billion in the state and local tax revenue.
That matters because tourism jobs are good jobs, jobs that provide
family-sustaining wages, healthcare, even a pension, maybe
even a union card. Jobs need-- jobs that we need more of in
our neighborhoods. So on behalf of working people who depend on this
industry and a city that cannot afford to fall behind, I urge you to
pass the TID today. Thank you.
Uh, thank you. Want to acknowledge Alderman
Taliaferro, who's joined us, and he will be added to quorum.
Um, the city clerk has informed me that they have not received any
written objections to the formation of the
CTID from any business owner that may be subjected to the
transaction charge. And so let the record
reflect that the public hearing on this matter
concluded at ten forty-seven
AM, February twenty-seventh, twenty
twenty-six. This concludes the public hearing.
We will stand at ease for a few minutes while the
court reporter transitions us to the regular finance
committee
meeting.
Uh, good morning.
The Committee on Finance is called to order.
Uh, we will now have a roll call to establish quorum for the
regular finance committee meeting.
Alderman Espada. Alderman Hopkins.
Alderman Hall. Alderman Mitchell.
Alderman Harris. Alderman Beale. Alderman Lee.
Alderman Ramirez.
Alderman Lopez. Alderman Curtis.
Alderman O'Shea. Alderman
Rodriguez. Alderman Burnett. Alderman
Irvin.
Alderman Taliaferro. Alderman
Cardona. Alderman Waguespack.
Alderman Cazada. Alderman
Sposato. Alderman Vasquez.
Alderman Knudson. Alderman
Martin. Ald-- Ex officio, President
Pro Tem, Alderman Nugent.
Chair Dowell is here. We have a
quorum. We have nineteen present in the
room.... Vice Chair Conway, Alderman
Mitts, Alderman Silverstein, Riley, Scott, Moore,
Taylor, Quinn, Lawson Villegas,
Mosley, and Rodriguez Sanchez have requested to
participate remotely at today's meeting for reasons stated under the
provisions of Rule 59. Can I have a motion to allow
these aldermen? So moved by Alderman Beale.
All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye.
Opposed? Yes,
Nick. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes
have it, and I would like to confirm Vice Chair
Conway.
Present.
Alderman Silverstein?
I'm present.
Alderman Riley?
Alderman Quinn?
Alderman Villegas?
Present.
A- Alderman Mosley? Present. Alderman Rodriguez
Sanchez?
Alderman Mitts?
Alderman Scott?
Present.
Alderman Moore?
Present, Chairman, thank you.
Alderman Taylor?
And non, and non-member Alderman Lawson.
Present. Thank you, Madam Chair.
You're welcome. And we have also
counted, uh, Alderman Mitchell towards
quorum. At this time, we'll begin the public comment
period, which is limited to thirty minutes.
Um, each speaker is limited to three minutes.
We have one speaker signed up, which is,
uh, Mr. George Blakemore.
Present, Chair.
Thank you, Alderman Taylor.
... Well, I don't care that it would pass.
Aye, aye, aye, aye, so they left
because now is the meet where they're gonna vote on
it, and all of them gonna be, "Aye,
aye, aye, aye." So
that's what's corrupt about Chicago
government. Now, they, they, they
spoke their opinion, but they left because the fix
was in!
So you only have one, the power of one.
One star to light up the darkness. That's what I
hate about this government here.
Well, it's gonna be, "Aye, aye,
aye." It was three.
They, they did this three. Now,
they baked the cake, and now the icing is coming.
They knew, they walked out,
because the fix was in.
That's what I hate about the Chicago system.
They're all...
"Mr. Blakemore, don't be vulgar." Sixty-nine
government, it's terrible. It's
un-American. No
dissent. It's a monopoly. It's
evil, like a communist party, a one-party
system.
The power of one. I'm still here, and
I hope that, uh, Mr. Blakemore, you, you're talking to them,
they don't care. They do not care. Look at this
other man over here talking while I'm talking.
One thing I did like about, uh, Burke, he would hit that
order here. He would let them
do their part. He would not let them disrespect the
speakers. Well, you got that power right here.
I never seen you, uh, and tell them to come to
order. Why would I have to beg-
I'm not-
-for them to come now? Leave me alone. Leave me alone!
Mm-hmm.
Leave me alone. This is terrible here.
It, it shows disrespect for, for, for...
They don't have to agree with me, but it shows
disrespect of their position and their
arrogance.
Arrogance. And, and it's your job to tell
them, not me to tell them to sit down and listen to the speaker.
It's your job.
The fix was in. Everybody got up and
they, they left because all of you now is getting time to
vote and watch them, "Aye, aye, aye, aye,
aye." No
dissent. It's worse than communist China or, or
Russia. A one-party corrupt
system, and man,
Thank you, Mr. Blakemore. We have one item on the agenda this
morning. Um, it is an ordinance introduced by Alderman Jason
Ervin and others, establishing the Chicago Tourism
Improvement District, and the levy of transaction charges on
certain hotels within those- within the, uh, Chicago
Tourism Improvement District. Um,
areas of the wards within the area of the
district include the second ward, the third ward, the fourth
ward, fifth, eleventh, twelfth, fifteenth, sixteenth,
twentieth, twenty-fifth, twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth, thirty-fourth, and
forty-second wards. Uh, this morning, we're joined by
Kristin Reynolds, who is the president and CEO of Choose
Chicago; um, Michael Jacobson, who is the president
and CEO of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging
Association; Tiffany Gallagher, who is the vice
president and deputy
executive officer at Civitas;
Michael Belsky, who is our city comptroller; and
Brian Carlson, who is the deputy director over the Department of
Finance's Tax Division.... Um, we also have
representatives from the clerk's office that are available in the back of the
council chamber to collect any objections from any
business owners or hotels that may be subject to the
transaction charge. That's Michelle Lavar.
Um, I will turn this over to Kristin Reynolds, who is
here to address the committee. Ms. Reynolds?
Thank you so much. Good morning, Chairwoman Dowell and members of the
committee. I'm Kristin Reynolds, I'm President and CEO of Choose
Chicago, and on behalf of my board of directors, chaired
by Guy Ciproni, who is also with us this
morning, we wanna thank you for the opportunity to be here
today. You've heard today from hoteliers,
cultural facilities, labor leaders, and business partners from across our city.
While we represent different sectors, we are united around one
simple truth: tourism is one of Chicago's most powerful
engines. Today, the visitor economy generates two point eight
billion dollars in state and local tax revenue, and supports more than
a hundred and thirty thousand local jobs.
Those jobs span every corner of this city and provide meaningful pathways for
opportunity, with low barriers to entry and endless upward
mobility. For many Chicagoans, hospitality is not
just employment, it's a career that supports families and builds
long-term stability. But sustaining and growing
that impact requires us to compete, and to compete, we must
invest. Choose Chicago currently operates with an annual budget of
approximately thirty-three million.
That is significantly less than what a, what most of our competitors' cities
invest to attract conventions, meetings, and major events.
For example, Orlando spends more than a hundred and twenty
million, and Las Vegas spends more than two hundred
million. That delta in funding has become so vast
that Chicago now competes with smaller destinations who have increased their
budgets to be greater than ours, such as Dallas, Seattle, Boston,
and Portland. The funding gap is real, and it limits our ability
to fully leverage Chicago's assets, from McCormick Place, to our cultural
institutions, to the energy of our neighborhoods.
Our competitors know very well that Chicago is underfunded, and they use it to
their advantage, not only to attract the same conventions, events, and visitors
that we're trying to attract to Chicago, but to lure away our
legacy clients that have been coming to Chicago for decades
and who we rely on for three billion a year in economic
impact. Our competitors benefit from the negative narratives
surrounding our city that we can't afford to counteract, and they offer
lucrative incentives that they know we can't match.
But we don't come to you today to ask you to find additional funding.
We come to you today with a solution, a solution that is driven by our
hotel industry and provides a new privatized funding stream
designed solely to attract visitors and create jobs.
Tourism Improvement Districts were created more than twenty-five years ago in
California and are a proven strategy for success.
There are now more than two hundred Tourism Improvement Districts, or
TIDs, across the country, and in fact, Chicago is one of the
last urban cities not benefiting from this private funding
stream. The Chicago TID, otherwise known as Visitors Today, Jobs
Tomorrow, will allow hotels with more than a hundred rooms in the
designated business district, covering downtown McCormick
Place, the Illinois Medical District, and Hyde Park, to impose a
one point five percent fee on an overnight stay, and a hundred
percent of that will be dedicated to driving visitation through
conventions, marketing, and attracting events that draw visitors,
create jobs, and generate tax revenues.
The estimated revenue for the proposed TID is forty million dollars,
a significant increase, but even with this, our budget will still be
less than many of our competitors.
According to Oxford Economics, over the next five years, this TID will generate
two point nine billion in economic impact, two hundred and
sixty-nine million dollars in new tax revenues, and
twenty-five thousand new local jobs, and that's the
conservative model. And the benefits of this new spending will go far beyond the
hospitality industry, promoting the positive inspec- uh, promoting the
positive aspects of Chicago, exposing more people to our city, and
attracting large-scale events that showcase our city on a global
stage, lead to additional opportunities for business attraction
and relocation, all leading to stronger economic
vitality, and yes, again, additional revenues.
For these reasons, we wanna thank you for your understanding of the value of
Chicago's visitor economy and our positive impact for all
Chicagoans, and we respectfully request that you advance the Tourism Improvement
District so that we can continue to attract visitors today and jobs
tomorrow. Thank you.
Uh, thank you, Ms. Reynolds. I'll open it up for questions from,
uh, members of the committee, but, uh, would like to turn it over to Alderman
Irvin, who's the sponsor of this
ordinance.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Um, as, uh, Kristin has stated, uh, this is a necessary and
vital component for Chicago to stay competitive in the, uh,
convention market. Um, as, as been stated, the,
uh, other smaller cities are starting to, uh, gain, uh,
ground on us for the fact that, uh, they have the incentives and we do
not. Uh, furthermore, uh, I just didn't really
know how much tourism and the convention
business, uh, brings to the city's economy.
Uh, quite frankly, it's something that touches every ward in our city, uh,
from, from just the room nights and, and other things that come
about from bringing these large-scale meetings and conventions to the
table. So, uh, I would encourage an aye vote, uh, on this,
as I, I believe this will have a great impact economically, not
only just for the business, but for our residents as well.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Uh, thank you, Chairman Irvin. Are there any questions from members of the
committee?
... Alderman Moore?
I'll get you, Alderman Moore. Put your hand up.
Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just got a g- a couple of questions.
Um, I mean, you stated that, um, this will increase 40
million? Okay, um, now, who's gonna be
measuring the impact of this additional 40
million?
Sure. So within the-
Please identify yourself for the record.
I'm sorry, Madam Chair. Uh, Michael Jacobson, president of the Illinois Hotel and
Lodging Association. We were instrumental in creating the original plan that's
being, uh, proposed in front of you today.
Um, within the plan that both the hotel owners have already signed off on, and
that you're about to vote on, um, it's stated in there that there are hard ROI
metrics and reports that have to be issued, not only annually to both
council, to both the board of directors at, uh, Choose Chicago, and
to the, uh, DCEO at the state level, um, but also after
every major expenditure. So if there's a specific project where a major expenditure
is used out of this fund, each one of those expenditures has to have a detailed
ROI report, uh, associated to it. So there's gonna be, um, not
only annual compliance and disclosure, but also periodic disclosure throughout
the course of the year.
Okay. Uh, what... Where I'm going is, I'm
just concerned that um, making sure that we do measure this.
Yeah.
Um, because if it is extremely successful within the boundaries, and
everybody is, you know, benefiting from this additional revenue coming
in, uh, if we measure it, that will give us the ability to say,
"Okay, if we increase it a little bit more, you know, in a couple of
years, to get to s- an additional 60 million or 80 million, to be at par
with the other big cities that are hurting us." Um, so is
that part of what you guys are gonna be doing ongoing?
There is, and also, Alderman, there is a, um, provision in there that
this is only a five-year authorization for the initial term of the district, and
then we'll have to come back for renewal, both to the hotel ownership community, as
well as to council. Um, within that five years, if
ROI... I-if we are not seeing incremental growth, and the ROI is not meeting
expectations, there is a provision or a mechanism in place alread- uh, within the
district, that the hotel owners can actually vote in real time, and
actually kill this district, and remove the assessment from the guest
folio if things are going haywire.
That's extremely rare in the over 200 of these districts that have already been
created in the country, but there's that safety mechanism in there in case things
aren't working out to expectations.
Okay, and after that, after that five years, d- do you all come back to us?
And may I just add, Alderman, that, um, we actually have everything benchmarked
right now, from economic impact, from occupancy, from...
So we will be able to show year over year, the growth, to be able to come
back and, and provide the ROI to hopefully continue to grow
the, the amount.
Okay.
And for the record, yes, w- the five, after the five-year authorization, we will go
through a very similar process for renewal, both for to vote with the hotel
owners, but we'll come back to council as well after the initial five years.
Okay. No, I, I think this is, is great.
Um, you know, anything to
attract more tourism to the city is what we need to do.
We know we've been losing, uh, a lot of conventions and,
um, a lot of tourism that go along with that.
So, um, I think this is a good thing, and, uh, look forward to
continue to see these numbers. Thank you.
Thank you, Alderman Beale. Alderman Moore, followed by Alderman
Lospada.
Um, thank you so much, um, Chairman.
So w- from my understanding, let's, let's deal with the board.
I was trying to pull up everything.
So, uh, the last I looked at, is Anna Barrett
still, um, vice chair, and is, um,
Commissioner Murray still on the board as well, and, um, Tracy
Payne?
Yes, sir.
Okay. So I'm going-
Yes.
I'm g-
Yes, good night.
I'm... Um, uh, hello-
Did you hear the answer, Alderman Moore?
Yes, I did.
Okay.
So I'm going to hold them accountable, uh, for making sure
that we're knowing, but as well as everybody, but primarily
them, in terms of making sure that we reach our, um,
communities, and how this impact our communities.
Can you tell me today, um, as I heard from
different, um, speakers, uh, give me two examples
of how, uh, um, the, the tourism
board, the money we're using now, not the additional money, but the m- money we're
using now, how is it positively impacting, um, the
neighborhoods, and specifically the south and west side of Chicago?
Thank you, Alderman. Specifically, we actually have a list of
diverse-owned businesses and partners that we provide to every single
convention that comes into McCormick Place, um, on behalf of Choose
Chicago. And we urge them, we provide them a list, and we urge them to utilize
these businesses and vendors for everything from name
badges to culinary. You heard one of our speakers talk
about coffee service, T-shirts. Um, we really work
hard. Uh, in fact, um, we actually lead the nation.
We're part of Destinations International, and there's, um, a lot of metrics that we
use for our contracting services to make sure that we're contracting
with minority and women-owned businesses, and we lead the nation in
those efforts, um, to make sure that the work that we're doing is benefited
by all businesses-
I got you. I don't mean to c- I don't mean to cut you off. I res- I respect that.
Can you provide, through the chair, before city council, so from y-
year over year, between, um, let's just say, 'cause we're in 2026 now,
between 2015 and 2025, um, the increase?
I understand people, um, you know, w-we're saying we're
pushing. I want to see the res- I want to hear the results of those
between 2015 and 2025. So if there's a coffee shop
in the, in any of these communities benefited, where, were there increase
in, in, in, in their, um,
um, usage between 2015 and 2025? Um,
so w- we're saying this, a- a- almost like politicians when they're running and
making promises, but I need to know, and I'm not saying you're not, I just need to
know. So at a coffee shop in 2015, um-...
two rooms, they would probably benefit it, um, by
$100,000. And by 2025, that has doubled.
I need, I need to know that. Or if it's not, it hasn't.
So if somebody could provide some, some, uh, examples of
those businesses, uh, before we take this vote in City Council,
um, I would greatly appr- appreciate it.
Thank you. We'll work on providing you those answers.
Okay. And, uh, uh, my, my, my next question
comes, and this is what I'm dealing with.
Um, I'm hearing a, a couple of different things here.
I'm hearing tourism, and then I'm hearing conventions.
This thing sounds more like we're trying to get more convention people.
I remember, um, a- a- with exception of COVID, during the
COVID period, um, even under Rahm Emanuel, how he,
um, um, bragged about, "Hey, tourism is m-
up." We accepted those numbers. Um, then even under
this administration, record-breaking numbers.
So to me, unless somebody can correct me, it seem like tourism
is not the issue, but it sounds like you all are more focusing
on, um, the conventions, which I, I appreciate.
Um, but it seem like our tourism numbers have always been growing.
Is, is that a, is that true?
Um, yes, leisure, leisure visitors, uh, would be the tourists, I think, that
are not convention visitors. And, um, those numbers have been
growing. Uh, but the convention business, the interesting part about it
is it's booked right now almost 10 years in advance.
So when we have the conventions coming in with tens of thousands of attendees,
and they fill the hotel rooms, that's what allows the hotels to,
you know, not have to rely solely on people that are making weekend short-term
plans, and it allows us to hire employees well in
advance and know, um, who's gonna be on the books.
And it allows us to stack the business to make sure that we're running at the
highest occupancy. So the convention business is our foundation
business, and it's critical, and that's, we do have the largest convention center
in North America, so there's a lot of pressure on us to fill that convention
center. Um, but the leisure visitor is imperative to our growth as
well.
Okay. And so, and then, uh, uh, hopefully these are my final
two. So w- what my concern is, w- w- we're
dealing with, um, um, residents
here, I know, in Chicago, and I've heard from them, um,
and that w- a lot of our residents do not get always a
chance to, um, go out of town b- b- but maybe because they don't have
a, a lot of, you know, extra income to do all of that.
So they do what they call staycations, um, and try to enjoy
their city. And so I, I'm looking at one someone sent
me from a hotel where they went on, um, one of these, um,
third-party websites and tried to get a d- deal because they're trying to get a
good deal. And, and the, and the hotel was, like, $252
a night. Fine. But then they ended up having to pay,
um, a, um, like, some type of,
um, destination charge of
$58, then a destination charge tax of
$10.10. I am concerned about how this
impact people who are l- living
in this city that may want to go out and enjoy their city.
Is there room in this ordinance to exempt residents of the
city of Chicago?
Alderman, this is Michael, uh, Jacobson with the Illinois Hotel and Lodging
Association again. Um, to answer your, uh, question, the, the, uh,
latter part of your question, no, there is no provision in, uh, the district
plan to exempt local residents. Everybody staying at a hotel within the
boundaries of the district are subject to the assessment.
Um, in terms of the first half of your question on destination fees, um,
uh, ver- some hotels charge them, most do not in the city of
Chicago. Uh, according to, um, federal regulations
already, uh, those fees sh- uh, must be disclosed in the original booking
process, so they should not be surprises to a guest or, uh, a resident booking
a room. Uh, they should be included in the, uh, first stage of the
booking process. So when you look to a room, if it says $252, that should be
inclusive of any destination fee if there is one assessed at that hotel.
So, uh, if that's not the case, I'd be happy to talk with you to address that and
make sure that, uh, that hotel comes into compliance with existing federal
regulations. Um, but, uh, again, to answer your question, uh,
everyone staying at a hotel within the bounds of the district would be subject to
this assessment.
Okay. All right. Well, thank you. Those are my questions.
My verdict, I'm not completely...
I, I think if we can look at, um, adding that in to
exempt residents in the city of Chicago, I can be a automatic
y- yes today and we- almost Wednesday based on the information
that's provided that I asked for. But, um, yeah, right
now I'm not, I- I'm not there yet. So, but thank you, Chairman, for giving me an
opportunity to ask the questions.
Uh, thank you, Alderman Moore. Alderman Lospada, followed by Alderman
Vasquez.
Thank you so much, Chair. I, I will say, like, there
was
an extraordinary amount of data presented at Choose Chicago's
breakfast just a couple weeks ago about the success that we've been seeing, the
success that we're trying to build on.
I wondered if you would speak about that a little bit.
What, particularly what Chicago has experienced just over the
last year or so, and the, the story that we're trying to tell moving
forward.
Thank you. Yes. So it's been, it's been a
difficult year for Chicago this past year.
The, the nar- the narrative about our city that was around the globe that
showed tear gas and, and it scared a lot of people
that, that wanted to come to our city.
Um, but we worked tremendously hard.
We, we were, uh, writing talking points and talking to every single convention that
was worried about their attendees coming, um,
r- reminding them that this is a safe city, that this is a wonderful city.
We welcome 55 million visitors a year.
And, um, I think thanks to the efforts of our hard work and the
strategic direction that we used our marketing with to make sure
that-We adjusted from international visitation to domestic
visitation very quickly. People that we knew had a, an interest in our
city. We actually had, um, y- we were up two point
three percent last year while almost every one of our competitors was down
in visitation. We were one of only a handful of cities
nationwide that was, um, not negative in our numbers from
last year because of economic and social issues.
So we have great momentum going on.
We launched All for the Love of Chicago, which was a great response to that
effort where out-- we allowed our, uh, locals to have a
voice, um, in what Chicago's really all about.
We gave the power back to the people, and the results were, you
know, record-breaking summers. We had incredible events.
Our conventions continued to come in record-breaking numbers.
Um, it, it wasn't without a lot of hard work and a lot of
strategic, um,
nimble action, but, um, we're very pleased with the amount
of effort that we were able to bring to the city and the residents.
No, I, I really appreciate that. And I'll, I'll say, like when you book a
hotel room, there's, there are a number of taxes built in.
Like our res- you come to Chicago, you're still paying off the debt from the Bears
stadium, which is a whole other conversation.
But to have a, a tax structure that
is this transparent, transparent and
dedicated with accountability and reporting built
in, I think that's what, I think that's what council should
be looking for. I know that's what our constituents are looking for more
generally. And I will say from an economic, neighborhood
economic impact,
I don't ex- the granularity I don't expect because I get that from our
chambers. They do a remarkably good job of tracking
where people are coming to Logan Square and West Town and Wicker Park
from. But I know more broadly
it's challenging to the point of impossible to just
be a neighborhood restaurant. Succeeding in today's restaurant
industry requires tourism. Uh, it requires folks
coming from outside of Chicago, outside of our neighborhoods, and so
anything that helps to drive that drives
the fiscal success of our neighborhood.
So I-- for all of those reasons, I'm really proud to be supporting this measure
today. Thank you. Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, Alderman Espada. Alderman Vasquez, followed by Alderman
Hopkins.
Thank you, Madam President. Um, I greatly appreciate.
I don't have a lot of questions. Um, really just
wanna commend you all for the fact that we don't usually get that kind
of forethought from folks who wanna tax, right?
To be able to say, "Yes, this makes sense," but we also wanna make sure we're
investing to kind of grow the kind of ecosystem, uh, one would need to make sure
our city is thriving. Um, I really do appreciate, um, the answer to the
last couple of questions related to how we've done this past year, given the
challenges. Um, I think nationally,
clearly there are challenges, but I do think that that's all gonna turn around as
they're watching how certain cities
tend to bow down while we tend to stand up.
Um,
also for the clarification for folks that folks who attend trade shows are also
tourists. Everyone coming in here who spends their dollar in
our restaurants, i-in our, at our hotels,
is welcome here. We need those dollars, and we know it, it helps in the long
term because folks who come check it out might wanna stay here, and it helps grow
our, our base in general. And so I'm very appreciative of that as well as the fact
that we can get the kind of data and information to show what's going
well, what baselines look like, uh, you know, improvement year over year in a way
that I actually wish we would see a lot more in government.
Um, we tend to try to raise revenue, but we don't always get the reporting back to
see what the return on investment is, and the fact that you all do says a lot about
your leadership and your willingness to be held accountable.
And so I, I appreciate it fully and will happily be in support when this
does come up for a vote today. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Alderman. Alderman Hopkins?
Yeah. Thank you, Madam Chair, and I, uh, agree wholeheartedly with the, uh,
previous speaker and my colleague, Alderman Vasquez.
Uh, this is an easy yes vote for us to cast, ladies and
gentlemen. Uh, and anyone who has participated in the budget process for the past
couple of years can't help but notice how rare and
uncommon it is for any sector of our Chicago economy to
raise their hands and say, "Please tax me more."
I can't think of another example, uh, where that has happened.
And we're talking about the data to support that right now.
This is a data-driven policy. Um, but there's also an
intangible that's, in my opinion, equally as, uh,
persuadable, and that is simply the confidence that this
industry is presenting right now. They know this is going to work.
This is a direct connection to the public investment that we will make
to the benefit that we as a city will receive and that
they as an industry will enjoy. So many of the public investments that
we make, uh, the benefits are second degree, even third
degree. They're a little bit harder to make that
connection, uh, to prove that every dollar spent not
only comes back to us but is magnified two, three, four
times, which is the potential for this.
Every dollar that we spend through this program will come
back to us in direct revenue two to three, possibly even
four times the investment that we're making.
And that's not even taking into account the thriving, uh,
sector of this economy and all the jobs that it creates.
To Alderman Moore's point, I'm sure you have many residents of your
ward, Alderman, that work in this industry, that work in hotels and work in
restaurants and directly benefit from a thriving
tourism sector. So this is absolutely the right
thing to do. Uh, it's an easy yes vote to cast, and I urge my
colleagues, uh, to support this. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Uh, thank you, Alderman Hopkins. Um, I just wanted to put my thoughts
on the record as well. Um, I believe that this ordinance is
something that we should all support.
It's gonna benefit the city of Chicago, um, greatly.
I am interested, however, and I've read the,
uh-Uh, the district
plan, and I think it is, um, a
little, um, light on specifics
related to how these dollars are going to,
um, be spent, uh, specifically. And
I'm looking for more, um, uh,
information on, uh, how you're gonna promote, uh, for
example, historic preservation tourism
in places like Bronzeville or the Prairie District or
Chinatown. Um, how you're going to interact with the
designated, uh, state cultural districts which
are all over the city of Chicago. How you're going to
support, uh, things like the, uh, Bud Billiken Day
Parade and other parades, uh, within the city of
Chicago. So I would like to s- get a little more, um,
detail on the district plan and would ask that
you come back and brief us at some point,
um, on the specifics
of how these dollars are gonna be used.
Alderman Martin, you... So you raised your hand.
Yes. Yeah. Thank you, Chair, and g- good morning, everybody.
I was just wondering if you could remind me of the details.
I know this was discussed in an earlier hearing about the stakeholder
advisory committee. How many, how many
representatives? How are they selected?
Maybe they've already been identified.
Um, how often are they gonna meet, and is there some additional detail you can
share about how the, the oversight that they
will provide, um, will occur working in
lockstep with Choose Chicago?
Sure. So again, Michael Jacobson, Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association.
Um, that will be a panel of 11 hoteliers, um, only
from the hotel community. Uh, there will be additional, uh, non-voting seats,
one for, uh, labor and one from the city, uh, that the city's able to
put onto that committee. Uh, they will decide every,
uh, an annual budget and then every single expenditure from this
fund. Uh, that's where we say, again, it's being assessed by the hotel community,
and then the funding will be dictated, uh, the spend will be dictated by the
hotel community. Um, so, uh, kind of answers, um, or speaks
to Alderman Dowell's point as well, um, in terms of, um,
there's a reason why in the district plan that it's not prescriptive, that it's
not set in stone because obviously that's a legally binding document that, uh,
council will be voting on, and we have to be nimble.
Uh, obviously, nobody could have expected what was coming out of COVID, and if we
were set in stone in l- a legal document on how the money would be spent related to
conventions, obviously, we had a two-year pause in conventions in Chicago.
So that just kind of speaks to why it's not included in that district
plan. Um, but the majority of the spend will be used on, uh, uh,
international, uh, really r- recreating or reestablishing our
presence internationally, which we haven't had as a city tourism
agency in, uh, nearly ten years since the Bruce Rauner stalemate,
uh, really, uh, hurt the budget of Choose Chicago, and even afterwards, it
was hard to bring those international representative offices back.
It will be focused on, uh, domestic leisure, marketing and promotion.
And, a- and that, the benefits of that even extend beyond just tourism of really,
to Kristen's point earlier, reestablishing our brand as a city and, and changing
people's perspective as a city. And then again, business travel, whether that's
convention business travel or in, uh, uh, individual transient
business travel, really, um, increasing our capabilities to
compete against, uh, competitive cities like Orlando, Las Vegas, Nashville that
we're, we're losing business to right now.
So those are kind of the big pillars, but all the budget on an
annual basis and individual expenditure will come down to that eleven, uh,
person, uh, committee. It has not been selected yet.
Uh, we didn't wanna get too far ahead of ourselves before passage.
Um, it will be created by the original steer-- It will be nominated by the
original steering committee that put this plan together, which is a, a committee of
hoteliers as well. They'll, uh, nominate those original
eleven, and we have committed, uh, in the district plan to making it
geographically diverse from the bounds of the district. Also, size diverse.
We don't want, uh, just the big convention hotels.
We want small boutique hotels, uh, included as well.
And then also brand diversity, so it's not just one brand represented on that
committee. Uh, once that committee of eleven is nominated, that nomination
will go to the Choose Chicago overarching board of directors, which Alderman
Irvin, uh, has a seat on, as well as several of the other members of, um,
city government that were mentioned earlier, and they will approve that final
committee of eleven.
That's helpful. And last question, is there an anticipated meeting
cadence, uh, for this eleven-person-
I apologize, I didn't answer that portion of your question.
Um, v- v- we-- That hasn't been thought through.
The governance documents of kinda how the regularity of their
meeting, uh, cadence and things like that will be dictate-- will be decided
once that eleven, uh, person committee is formed.
They're gonna create the governance.
And again, that will then, then reported up through the umbrella organization of
the board of directors through Choose Chicago.
Okay. Thank you. That's all I have. Thank you, Chair.
Uh, thank you, Alderman Martin. Um, Alderman Lee has requested, she was
here but had to leave, and she requested to participate remotely
at today's, uh, meeting. Rule fifty-nine.
Alderman Vasquez m- makes a motion to allow her to, uh,
attend this meeting. All those in favor signify by saying I.
I oppose. In the opinion of-- Okay, Nick.
In the opinion of the chair, the I's have it.
And is there a motion to recommend approval of item number one?
So moved by Alderman Irvin, recommending-
Chairman.
Recommending due pass. All those in favor signify by saying I.
Chairman, you didn't hear from me.
I.
All those opposed?
Alderman Moore opposes right now until I get the information.
Thank you, Alderman Moore. We will record you as, uh, no.
In the opinion of the chair, however, the I's have it, and the due pass
recommendation will be reported out at the next city council, council
meeting. There being no further business before the committee, can I get a
motion to adjourn? So moved by Alderman Harris.
All those in favor signify by saying I. I oppose.
In the opinion of the chair, the I's have it.
The Finance Committee is hereby
adjourned.