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.
Check one, two.
Check one, two.
Okay.
are permitted and subject to search, and 5. 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 2023-2027 Pursuant to Rule 58 of the Chicago City Council Rules of
order and procedure. The sergeant at arms sets forward.
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 1. when entering or exiting the gallery 2. when providing public comment during the
portion of a meeting set aside for that purpose or 3. 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 good morning members of the city council the meeting will begin shortly
please remember to log into your devices thank you
Council rules of.
Good morning members of the City Council. The meeting will begin shortly. Please remember
The meeting will begin shortly. Please remember to log into your devices. Thank you.
City of Chicago City Council Rules of Conduct for Public Meetings, 2023-2027
Pursuant to Rule 58 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.
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, 1. Any pointed objects, including knives of any kind.
2. Banners, flyers or other forms of signage. 3. 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 good morning members of the city council
please take your seats the meeting will begin shortly thank you
...comment during the portion of a meeting, set aside for that purpose.
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, 1. Any pointed objects, including
knives of any kind. 2. Banners, flyers or other forms of signage. 3. Food and beverages, including
in glass or metal canisters. 4. Backpacks, large bags, and sealed packages. Clear bags,
not tinted in color, that do not exceed 12 inches by 6 inches by 12, are permitted and subject to
search. And 5. 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 remote
to adhere to these rules will be subject to removal from the remainder of the meeting
by the sergeant-at-arms, including knives of any kind.
2. Banners, flyers, or other forms of signage.
or other forms of signage. 3. Food and beverages, including in glass or metal canisters.
4. Backpacks, large bags, and sealed packages. Clear bags, not tinted in color, that do not
exceed 12 inches by 6 inches by 12, are permitted and subject to search. And 5. 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...
Good morning, members of the City Council. The meeting will begin shortly. Please take your seats. Thank you.
I don't know why we have to be in here for a minute, huh?
Yeah, it's a really good one.
I would have rather them done it at the time.
The mayor will be here momentarily, so at this time, I would appreciate if you would take your seats,
silence your listening devices, and be respectful of your neighbors, and have a great time.
Thank you.
4. 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
All right, let's go 1038.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.
The council will come to order.
Madam Clerk, please take a quorum roll call.
Good morning.
Good morning, city council.
All right.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
only only only one budget at a time madam clerk please good morning good morning the quorum
roll call is now open the quorum roll call is now open please use your e-device the quorum
roll call is now open if you need support on your e-device please raise your hand
I'll see you next time.
All right. I will now call on those who have not used the e-device. Alderwoman Dow. Dow is present.
Alderman Robinson. Robinson is present. Alderman Hall. Hall is present. Alderwoman Harris.
Harris is present. Alderman Beal. Oh, a lot of them. Okay. Alderwoman Coleman.
Coleman. Coleman is present. We'll add you in. Add you in. I got you. I got you, Mitchell. Mitchell
is here. Alderman Villegas, not present in Chambers. Alderman Napolitano. Napolitano is
present. Alderman Riley. Riley is present. Alderman Gardner. Gardner is present. Haddon,
not present in changer not present in chambers the quorum is now closed
there are 48 members that are present we do have a quorum there are two members that have requested
to participate in today's meeting remotely for reasons stated in rule 59 can we confirm the
presence of alders hatton and viegas online please alderman viegas present alderwoman hatton
Present.
Very well.
Both members have confirmed their presence online.
Can I get a motion for their remote participation?
It's been moved.
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Any opposed say nay.
Depending on the chair, the ayes have it.
Please add those two members to the quorum.
add those two members to the quorum roll call. Let's 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 and justice for us. Please remain
standing for our invocation, which will be delivered today by Reverend Dr. Donovan Price
from solutions and
resources. Praise the
Lord this morning.
It's a lot more people than
praises. Praise the Lord
this morning.
Amen.
Eternal God, before a budget
is presented, before a number
is debated, before a vote is taken,
let us remember who is counting on us.
Somewhere in Chicago
this morning, a mother is opening her
bedroom door of her child
who will never walk through it again.
Somewhere a father is leaving for work, praying his paycheck will stretch far enough.
Somewhere a child is getting ready for school who deserves to grow up,
and somewhere somebody has almost stopped believing that anybody cares.
God bless this city.
Bless the Chicago that visitors photograph and the Chicago whose pain never makes the news.
Bless every neighborhood, every block, every family represented in this chamber,
and every person who wonders whether their voice can reach it.
Meet us now in this room. Bless our mayor. Bless this city council. Bless every public servant entrusted with our common life.
Give them wisdom that listens, courage that tells the truth, and compassion that survives disagreement.
Bless this city. As we consider what Chicago can't afford, keep us mindful of what its people cannot afford to lose.
A safe place to sleep. A classroom where possibility lives. Care where the body breaks.
where possibility lives, care where the body breaks, comfort when the heart breaks, and a fair
chance when we want to just start all over again. Let this budget become something a family can feel,
a door opening, help arriving, a burden lifting, and a promise kept. Bless this city. From its
late front to its overlooked doorsteps, breathe hope into Chicago. Let our children inherit more
than our arguments let them inherit our courage our compassion our willingness to build together
and when this address is over and when these chambers empty let the blessings leave with us
and what we fund in whom we protect and how we serve bless this city bless this city god almighty
bless this city in your holy name we pray amen amen thank you you may be seated madam clerk
please read the call of today's special meeting the following call for a special meeting of the
city council was filed in my office on friday october 16th 2026 at 12 22 p.m dear miss valencia
i hereby call a special meeting of the city council of the city of chicago to be convened at 10 a.m
on wednesday october 21st 2026 in the city council chamber in city hall for the following purposes
and for no other purposes whatsoever one to receive the executive budget for the year beginning january
January 1st, 2027 and ending December 31st, 2027 and the mayor's budget message relating
thereto. Two, to receive a place on file communication from the budget director regarding
the 2027 estimated aggregate property tax levy. Three, to consider a resolution calling for
publications of the 2027 executive budget and setting the date, time, and place of the public
hearing on that executive budget. And four, to receive a mayoral communication regarding the
introduction, and referral to appropriate committees of ordinances and resolutions
related to the 2027 Executive Budget, including but not limited to
A. The Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Recommendations
B. The 2027 Revenue Ordinance that amends various titles in Municipal Code
C. The 2027 Management Ordinance that amends various titles in Municipal Codes
D. The Fiscal Year 2027 Tax Levy Ordinance
E, an ordinance authorizing the allocation of motor fuel tax funds.
F, an ordinance authorizing the execution of an intergovernmental agreement with the Chicago Transit Authority and Cook County for the allocation of motor fuel tax funds.
G, a resolution amending the salary resolution.
H, the 27 Municipal Code Corrections and Ordinance.
And I, ordinances authorizing the issuance of the City General Obligation Bonds Series 2026 and corresponding code amendments.
Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor of the City of Chicago.
Thank you, Madam Clerk.
I will now deliver the budget address for 2027, and then we will continue the rest of our special meetings business.
First of all, good morning to all of you, and thank you for joining us.
Allow me to give particular thanks to my budget and finance teams, policy team, commissioners,
and the thousands of dedicated public servants who keep Chicago running, our Acting Budget
Director Jonathan Ertz, Chief Financial Officer Ashley Gabrish, and to our City Comptroller
And to our City Comptroller, Michael Belsky, Chief of Policy, Jung Jung, and their teams.
They have spent countless hours developing our fiscal year 2027 budget
and finding enduring sustainable solutions for the greatest city in the world, Chicago.
And to the community, community organizations, our labor unions, cultural institutions,
and social service agencies, civic and philanthropic partners,
business leaders and members of our faith communities all of who are joining
us today thank you you are essential partners in the work of building a safe
affordable Chicago you bring people together strengthen our neighborhoods
create pathways to success and remind us that the future of our city is a shared
responsibility we are particularly appreciative of the bold visions you
bring to how we govern. Your organizing is directly reflected in this year's
budget. And as you keep organizing and keep pushing your elected officials,
myself included, I'm grateful for your steadfast dedication to the people of
Chicago. Last but certainly not least, I must thank my family. I often speak about
my love, my wife Stacy, and our three wonderful children. And today I want to
talk about my children and I also want to speak about your children, about our
children. James Baldwin said that the children are always ours, every single one
of them. He was right. He also said that he was beginning to suspect that whoever
is incapable of recognizing that may be incapable of morality. But I know that
Not everyone in this room recognizes what we owe our children.
We owe them responsible investment in programs that work and whether
And whether they are CEOs or child care workers,
over and over, Chicagoans say
that they want the same things for our city.
They want affordable homes and good schools.
They want to be safe and they want to feel safe.
They want to have meaningful work
that pays enough to be able to afford groceries
and medical care and to not worry about making rent.
They want reliable public transportation,
clean parks and beautiful libraries.
And plenty of people in Chicago have all of those things already, and then some.
And there is more than enough to go around, and there are plenty of reasons to ensure that everyone receives their fair share.
Our futures are tied together.
When our neighbors thrive, our communities grow stronger, and when our communities grow stronger, all of Chicago succeeds.
See, success starts by sowing block-level investments across all of our 77 neighborhoods.
Every single one of our children in every single neighborhood deserves a city that invests in their future.
And that is the promise and at the heart of the budget that I've introduced today, the fair share budget.
My 2027 budget ensures that every Chicagoan receives their fair share of the investments, services, and opportunities that define our city, funded by responsible spending cuts that protect essential services, and by asking the wealthy and the largest corporations in this city to pay their fair share.
A fair share budget means delivering for people in the ways that matters most in their lives.
People feel government most acutely at the local level.
And unfortunately, they also feel local government most acutely when it is absent.
absent. People notice when trees are untrimmed, and God knows they notice when potholes are on
field. They notice ghost buses and closed schools. They notice absence. When government works the way
it should, we don't think twice about it. Removing garbage or a tree stump shouldn't be a special
occasion. It should be something that every Chicagoan can count on. Every neighborhood
ought to reap all of the rewards of living in what the world recognizes as the most beautiful
climate resilient city on the planet. In my conversations with all the people about this
year's budget, one message came through loud and clear. Our communities deserve a city government
that shows up, delivers, and ensures that the basic human rights are provided every single day.
And so I do want to thank the members of city council who met with me to share their community's priorities.
From Norwood Park to South Shore, the message was the same.
People want their trees trimmed, their potholes filled, their streets maintained, and their neighbors and their neighborhoods cared for.
These are basic city services, and our residents deserve a government that delivers on all of them.
Chicagoans work hard.
They pay their taxes.
They raise their families, and they do their part to keep our community strong.
And they should see their tax dollars come back to their neighborhoods
and make a real difference in their lives.
And that is why I'm inspired by a couple of alders who remind me every day
the importance of their leadership.
Thank you to Alderwoman Clay and Ramirez.
Our fair share budget doubles our investment in the Department of Streets and Sanitation's
quality of life program.
And that means growing the teams, working across our city to clean vacant lives.
working across our city to clean vacant lots and to clear debris. We are adding 10 forestry crews
to trim 15,000 more trees and ensure the full force of city government shows up, shows up
when severe weather strikes and devastates communities. See, no neighborhood should have
to fight to be cared for, and no community should ever feel forgotten by its government.
In fact, people should feel like their governments are caring for them proactively.
This care becomes even more important in the face of climate change and the associated harms that come with it.
Severe weather impacts everyone, but some communities have more resilient infrastructure than others.
And that's why the fair share budget invests in infrastructure that addresses the root causes of flooding and helps communities recover from severe weather events.
while focusing that investment in the neighborhoods that are most vulnerable to climate change.
We are also expanding smart streets city-wide because the freedom to move safely through our city should belong to every Chicagoan.
And I do want to thank Chairs Vasquez and Lospada for their leadership in making this possible.
And together we are keeping bike lanes clear, moving buses and bus stops, making them more accessible.
so working parents can get home to their children,
seniors can travel safely,
and young people can get to school without fear.
And whether you're walking in Lincoln Park,
catching a bus in Brighton Park,
or riding a bike, or driving to work,
your safety matters.
And your ability to reach people, places,
and opportunities that you love that matters.
And just as every Chicagoan deserves the freedom
to move safely through our city,
Every family deserves the peace of mind that comes with feeling safe in their own neighborhood.
safe in their own neighborhood. From day one we have been guided by a fundamental
belief that every Chicagoan deserves to be safe and true safety is built on
trust, opportunity, community investment, and that means funding infrastructure. It
also means constitutional policing that earns the trust of our residents and
investing in the people, programs, and resources that prevents violence before
it ever happens. Our vision for public safety is clear. In Chicago, where every family feels safe,
every young person has a future, and every neighborhood has the resources to thrive.
And despite the Trump administration cutting critical funding meant to support and protect
our communities, I'm grateful to say that here in Chicago, our work is making a difference.
We're seeing crime come down with record lows and homicides, including neighborhoods that have
endured far too much violence and far too few investments for generations. And that progress
means lives are being saved, families kept whole, and more young people with the chance to grow up
and reach their full potential. But we can't take that progress for granted, Chicago. Behind every
number is a person, a family, a community, because one shooting is one too many. One homicide is one
too many. No family should have to bury a loved one because of gun violence. And so the fair share
budget continues putting our vision into action, uniting city departments to prevent violence,
supporting our police officers in protecting communities and solving crimes, and investing
in trusted leaders who stop violence before it starts. And through the leadership of Alderman
Mosley and the advocacy of Live Free, we've established the Department of Community Wellness
and Safety, and the Office of Gun Violence Reduction to centralize and coordinate across
cities' violence reduction efforts. And building safer communities requires
efforts and building safer communities require more than coordination it requires investing
in the people who know their communities best and so the fair share budget prioritizes funding
community violence intervention to stop violence before it starts we are making a historic 40.6
million dollar investment in cvi activating 390 street outreach workers and over 800 peacekeepers
across Chicago including the CTA. Last year's investment in street outreach has supported
CVI teams across 38 communities and these are trusted leaders who show up for their neighbors.
They interrupt cycles of violence and they save lives. These teams have resolved nearly
2,600 conflicts preventing situations from escalating into violence and that is the promise
of our fair share budget, giving every community the resources that they need to build peace,
safety, and a future that they and their children deserve.
Our record high community investments in people, they pay off in the form of record low rates
of violence for whole communities.
Let's consider Bo Deal, a senior manager of field operations at one of our partner organizations.
Metropolitan Peace Initiatives.
See, Bo was released from prison in 2004, and he has worked in CVI for over a decade.
In 2023, with support from MPI, he became the first member of their street outreach team to complete an undergraduate degree.
And he continues to provide resources and support across East and West Garfield Park.
Bo described the pride of his assignment by describing the ripple effect of CVI investment to my office.
effect of CVI investment to my office. This is what he said. He said, who better to touch the
people in the community than the people who have been a part of this community and actually made
it out to change? He said, nobody is more effective than a person like that. Another CVI worker,
James Mitchell, describes himself as living proof that if given the right chances, opportunities,
and resources, people can change.
And when James talks about the importance of government
and community support for people seeking growth
and second chances, he's not suggesting
anything unreasonable.
If he were born in the Gold Coast,
instead of on the West Side, those opportunities
would exist for him already.
So it is our job to ensure opportunities exist
in every neighborhood.
I do want to give a special shout-out
to the retiring congressman, the OG,
the first Democratic Socialist,
Congressman Danny K. Davis.
For all of his work,
I'm providing a second chance.
See, this work should start as early as it can.
That's why I'm grateful for Alderwoman Fuentes,
because she knows this personally,
and that is why she has fought so hard
for youth peacekeeping
and why we are investing in 50 youth peacekeepers
to lead the work of building safer and stronger communities.
Thank you for your leadership.
Because as I've often said this,
community safety is not just about the absence of violence.
It is the presence of opportunity.
It is knowing you can grow up and put down roots
in the neighborhood that you love,
stay close to your aging parents and lifelong friends
and build a future for your children.
And that is why another pillar of my work in City Hall
has been about direct investments in our young people
and the people who care for them.
We will continue our historic $7 million investment
to raise the wages for thousands of early childhood educators.
The Chicagoans who care for our children
deserve fair pay, dignity, and respect.
Families deserve access to consistent, affordable child care.
And all of our children deserve every opportunity that's possible.
and so that is why next year i'm expanding chicago youth works because a young person
with a paycheck a mentor and somewhere to be is a young person with the future and a young person
with an opportunity ahead of them is a young person who fosters growth and safety in their
own communities last year we saw double digit declines and shootings and homicides in the five
community areas with the highest number of youth jobs and to keep building on that success this
summer, we hired over 33,000 young people, a city record, but the demand far exceeds our funded
spots. Chicago, there were 56,000 applicants for Chicago youth work positions. And that is why we
have to put an end to this lie that young people do not want to work. They actually want the
opportunity, and it's our responsibility to give it to them. Young people in every corner of Chicago
are calling for those opportunities to work, to lead, and to make their community safer.
This past summer, in the 38th Ward, we hired 63% of the ward applicants. 63% of them right out of
the 38th Ward. And in the 29th Ward, where I live, we hired 852 young people. It was only 52%
of the young people who actually applied in that ward. In every corner of Chicago,
applied in that ward. In every corner of Chicago, demand for opportunity outpaces access to
opportunity. And so the fair share budget will invest an additional $24 million empowering the
city to hire 40,000 young people next summer. That will double the amount of young people
would pay summer jobs. You see, opportunities must go beyond employment. Chicago is a city for
curiosity, exploration, and learning. And that is why the Chicago Fair Share Budget fully funds
and resources our Chicago Public Libraries, and we're going to do that without raising property
taxes. See, responsible stewardship of our resources is our obligation to future generations.
As I have said before, our current financial difficulties come from irresponsible management
of our resources. Over 30 years ago, when I was walking across the stage at my high school
graduation. Occupants of City Hall were skipping payments into our pension fund, but today I'm
making those payments in their stead. We owe it to the young people of Chicago to invest wisely
so that when they look back and think about what our city was doing during their high school
graduation, they do not have to think about missed pension payments. That's not future we should
strive to build. Instead, let them look back on the skills that they built at their summer job or
the art that they made at the library so when my children look back 30 years from now I want them
to look at a time where together we made the investments necessary for our collective future
and I want them to reap the rewards of those investments instead of dealing with the problems
that we pass down to them and the failure of hope of avoiding them all together
That's why the long-term impacts of the fair share budget will be transformative.
Our work is future-focused across every possible metric.
And the future begins with something every family deserves.
A safe and stable, affordable place to call home.
As we continue to expand our investments in affordable housing,
we are simultaneously prioritizing climate resilience through our green social housing program.
We have appointed a board of housing experts and community leaders to oversee our $135 million revolving loan fund.
And work is underway to identify and prepare our first sustainable, affordable developments.
We are turning the promise of housing affordability into homes.
Chicago families can count for generations.
So that's why I want to thank Alderwoman Mana Hoppenworth for her leadership of making this possible.
Sisters and brothers, we have a responsibility to help more Chicagoans.
More Chicagoans find and keep a safe place to call home.
And in the past three years, in partnership with the city,
more than 10,000 affordable homes have been built, preserved, rehabbed,
or entered the development pipeline.
But in addition to constructing new residences,
the fair share budget invests an additional $15 million in homelessness services
and $13 million in rental assistance
and $2 million in the flexible housing pool.
These targeted investments, tirelessly advocated for by organizers with Keep Chicago Housed,
will reach more than 3,000 residents keeping families in their homes, in their neighborhoods they love,
and close to the people who matter most to them.
This is fiscal responsibility because it guarantees to pay dividends in terms of public safety and stability for all.
the flexible housing pool alone provided supportive housing
housing pool alone provided supportive housing to 1,750 people across 998 households. After 12
months, 92% of residents who received this support were able to stay in their homes and
participants saw an 82% reduction in contact with the criminal legal system. Investment in affordable
housing is investment in community safety, it's an investment in our shared future. And while we
are investing in ending homelessness and building more homes. We are also fighting to keep families
from losing their homes in the first place. And as a result of the advocacy of Southside
Together and the leadership of Alderman Desmond Yancey, the fair share budget invests $2.5
million in the Jackson Park property tax relief pilot to help long-time homeowners stay in
their homes as property values rise. Thank you, Alderman. Because as Alderman Yancey knows,
families who built and sustained these neighborhoods, they deserve the share of
this future, not to be displaced by it. And keeping our community strong means investing
not only in housing, but in the health and well-being of the people inside. And that is why
the fair share budget funds mental health care for all Chicagoans because this too is crime
prevention. This too is economic growth. The kind of investment that makes the city competitive for
business big and small alike. Now you all know since her very first day in office, Chairwoman
Rodriguez Sanchez has reminded this body time and again that when someone is experiencing a mental
health crisis. What they need is treatment, not trauma, care, not criminalization.
Rosanna, thank you for your leadership.
Together, we launched CARE, an emergency response program that sends trained mental health professionals to people in crisis.
We have now expanded CARE citywide.
The fair share budget continues building on that investment, one that has already begun to pay off for Chicagoans in crisis.
Let's consider Raul Alberto.
A Chicagoan who fell into a deep depression following a traumatic encounter with federal immigration authorities, compounded by family conflict.
He felt hopeless and questioned whether life was worth living.
Our care team responded and met Raul with patience and compassion, earning his trust and helping him get to the hospital for the care that he so desperately needed.
In the weeks that followed, Raul stayed connected with the care team and enrolled in an outpatient treatment program.
And now today, he is working as a lead maintenance technician looking for an apartment of his own.
And he's rebuilding his life.
The care team showed up for Raul when he was struggling to see a way forward.
But care cannot begin and end with an emergency.
Chicagoans need both proactive and reactive mental health care, and the fair share budget funds those resources.
Our seven city-run mental health clinics provide therapy, psychiatric services, case management, and healing arts programming.
And from 2023 to 2025, the number of services delivered through these clinics has increased by more than 52%.
That growth tells us that more Chicagoans are turning to our city's mental health clinics for support.
And we are dedicated to meeting that need despite the devastating federal cuts.
The Trump administration has targeted Chicago's public health.
administration has targeted Chicago's public health infrastructure attempting
to roll back federal funding that supported disease prevention emergency
preparedness and public health but the fair share budget protects the life
saving work of the Chicago Department of Public Health and we know these
investments matter because after the pandemic it drove life expectancy down
across our city. Chicagoans are now living longer than ever before with life
expectancy reaching a record 79 and a half years. Black Chicagoans have seen
the greatest gains but significant racial life expectancy gaps they still
persist. On average despite historic gains non-black Chicagoans can expect to
live 9.4 years longer than black residents of our city. No one's zip code or race should determine
how long they live. We are fighting for the kind of investment that will give my neighbors in Austin
nearly a decade more time with their loved ones and we will keep fighting until every Chicagoan
has the opportunity to live a long and healthy life because everyone deserves access to the
resources that are abundant in some parts of our city and heartbreakingly absent from others.
Everyone deserves a life that comes from the presence of those resources. Building communities
where people can live longer, healthier lives also means creating economic opportunities
that allow families and neighborhoods to thrive. We know what investment can mean for a neighborhood.
On 75th Street, entrepreneur Tarsha Jackson transformed a vacant church into Roots Southern
Cuisine, a soulful restaurant honoring the neighborhood's civil rights legacy.
My administration helped bring her vision to life with a Neighborhood Opportunity Fund grant.
And this business is so much more than a restaurant.
It is a lifehood and livelihood for our dear sister, Mrs. Jackson.
Another place for neighbors to gather and a way to keep the history and traditions alive through food.
Better quality of life comes from the presence of gathering places and, of course, fresh food.
In this year's budget, we are counting or continuing to invest in small businesses, nearly $20 million from the Catalyst Fund that sat unused for years.
And through this transformation, we will expand access to capital for local entrepreneurs and support neighborhood investments like community centers, educational facilities, and other essential resources.
We are unlocking development and economic opportunity, and this investment does not happen without our wonderful city treasurer, Melissa Conyers-Irvin.
Thank you for your leadership.
I see how Jason got a matching red tie. He can't do nothing without checking in with you first, huh?
As we balance the fair share budget, we heed it to calls to prioritize savings and efficiencies.
We have heeded these calls across my tenure.
Over the past three budgets, we have found $740 million in savings and efficiencies, and we did it without laying people off.
The fair share budget will save another $120 million through corporate cost reduction initiatives while protecting services and keeping city workers on the job.
To be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, we are renegotiating contracts, consolidating real estate, and modernizing our fleet.
And in the last year's budget, organizational improvements to debt collection practices resulted in...
debt collection practices resulted in a 500 million dollar increase in recouped
debt. We did not resort to predatory practices or selling residents personal
information to third parties. We use data-driven strategies to collect debt
from those who are most able to pay and to provide relief programs to help
people who are already stretched thin, subtle what they owe because that is the
fiscally responsible approach. Hundreds of thousands of residents have
participated in our relief programs, bringing tens of millions of dollars
back into the city that we otherwise might not have collected. In 2027, we
anticipate at least six million dollars in new collection from our vehicle debt
amnesty program while delivering relief for Chicagoans. And we are also
increasing savings by answering the call to repair old harms.
Days ago, this body approved legacy settlements from and for those who were harmed by former police detective Guevara during an era of wrongful convictions.
This was the right and just decision, but we know there are more legacy cases that are pending.
Investing in our residents means recognizing there are individuals and families who are still suffering from harms of the past.
Delaying these cases prolongs suffering for families and passes ever-growing legal expenses
onto the future generations of Chicagoans.
By making timely settlements now, we can give resolution to those for whom it has long been delayed
while also shielding taxpayers from the rising cost of expensive litigation that could otherwise go in for our communities.
These settlements will save Chicago between $300 to $400 million compared to extended litigation.
But savings alone aren't enough.
You cannot cut your way to a better future because...
You cannot cut your way to a better future because a better future requires investments, not cuts.
You cannot keep asking our communities to make do with less
and expect to deliver on the promises that we've made to the people that we serve.
Throughout American history, everyday people have fought for their fair share.
And when working, people organize.
They win.
Just look at the nurses recently fired by Prime Healthcare at hospitals across Chicago area.
Most have been rehired, and they won their organizing drives, because when working people
stand together, they have the power to win. And when they win, we all win. But all too often,
there has been pushback. In 1987, in his inaugural address, Mayor Harold Washington reminded us that
Chicago stood at a fork in the road. We could choose the difficult but necessary work of
rebuilding our city or we could take the easy road, a road that would only lead
us backward. The year prior he introduced his own fair share budget. That budget
included many of the things that I'm fighting for today. It called for
investment in mental health care and investment in the neighborhoods that had
been too long ignored and deprioritized. And it did so while the federal
government, led by Ronald Reagan, was slashing taxes on the wealthiest Americans and corporations
and slashing investment in everyday people. Following Mayor Washington's untimely death,
our city reverted to prioritizing corporate profits and measuring success by the number
of cranes in the loop, forgetting that the success of our city cannot be measured in one neighborhood.
Our success must be measured by the presence of investment in every part of Chicago and addressing every single need.
addressing every single need. Now, as then, across America, local governments are confronted
with the challenges that reach far beyond their city limits. Growing wealth disparities,
endless wars overseas, and the rising costs are placing enormous pressure on families
and communities. One year ago, President Trump unleashed Operation Midway Blitz to terrorize
our communities, to tear families apart and threaten the livelihoods of working people
and small businesses. In addition to the trauma and physical harm inflicted on our city,
a recent study showed Operation Midway Blitz cost Cook County $1.26 billion.
And the harm inflicted by the Trump administration extends far beyond Operation Midway Blitz.
From the fear and trauma inflicted on our communities to the economic hardship facing
working families. Chicagoans are paying the price for an administration that puts the interests of
the wealthy and powerful ahead of the people who make this city run. In the second quarter of this
year, in the second quarter of this year, corporate profit margins increased by $384 billion,
reaching an annualized $4.7 trillion, while the share of business revenue going back to workers
fell to a record low of 52.9%.
There is no reason to coddle or feel sorry
for corporations.
They are doing just fine.
Here's the thing, though.
President Trump and his allies
have compounded this imbalance
with a massive corporate tax breaks,
allowing corporations to pay an estimated
137 billion dollars less in taxes this year and while corporations enjoy another handout
his administration is cutting the very programs working families depend on
from medicaid and food assistance into affordable health care i don't think it's a coincidence that
every area that donald trump is defunding are the literal demands of the formerly enslaved
Education, housing, health care, transportation, good-paying jobs.
This is not new.
This is just what they do.
But Chicago has to be better.
Because history does not have to repeat itself.
We do not have to allow corporate interests to lobby us into meeting these federal cuts with municipal abandonment.
Instead, we can learn from those who come before us.
and allocate resources to confront our structural challenges
so that there does not have to be another mayor
trying to ensure that every Chicagoan has their fair share.
We cannot address structural problems without structural solutions.
And let us be very explicit here.
Disinvestment did not happen by accident.
It was created by racism and redlining.
Today, Chicago, there are still 90% more black Chicagoans in redline communities compared to the surrounding areas.
The only way to remedy that kind of intentional creation of poverty is to intentionally create sustainable growth, sustainable pathways to generational wealth.
And the only way to create those things is to invest in them.
So when people talk about how Chicago needs to address poverty and build hospitals, but refuse to acknowledge the only pathway to do so is by asking giant corporations to allocate a drop in their ocean of resources to make the ad investment possible, I would politely ask those people to be more fiscally responsible.
Our city can only reach its full potential when investments happen intentionally to remedy equally intentional disinvestment.
We have an abundance of resources to invest.
And you all know who holds them.
It is so clear who it is to ask to pay their fair share, to shoulder a little bit more.
It is clear to nearly 90% of Chicagoans.
And Chicagoans, I am internally grateful to everyone who participated in our 2027 budget engagement roundtables and took the time to share their priorities for Chicago's future.
And so on this point, the people were absolutely united when asked which revenue options they supported.
88% of adult respondents and 74% of young people chose increasing taxes on large corporations.
Across generations, Chicagoans made it clear that they believe the largest corporations should contribute their fair share toward the services and investments that our communities need.
So we will heed the call of the nearly 90% of Chicagoans who spoke with one powerful voice.
We must hold large corporations accountable for their share of our collective future.
The fair share budget will require the largest corporations located outside of socio-economically disadvantaged areas to chip in just $25 per month for each Chicago-based employee.
to help invest in our neighborhoods, our people, and our long-term financial health,
and to incentivize economic development in Chicago, particularly in historically neglected communities.
Large corporations spend huge amounts of money recruiting employees and retaining them through a variety of frivolous...
and retaining them through a variety of frivolous perks, free lunches, health and wellness credits.
And so let's be honest, the best way to recruit and retain employees right here in the city of Chicago
is to ensure that our city has affordable housing, good transportation, safe streets, and robust services.
The equitable employer tax is a smart investment for all of us.
and we have a new incentive to not only promote equity
but to allow concerned employers to avoid the tax entirely
if they bring their businesses to communities that need development
and access to the jobs the most.
So while our equitable employer tax challenges large corporations
to put more skin in the game,
our new tax credit, which is called the seed credit,
allows those same corporations to receive a monthly credit for each Chicagoan that they
employ in historically disinvested communities. Because I'm reminded of a story that when a
sower went out to sow, when you sow in good ground, you reap the full benefit when you
sow in good ground. And the last I checked, the west and south sides of the city of Chicago,
despite previous administrations is good ground to sow in.
This tax is not about tilting.
Look, amen, brother.
We got the amen corner there.
This tax is not about tilting against a straw man of corporations and...
against a straw man of corporations and billionaires.
It's about a fair investment,
funding the resources that draw those corporations
to Chicago in the first place.
So if Chicago is good enough to bring your business,
then the people of Chicago should be good enough
to hire and work in those businesses.
And make no mistake, the corporations continue to come.
We are the number one American metropolitan area
for corporate relocation, because equitable investment in our city, it creates jobs and
attracts businesses and tourists, and it does so while addressing the root causes of disinvestment
head on. It is fiscally responsible. Equitable investment creates the foundation of public
safety necessary for us to build. But we are not focused exclusively on any one corporate tax or
financial strategy and I would kindly ask that each member of the media that's
present here today to make that clear in their reporting and let's not allow the
discourse about this budget to focus on a tax that makes up 1.5% of our
corporate budget because here's the thing we are committed to exploring
innovative new ideas to raise revenue so thanks to the leadership of Alderman
and Burnett. We are introducing a new packaging waste tax of 15 cents for each single-use mailer
or package used in deliveries in Chicago. Of course, the exempting medicine and food takeout
to not only raise a projected $9 million, but also to encourage people to shop local and to
reduce waste. And we are recommitting to revenue-raising strategies that we know work. This
year prove that sustainable forms of progressive revenue are the best path towards a stronger
financial future. Every one of our progressive taxes has outperformed projections by
progressive taxes has outperformed projections by millions of dollars because of these results
this year instead of making reckless speculations we are focusing our efforts on what we know
that actually works. The fair share budget is 76% structural meaning we are reducing our reliance
on one-time fixes continually shrieking our deficit that is fiscally responsible and by
making adjustments to the personal property lease tax. We will ask big tech companies like Amazon
profiting from Chicagoans to contribute more to city services while tailoring each reach to
preserve outside investment and growth in Chicago. We're going to do that as much as possible.
These increases alone are expected to produce an additional $234 million in 2027.
And this is how we build the Chicago that our children deserve.
Finally, Chicago's greatest strength has always been its people.
The workers who keep it moving.
The families who invest in its future.
The small businesses and the owners who bring our commercial corridors to life.
And the neighbors who show up for one another when times get hard.
and times are hard.
Our diversity, our creativity, and our determination
have carried us through difficult chapters before, though,
and they will carry us forward as we continue building
a city that lives up to its promise.
Today, we have a choice.
We can invest in our people, strengthen our neighborhoods,
and build an economy where working families have a fair chance
to share in the prosperity that they helped create.
we can confront
inequality and make the investments
our communities need to thrive
or
we can accept
We can accept the status quo.
We can allow the same inequities to deepen, the same communities to be overlooked, and
the gains of our economy to flow to those who already have the most.
We can keep asking working people to do more with less while expecting our city to thrive
without the investments that our people need.
That is not the future that I'm willing to accept for Chicago.
And last year, I spoke about a simple truth.
What happens in Old Town, it affects Austin.
What happens in Auburn, Gresham, it affects Rogers Park.
What happens downtown affects our neighborhoods.
And what happens on the far southwest side of Chicago can be felt on the northwest side of Chicago.
We may be divided into sides, wards, neighborhoods.
But we are bound by our responsibility to one another.
And that belief continues to guide this year's Chicago fair share budget.
At a time when the federal government is cutting critical funding and targeting our city,
we must protect the services and programs Chicagoans depend on.
And we must do that without asking working class and middle class families to shoulder even more of the burden.
Large corporations can and should contribute more to the city whose people, infrastructure and neighborhoods make their success possible.
And this is not about spite.
It's not.
It's about making sure Chicago's prosperity reaches the people who helped create it.
Because this fight is about so much more than just one tax.
It's about who gets to share in Chicago's prosperity, who gets a fair shot at opportunity,
and whether we are willing to challenge the systems that have left too many communities behind.
And if we look to our own history, we know this fight is not new.
is not new. Harold Washington understood the promise of Chicago could never be fulfilled
while entire communities were shut out of opportunity and power. Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. came to Chicago to confront the deep inequalities that working families face,
including the injustice of being denied fair housing and a fair chance at economic security.
And like so many other great Americans, they challenged systems that concentrated wealth
and power in the hands of a few while leaving too many people behind. And now decades later,
That fight continues.
We are still asking who bears the cost of our challenges.
We're still asking who bears the cost of our challenges,
whose interests our government serves,
and whether we have the courage to make the difficult choices that our future demands.
It will not, I will not leave the difficult decisions to fall at the feet of my children or yours.
And I hope you won't do it either.
let's do what is necessary to build the safest most affordable big city in
America let us plant the seeds of a fair Chicago we do not have to accept the way
things are simply because that is the way that they've always been we know
what happens when inequality deepens and when we abandon our responsibilities to
one another and we should never accept the notion that asking those with the
greatest means to pay their fair share and that somehow that will come at the economic expense
of economic growth. It's a lie. See, the Chicago fair share budget is our commitment to choose
differently, to protect our people, to sustain our investments, and to build on the strength
of a city that has never been defined by its challenges, but by its determination to overcome
them. So I ask you to join us. Stand with the people who make this city great. Fight for the
who make this city great fight for the investments our neighborhoods need help us build a Chicago
where a family has a fair shot I'm reminded of Matthew 25 where the gospel reminds us that we
should care for the sick we should feed the hungry we should welcome the stranger that's who we are
in Chicago and every community has a future and the people who make this city work they should
share in all that is available to them. This fight is ours. And the people of Chicago are
counting on us to build an economy that speaks to the justice that this city deserves. As Dr.
Keene said so famously, that if we do it right in Chicago, we can do it anywhere in the world.
So let's pass the fair share budget. God bless you all. And God bless the greatest,
freakest city in the world Chicago thank you thank you thank you all thank you I would like
to now return to our regular order of business thank you this is the portion of the meeting
for our 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
for their time to another speaker.
Any written comments that have been made
will be made available for public
made available for public and automatic submission. Our first speaker today is Jade T.
Before our first speaker comes to the microphone, as the chamber clears out,
could you all keep your voices down please? Thank you all.
Thank you for all of you that are exiting our chambers. We appreciate your presence
and I would ask that our Sergeant at Arms
maintains order and decorum.
Just one moment, please.
Thank you all.
For those of you that are exiting our chambers,
we'd ask that you do it expeditiously.
As the final few members who joined us
in our gallery exit the chambers,
I would ask now that you bring your voices
all the way down
so that we can move forward with our public comments.
Mr. Clerk.
Our first speaker this morning is Jade T.
Hi, my name is Jade.
My mom and I have lived in South Shore in the 7th Ward for over 10 years.
I also have family in this area.
I'm here today to demand an immediate stop to J.B. Pritzker's $9 billion quantum facility.
Mayor Johnson, we see you responding to community concerns about data centers through your executive order and moratorium.
them. The quantum facility has all the same concerns as data centers. We need you to finish
the job by protecting our community from billionaires and stopping the quantum facility.
Between the quantum facility and the Obama Center, I am already seeing my neighbors being displaced.
There are folks who live in my building who have been here for decades and now can't afford to stay.
Every time there is a rent increase, I see black neighbors have to move out and well-off white
people move in when I've never seen them in my community before. We have also had neighbors being
taken and never seen again. The demographics of my mom's building are also changing. My neighbors
are worried and I am worried. I am also worried about the construction on toxic land. I have a
weak immune system and I have had bronchitis symptoms since I was a child and COVID has made
that worse. It's folks like me and folks who are older and young who are the first to be impacted
by pollution construction can already lead to issues but construction on polluted soil with
no remediation will lead to more respiratory issues in our community i have gotten sick two
to three times already since the season started i cannot afford to be debilitated by pollution
just because a multi-billion dollar company is coming a few blocks away
our community needs direct investment not a quantum facility we have to leave south shore
in order to get the things that we need.
We need more businesses, community-oriented spaces,
services, community-oriented spaces, and community safety programs. We have a right to be comfortable
and be sustained in this community. I really do care about this community, and I have no plans
on leaving, and I want to see my neighbors and my community grow. I want to see us secure and happy
here. We are the ones paying to be here, and our money should be going to the things that we need,
not a development that will harm us so mayor johnson and city council join us in stopping
jb pritzker's nine billion dollar quantum facility and data center by stopping construction
immediately revoking and withholding the permits reallocating all city funding to the real resources
we need and publicly opposing the facility thank you thank you very much for your comments
Our next speaker is Miranda Donald.
Dear Mayor Brandon Johnson,
I'm a living and breathing resident of the South Shore neighborhood and a member of Southside together.
Today I'm here to speak to you, Mayor Johnson,
and remind you of the promise you made to the people of this city
and your legacy as Chicago's 57th mayor to protect those of us living and breathing here.
You have established a data center moratorium, and we are grateful.
But as you know, the work doesn't stop there.
It is in your best interest and all of ours to work with us to protect the citizens of
the South Side by halting construction of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park
set to be built in South Chicago.
As it stands, the $9 billion facility will pose a significant threat to those of us living
near their land related Midwest and DARPA have broken ground on.
related midwest and darpa have broken ground on while at least five million and five million dollars
in city funds have been dedicated to this project very little funds have been dedicated to the
needs of us the neighbors who need green space with clean air accessible and affordable third
spaces and privacy and safety even with advocate health breaking ground it won't prevent the
deterioration of our health installing a health facility near a health destroyer counteracts the
very purpose your office serves to achieve. I've lived on the south side for close to 10 years
and my experience has been that of community resilience despite systemic neglect and over
policing. We fight tooth and nail for our right to make decisions for our communities but we get
dismissed or given empty promises. We drive with endless potholes and pass corners without
accessible trash cans and now we smell the putrid toxins leaving the ground as they drill into the
land of the wannabe quantum facility. These toxins would greatly degrade the air quality of South
Chicago, which would work to worsen the disproportionate health disparities that
exist there and keep us away from enjoying the beautiful Steelworkers Park and the lakefront.
Without cleaning up the land and remediating the issues on the old Southworks site that exists
there, it shows my neighbors that maybe the city's mayor and Illinois governor may not actually care
about the health and safety of south side residents additionally the presence of the
department of defense poses a tremendous threat to our right to privacy privacy and safety as
darpa's research advances technology used by the military and quantum computing computing
focuses on data encryption and impractical physical phenomena these are not essential
needs of south chicago residents i also believe the jobs created by this facility will not yield
the favorable benefits for our communities as we've been told. They may be short-term at best
in order to provide the debilitating labor to build the facility. If you, Mayor Johnson,
care about your neighbors on the South Side, I implore you to affirm our
on the South Side, I implore you to affirm our shared power to stop the construction of this
facility in its tracks and work with neighbors to bring the jobs and enrichment we deserve in
South Chicago. Thank you. Thank you very much for your comments. Our next speaker is Vinay Ravi.
Good morning. Good afternoon. My name is Vinay Ravi. I am a resident of Little Village in the
22nd Ward. First off, I want to thank the mayor for putting forward a budget and a vision
and a plan to invest in our communities.
Investment in our communities means safety.
When Trump sent his agents to terrorize our city last year
from Little Village to South Shore,
me and my family had to make a decision
because we knew that we weren't directly
the target of the attacks, but our neighbors were.
And so we were terrified.
We were part, but we saw our neighbors
and our community members standing up
and being brave in the face of this terror.
And that inspired us to be brave as well. So I remember being terrified. I remember my heart
pounding one morning as we were going to make sure that we protected our neighbors, because it
matters to me to make sure the person who lives to the right of me or to the left of me is safe.
I remember being out there and I wasn't sure what would happen if that day would end up without me
and my wife being in federal detention. If there would be worse, we've seen the violence. All of
have seen it by now but we knew it was the right thing to do we do hard things for the people in
the places that we love so to the honorable elected leaders that are sitting in the city council today
i implore you to do the same working people deserve safety in their communities and safety
comes from investments unfortunately the needs in this
Unfortunately, the needs in the city are too great
due to the history of disinvestment in the city.
We're seeing cuts to SNAP benefits,
we're seeing rising gas prices due to illegal wars,
and the needs are just too great.
And whether you like it or not,
the only way to meet those needs
is by making those who are doing the best,
those who are a little more comfortable
than the rest of us, to pay a little bit more.
Right now, the wealthiest corporations in this state
got over seven billion dollars back from taxes to trump from trump's tax cuts from the big ugly bill
but instead some people in this uh in city council would rather make me pay more for
my garbage pickup fee that ain't right so i am happy to hear that there's a budget that lays out
a vision to do just that to make sure that the burden is on the people who can afford it and not
those who can afford it least. I've already seen the impact of the investments. When I go to work
every day, I drive past my neighbor's house whose son was able to be part of the youth jobs program
over the summer. I drive past Farragut High School, which is a sustainable community school,
where the staff tell me that enrollment and attendance has increased due to those investments
made possible by stiff surplus funds. And I drive down Ogden and I see affordable housing units going
up but it's not enough and we have to do more so please let's double down on these type of
investments even if it means making the most well-to-do of our residents pay a little bit more
and even if it makes them thank you very much for your comments however your time has expired
thank you very much our next speaker is emmanuel good morning city council um god bless america
bless America, and God bless Chicago. My name is Emmanuel, and I have lived in the
Seventh Ward for over a decade now, and I have been to and fro from the east and the
south side of Chicago all my life. I am here today to demand an immediate stop to J.B.
Pritzker's $9 billion quantum facility. Mayor Johnson, we see you responding to the community
concerns about data centers through the executive order and the monetarium, the quantum data center
through the executive order, my bad, the quantum facility has all the same concerns at data centers.
We need you to finish the job by protecting our community from billionaires and stopping the
quantum facility. When I was in my early 20s, I was homeless. I was standing in an abandoned
building that my grandma used to own. I was putting myself through school, paying my way
from there, and I didn't have a place in the city to stay. I couldn't afford rent. I felt like I had
nobody. I slept a lot in the cold nights, wrapped in the warm sheets. It was a struggle day by day
to put some money in my pockets and to eat. Nobody should be homeless. Everybody deserves a home.
Instead of addressing homelessness, our governor is spending a billion dollars on a facility that is probably going to make more people homeless.
I live on a South Shore drive down the street from the facility.
I didn't hear about the facility until someone from the South Side together knocked on my door.
It was underhanded.
A lot of families are going to lose their homes and not have nowhere to go after.
They build an aquarium facility, but they don't have nothing in place for the thousands of people who are going to lose their homes.
Property taxes are going to rise on homeowners.
I can't afford to stay in my place, which I live for the past.
stay in my place, which I've lived for the past 10 years if the rent continues to go up.
They trying to push us out of our neighborhoods. If they're building this, they definitely could
have built something to help people in poverty. People have a right to have some shelter over
our heads, have some money in our pockets. We got to put all our energy into this quantum facility
and we don't really need it.
What is the benefit for us, for our reality?
Mayor Johnson and City Council join us in stopping J.P. Pritzker's $9 billion quantum facility
and data center by stopping construction immediately, revoking and withholding the permits,
reallocating all city fundings to the real resources we need and publicly opposing to facility.
God bless America and God bless Chicago.
Thank you very much for your comments.
Our next speaker is Alex Goldenberg.
Good morning.
My name is Alex Goldenberg.
I'm a resident of Little Village and an organizer with United Working Families.
I'm excited to be here as we formally kick off the budget process.
I want to start by just lifting up what I heard in this budget.
$24 million to employ 40,000 young people next year.
Establishing an office of aging for seniors
$2.5 million for the Jackson Park CBA housing ordinance
$30 million to address homelessness and low-income housing
Reopening a mental health center
Expanding care to operating seven days a week
Once again, a historic TIF surplus
That will put hundreds of millions of dollars
Back into our schools, parks, and libraries
$30 million to ensure libraries are funded
30 million to ensure libraries are funded and there aren't cuts
And preserving funding for domestic violence services
All of these are things that working people of Chicago have been organizing
And fighting for for decades
They're priorities that previous budgets from previous mayors have denied
Under previous mayors we would have had to organize a huge fight
Just to win a fraction of one of these things
That is remarkable
I also heard that this budget will pay for these things by doing what we and the overwhelming majority of Chicago agrees with, taxing big corporations, while also supporting areas that need continued investment.
The papers often refer to taxing big corporations as something the mayor and the city council champions are calling for to appeal to their progressive basis.
I knock doors on a regular basis, and I know most of you all do as well.
Because we knock doors, we know that taxing big corporations is not just popular with
a progressive base, it's popular with the overwhelming majority of everyday neighbors
and residents in this city.
People are feeling the difficulty of making ends meet, of filling their gas tanks, of
buying groceries, and they want to see the big corporations pay what they owe.
I'm excited that some things will be different this year.
Now and through November 3rd, Chicagoans are voting.
They're going to be expressing their support for taxing millionaires, and you will also see that.
But also in precincts on the South and West Side, on the 24th Ward, the 5th Ward, the 8th Ward, and the 21st Ward,
voters will get to weigh in directly as to whether they support taxing big corporations.
It'll be on their ballot.
Alder people, we are asking you to pay attention to those results and to listen to the constituents.
On November 3rd, if you see a majority of constituents that have voted to tax big corporations,
we're simply asking you to listen.
If anyone questions you're supporting taxing big corporations, you can show them the election results.
you can show them the election results we are showing our work so that you can show yours
we will continue to organize residents so they can participate in ensuring that we are a city
that fights for working families and we look forward to engaging with all of you who share
in this vision thank you thank you very much for your comments our next speaker today is
stefan brown good morning my name is stefan brown and i'm a resident of the 10th ward and a member
of Southside together. It was about eight years ago that my wife and I first saw the beauty for
ourselves, the beauty of South Chicago, acre upon acre of forest and prairie. For years,
we worked tirelessly to find the perfect spot where we could move. And then for years after that,
we worked even harder getting grants, loans, and funding, and working ourselves on this project
so we could turn it into a place that we called our home. Now that dream is in danger due to the
PsiQuantum development. Mayor Brandon Johnson, the PsiQuantum development is a data center in
disguise, but it's far more dangerous. You see, I grew up in Oak Park, and I remember during my
childhood there was a park off of 290 that had a giant dome erected over it for like four years
what had happened is well before i was born there was a gas plant there and when that closed they
said they were going to remediate it and they turned it into a park fast forward decades
cancer is exploding in that community the it was only after that that the government
stepped in and did what it needed to do to protect from further harms but
but it was already too late for the families
that were affected.
The only difference between then and now
is that we know better.
We know that this land is contaminated.
We know that the toxic dust that this construction is kicking
up is getting into the air that we breathe.
It's not a question of if this facility kills people.
It's a question of how many.
How many lives will be cut short?
How many families are going to have to endure years of grief and suffering?
How many people are going to have to die before we decide that this facility is not worth it?
We shouldn't have to wait until the damage is already done for our government to step in.
The purpose of government is to step in and protect us from the damages, the dangers, the threats that are represented by corporate interests.
Brandon Johnson, we are not the price of doing business.
We know you know this because of the work that you've done on the data center moratorium, the executive order.
What we've got to do now, though, is finish the job.
We've got to bring this home because this threat is still there.
It is still real.
So revoke the permits for construction.
Deny any future permits and stop this project immediately.
Thank you very much for your comments.
our next speaker is george blakemore black basis in high places economic development
procurement what percent of the contracts and equity
and equity, people of color,
black people get in the city of Chicago.
What 3%, 2%, what?
But you got all these black faces in high places.
We have a problem.
It's a big problem,
my black brothers and sisters.
When I came here, we had banks.
We had song machines, and we had business.
We had service stations.
We had cleaners.
We had stores.
There's something wrong here.
There's something wrong here.
But we had the democratic machines also.
But we had black business.
Black people was tending to their business.
And you're not doing this now.
You're waiting and looking for the government.
To help you.
You got to help yourself.
You got to help yourself.
Self-preservation is the first law of nature.
Help yourself.
These Hispanics are selfish people.
They're focusing on themselves.
The Chinese, the whites, everybody's focusing on themselves.
Why can't you do that?
What's your problem with doing what the old people used to do?
We had business.
Even though it was racism was a lie, but black people did overcome, saying we shall overcome.
They had business, Black Wall Street and all these ghettos throughout the South.
Black business, black people today, you're getting too political.
Shut up, Tyrone.
Shut up, Carol! Shut up! You're part of the problem, too. Shut up! All of us, we got to work together. We got to help each other. We got to love each other because it's all about us. We must be selfish.
Why would you want to bring other people over to get your goods and contracts and above you?
Things that you not even get.
Make and make sense.
You know, something happened to us on the plantation.
We fell in love with our enemy, but the ancestors knew exactly what to do.
They were selfish.
And we were so prosperous that they burned down our Black Wall Street throughout the South.
because we had it going on today in the city of chicago you don't have nothing
thank you very much for your comments our next speaker is christiana akinsani
our next speaker is christiana akinsani hello my name is christiana akinsami i'm a resident of
south shore and a member of south side together i'm here to demand the immediate stop to construction
for the Illinois Quantum Microelectronics Park
because I had the privilege of choosing South Shore.
Three years ago, when I came to Chicago,
I chose South Shore because I wanted to see people
that look like me in my neighborhood.
I wanted affordability.
I wanted accessible transportation
and the best frickin' beaches in the city.
And yet, when I arrived, I fell in love with so much more.
My neighbors, the small businesses,
and the hope and resilience of a neighborhood
and resilience of a neighborhood determined to create a future brighter than our past
together. It was easy to choose to plant my roots in South Shore. What I didn't understand as a new
resident is that apparently you're not supposed to have a choice when you live on the southeast side.
You're supposed to just let things happen to you. You're supposed to let billionaires and
techno-fascists and the Department of Defense come into your neighborhood, raise your energy bills,
displace your neighbors and pollute your neighborhood? Why don't we deserve to choose
what happens in our neighborhood? Mayor Brandon Johnson, I know you understand this need for
community self-determination because of your data center moratorium. You understand that we must
regulate and choose what happens in this city and that, quote, growth must be done responsibly
and in a way that protects the health and safety and quality of life of Chicago residents.
When J.P. Pritzker says quantum is coming or y'all get nothing, that's not a choice. It's a threat.
With no regulation, no transparency, no protection for affordability, housing, and the environment, and privacy, all the consequences of the purported progress will fall on me and my neighbors.
Pritzker has decided that we don't deserve safety and privacy, don't deserve clean communities, clean water, and clean air.
a choice that will not only be harmful to the health of my community, but also destroy my hope
of planning roots and building a life in South Shore. The quantum computing facility will not
make my community better and will not make my life better. It is not something we chose.
It is a dangerous threat, and billionaires have decided we should bear the burden.
Mayor Brandon Johnson, continue your efforts and choose us. Revoke the permits for the quantum
facility, stop construction and do the right thing on the southeast side. Thank you. Thank you very
much for your comments.
much for your comments our next speaker today is archer our next speaker today is archer good
morning my name is archer i'm a resident of the seventh ward in south chicago i'm also a disabled
person and i am here today to call on brandon johnson and all of city council to stop the iqmp
so i and my neighbors can have a future in this community i'm a wheelchair user i push myself to
get around, and because this isn't an adjourn's task, I can easily become out of breath. I go
grocery shopping on Commercial Avenue, and when I'm pushing there, I've started coughing. I start
coughing because there is dust in the air, dust that is being carried from the quantum development
site, dust that we know has toxic chemicals in it. The EPA has said so. I've lived there for a few
years and i already have fallen in love with this community there are families who have lived there
for decades and psi quantum is making our community directly harmful for the people who have built it
harmful for them to live grow and truly thrive here without risking their long-term health and
quality of life this facility will only push people out who have lived here their entire lives
and force people to choose between their health and community.
On top of that, my roommates and I have already been forcibly displaced
due to the health concerns of toxins released into the air
and due to increasing electricity prices that we could not afford.
And we are only one of many that are being affected by the toxins and outlandish energy bills,
and this computer is not even done being built.
People are already sick.
There will be more, and the illnesses will be worse.
Mayor Johnson, we see you responding
to community concerns about data centers
through your executive order and moratorium.
But the quantum facility has all the same concerns
as data centers and its development
is already damaging our community's ability
to live healthy lives.
We need you to finish this job
by protecting our community from J.B. Pritzker
and his billionaire buddies
and stop this quantum facility thank you very much for your comments our next speaker is priscilla
tito morning everyone my name is priscilla i'm a resident of the austin community and i'm a youth
organizer on the northwest side of chicago over the years i had the privilege of working with
many young people from ages 14 to 24 as they learn about civic engagement the importance of making
their voices heard in places like this i myself am a product of paid after school jobs and youth
summer jobs? Today, I call on our elected officials to listen to these voices and prioritize their
needs in the city's budget. This summer, our organization worked with 115 young people through
summer employment programming. These opportunities provided more than just a paycheck to them.
They offered mentorship, leadership development, safe spaces, and community. But six weeks of summer
employment is not enough. With the rising cost of living, increased policing, and federal agents
running rampant in our community,
many young people are navigating uncertainties
while helping support themselves and their families.
When we talk about public safety,
we must talk about prevention.
Youth employment and after-school programming
are investments in safer, stronger communities.
I welcome a budget that increases funding
for summer youth employment,
but we must go further and invest in year-round opportunities.
opportunities. I urge our elected officials to make youth investment a priority this upcoming
budget. Thank you. Thank you very much for your comments. Your Honor, there are no further speakers
who have timely signed up for the public comment period. Very well, thank you. This concludes the
public comment period. Four communications, Madam Clerk. The following communication from Jonathan
Ernst, acting budget director, was filed in my office on Tuesday, October 20th, 2026,
and 9.33 a.m. Dear Mrs. Valencia, pursuant to Section 1860 of the Illinois Truth and Taxation
Law 35 ILCS 200-1855 ETSCQ, the City of Chicago Office of Budget Management has made the following
determinations regarding the amount of money exclusive of election costs estimated to be
necessary to be raised by taxation for the following year upon the taxable property in
the City of Chicago. 2027 amended aggregate property tax levy of $1,869,235. Please place
this letter on file. Thank you sincerely, John Ernst, Acting Budget Director. Communications
from his mayor to the Honorable City Council, City of Chicago. Ladies and gentlemen, the request
of the Budget Director are transmitted here with the fiscal year 2027 budget recommendations. Your
consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor,
Referred to the Committee of Budget and Government Operations.
Ladies and gentlemen,
at the request of the Budget Director,
I transmit herewith the 2027 Management Ordinance
that amends various titles of the Municipal Code.
Your consideration of this ordinance
will be appreciated.
Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor.
Referred to the Committee on Budget
and Government Operations.
Ladies and gentlemen,
at the request of Acting Corporation Counsel,
I transmit herewith the 2027 Municipal Code
Corrections Ordinance.
Your favor of consideration of this ordinance
will be appreciated.
Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor.
Referred to the Committee on Budget
and Government Operations.
Ladies and gentlemen, at the request of the Budget Director, I transmit here with an ordinance
authorizing the allocation of motor fuel tax funds. Your consideration of this ordinance
will be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. Refer to the Committee on Budget
refer to the Committee on Budget and Government Operations. Ladies and gentlemen, the request of
the Budget Director to transmit here with an ordinance authorizing the execution of the
intergovernmental agreement with the Chicago Transit Authority and the Cook County for the
allocation of motor fuel tax funds. Your consideration of this ordinance would be
appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Budget and
Government Operations. Ladies and gentlemen, the request of the Budget Director to transmit here
with a resolution amending the salary resolution. Your consideration of this ordinance, this
resolution will be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. Referred to the Committee
on Budget and Government Operations. Ladies and gentlemen, request of the Budget Director to
transmit here with the fiscal year 2027 tax levy. Your consideration of this ordinance will be
appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. Referred to the Committee on Finance.
Ladies and gentlemen, request of the Budget Director to transmit here with the 2027 Revenue
Ordinance that amends various titles in Municipal Code. Your consideration of this ordinance will
be appreciated. Very truly yours, Brandon Johnson, Mayor. Referred to the Committee on Finance.
Ladies and gentlemen, the request of Chief Financial Officer to transmit herewith an ordinance authorizing the issue into City General Obligation Bonds Series 2026 and to amend the Municipal Code regarding reporting on bond transactions.
Your consideration of this ordinance will be appreciated very truly as Brandon Johnson, Mayor, referred to the Committee on Finance.
Thank you, Madam Clerk. Now we consider a resolution calling for public hearing on the executive budget.
Chair recognizes Chairman Irvin.
thank you mr president i provided the clerk with a proposed resolution providing for publication
and setting the date and time of a necessary hearing on the budget and i ask the resolution
be read thank you madam clerk please read the resolution whereas mayor brandon johnson october
21st 2026 submitted to the city council effective budget of the city of chicago for the fiscal year
beginning january 1st 2027 and ending december 31st 2027 and whereas it is provided by law that
at least one public hearing shall be held by the corporate authorities on the budget document not
less than one week after publication therefore in such manner as the corporate authorities
may determine in prior to final action there are there on and whereas in the further
final action there are there on and whereas in the further provided by law that notice such
hearing shall be given by publication in a newspaper having general circulation in the
city of chicago not less than one week prior to the time of such hearing now therefore be it
resolved that the budget document for the fiscal year beginning january 1st 2027 ending december
31st 2027 as submitted by the mayor of the city council be published in pamphlet form and made
available for public inspection of the office city clerk no later than october 26 2026 and
be it further resolved that the public hearing on said budget document held by city council
at 11 30 a.m. on December 8th, 2026 in the city council chamber in city hall and the city clerk
is hereby directed to cause a notice of such hearing to be published in newspaper having
general circulation at least in the city of Chicago at least one week prior to the time
of such public hearing. Jason Irvin, Alderman 28th Ward. Thank you. Chairman Irvin, you're
recognized. Mr. President, I move for the temporary suspension of the rules for the
immediate consideration of the resolution hearing no objection so ordered now move to adopt this
resolution by voice vote all those in favor of the adoption of this resolution signify by saying aye
aye any opposed say nay depending the chair the eyes have it alderman mitchell on the motion to
reconsider motion to reconsider all those in favor of the reconsideration of this motion signify by
saying aye any opposed say nay motion fails chairman irvin a budget hearing schedule is
available online and in the office of the committee on the budget and government operations
I now move that we return to the regular order of business.
Hearing no objections, so order.
Alderman Mitchell, on a motion to adjourn.
There being no further business for the body, I move that we adjourn.
Hearing no objections, so order.
The meeting is adjourned.