All right. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here. Happy Earth Day to all.
We just returned from Altgeld Gardens, where the executive director of People for Community Recovery, Cheryl Johnson, gave us an environmental justice tour this morning.
Today, seeing the impacts of pollution on the Altgale Gardens community serves as a strong reminder that we still have so much work to do to make up for the systemic problem of excessive industrial pollution, which mainly affects communities of color.
Last week, we introduced the Hazel Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance,
letting us take the first step toward addressing this problem
and ensuring that every Chicagoan can breathe clean air,
no matter what zip code they live in.
The introduction of this ordinance is not only about regulation,
it's about transformation.
It's about listening to community voices and honoring lived experiences
and putting justice at the center of our climate work.
And more importantly, it is about ensuring that no one's health is sacrificed.
So today we are celebrating Earth Day.
We are reminded that fighting for environment means fighting for the people of this beloved city.
I'm sure we can all agree that clean air, clean water, and a safe and healthy place to live are fundamental human rights.
And these rights must be guaranteed in every single neighborhood and corner of our city.
My administration is not just responding to the harms of the past.
We are also planting the seeds for a more sustainable future for generations to come.
And through initiatives like our roots, we are expanding the tree canopy in areas that lack tree cover.
We are investing in green stormwater infrastructure planning to reduce flooding.
and improve stormwater management.
Through the Climate Infrastructure Fund,
we are supporting local businesses and organizations,
making investments in sustainability.
And through our Green Homes Chicago program,
we are making homes more energy efficient,
lowering utility costs, and reducing emissions.
Together, these efforts are part of a broader vision,
one that not only prepares our communities for the changing climate, but also the impact of community safety.
Bringing people together in clean, green public spaces is critical in changing the way our communities interact
by creating an environment where everyone can thrive.
So this Earth Day, we're grateful that I was joined by my wife, the First Lady of this beloved city,
which this is an important area of focus for her.
Let's continue to take a moment to celebrate the work that we have already done
and challenge ourselves to continue the work needed to secure a cleaner, greener, and a more sustainable future.
And so thank you all.
And with that, I will turn it over to our Deputy Mayor for Community Safety,
Gary and Gatewood, who has a short presentation on how the investments that we are making are driving violence down in our city.
Thank you, Mayor Johnson. Good morning, everyone.
Gary and Gatewood, Deputy Mayor of Community Safety.
Y'all all right? We're good?
All right. So we do have a short presentation.
We'll talk a bit about some of the journey in crime that we've been seeing around the city, crime trends.
And, you know, I know historically we've talked about crime as a year over year.
So we'll talk a bit about the history.
We'll talk about some of the work that's happened this year in comparison to last year as well, too.
We'll start with homicides.
Homicides are always the focal point in the city of Chicago.
As you can see, we went all the way back to 2016 up through 2024.
We obviously all know there was a spike in homicides in 2016.
We saw another spike in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
And you've also seen a pretty precipitous drop on a consistent basis since that time.
This tracks with some of the things that we're seeing nationally,
but unlike other places, we have very distinct issues here in the city of Chicago.
We have a lot of interpersonal issues,
and it takes a full force of government approach
to actually address these crimes and the violence that we've been able to see.
This comes from the work with our Chicago Police Department.
This comes with the work of our community violence interrupters,
our victim services partners, all literally working together
to help continue to drive crime and these trends down.
So, again, we've seen from 2024 to 2016 around a 25% decrease,
similar numbers in 2020, 2021, and 2022 compared to 2024 of last year.
And as we stand today, in the city of Chicago, year to date right now, we're sitting at a 24.7% decrease in homicides in our city.
For the month, this month alone, we are at a 56% decrease in homicides from April this year to April of last year.
So we're going to continue that work, and obviously we know it's important to continue to drive those trends down.
I'll go to the next slide and talk a bit about, again, we talked about homicides, but our shooting incidents are also down.
So our shooting incidents have dropped 30 percent over that same time frame.
If you pay attention to this red portion here at the top, the red line, it highlights our robberies.
We saw a pretty significant spike in robberies in the city of Chicago.
And this was last year where robberies continued to go up.
And the mayor had a conversation with the superintendent and the leadership over at CPD.
We've also had conversations with our street outreach partners and created a robbery task force.
Since the inception of the robbery task force, we have seen a 37 percent decrease in robberies year to date.
And for the month, we are sitting at a 45 percent decrease in robberies.
The robbery task force is the members of the Bureau of Detectives, the Bureau of Counterterrorism, and the Bureau of Patrol,
all working together with other law enforcement entities and partners on the ground to help drive robberies down in our city.
I know you all spend a lot of time on robberies because it was covered a lot in the media last year,
so really thinking about ways that we could address robberies along with other trends that we were seeing.
So we've continued to see a decline in that area, and again, I think that's a big piece of the collaboration and partnership that we've continued to see,
not only in the police department, but across our agencies, including OEMC, the Office of Emergency Management Communications.
And we'll talk about our violent crimes from 2024 to 2025.
You know, 2024, again, that was our first year since 2019 that we were under 600 homicides in the city of Chicago.
We have continued to see those decreases so far this year.
We're sitting at a 23% decrease in all violent crime across the city.
So that is nearly, well, that's around 1,700 fewer violent crimes than we were at last year.
At this point in the year, a 24% reduction in homicides so far this year as well, and a 31% decrease in shootings.
Beyond the numbers, these are the families and the lives that we're impacting across the entire city.
meaning these are families that continue to have experiences in our city.
These are people who were victims last year who are no longer victims now.
These are resources that we're putting in communities and we're working hand in hand.
I know we did a lot of work last summer as well on our series in Take Back the Block.
We had six Take Back the Block events last year, and I'll highlight one on Madison and Leamington.
We were in the 15th district a couple of weeks back, and we talked to the commander over there.
Since we launched that take back the block, Elm Madison and Leamington,
that area, that four-block radius, has seen over a 40 percent decrease in crime.
The reason I tell you that story is it is important to know that not only are we addressing root causes,
we're also addressing rapid responses to this work and the decrease in crime that we're seeing across the city.
I promise the presentation will be short so we can get the questions,
and I'm going to put us back on the home screen and we can open it and pass it back to the mayor
so we're going to open up the Q&A. Thank you to our deputy mayor
and thank you to all the residents of the city of Chicago who have committed themselves to building a better
stronger and safer Chicago and our investments are up and violence is
down and I'm looking forward to the work that we will continue to do together.
Okay, so we have time for one question, one follow-up. We're just going to do questions today. Thanks.
Hey, Mayor. So I think we're anticipating
creating some...
bill in Springfield on regional transit up here. How involved have you been in that? What do you
want to see in that bill? I believe you're against consolidation, but what level of
new coordination kind of mix there? And then also, how do you think they should fund a new
funding source? And would you be acceptable to any taxes imposed upon Chicagoans for that?
Well, look, I think there's no secret that our transit system is grossly underfunded.
The city of Chicago, I think we make up roughly 87 percent of the overall ridership for the entire region.
And what we're asking for is pretty straightforward, just equitable distribution of those resources.
As far as the source of those resources, that's something that, you know, Springfield will have the opportunity to debate.
It has to be progressive, right?
That's something that I think most people are clear about.
And in terms of our involvement, we've been involved in every step of the way.
I'm really grateful for the leadership, the CTA, that has worked in coordination with our entire team.
Our budget and finance team meet with the governor on a regular basis.
Those relationships are critical to having an economy that works for everyone.
But, you know, I'm going to remain optimistic and hopeful that the city of Chicago receives its just due,
particularly at a time when the federal government continues to threaten our democracy,
as well as everything that's sensible about how we generate revenue for working people.
This potential new entity, would you fight any proposal that somewhat watered down the mayor's, you know,
ability to make appointments to that board, you know, some level of control?
and the city of Chicago currently has?
Well, as I said, you know, the city of Chicago, we make up 87 percent of the ridership
and the contribution to our transit system.
It is only right to ensure that the people of Chicago have authority to provide direction,
and that's something that is important to our region, and that's the value system that we will hold to.
Hi, Mayor.
Two months ago, you formed a task force and charged it with examining city policies in an effort to recommend changes that would root out Chicago police officers with ties to extremist and anti-government organizations.
How many times has that task force meant and what have they accomplished?
Yeah, thank you for that question.
As you know, I'm committed to ensuring that every single city employee represents the values of working people.
And, you know, whether they're a police officer or a teacher or anyone who works in streets and sanitation,
they have to uphold those principles.
But I'll allow my deputy mayor to expound on that work.
Thank you, Mayor.
Thank you for the question, Heather.
So as you mentioned, the task force was formed a couple of months ago.
We've had several meetings, including meetings as the entire group and individual meetings to have a better sense of what's happening in every department.
We're not only looking at the Chicago Police Department, because as the mayor mentioned, rooting out extremism in other agencies across the city is a priority.
We want the best quality people working for the city of Chicago, and that's a part of that work.
You also have impeccable timing, because our next task force meeting is tomorrow.
So this will be the third official meeting in that two-month span.
We have around four meetings after that.
We'll take our recommendations with our partners over at CCPSA, share them with the mayor,
and then we'll make our recommendations public and make sure we get that public input and that partnership there.
So looking forward to those recommendations and having a better sense of what is happening,
what can be improved upon, and when people can expect results.
And I'll just follow up with you, if you don't mind.
When is there a deadline for that recommendation going to the CCPSA from the task force?
Well, CCPSA is a part of the task force, so they're working with us on those recommendations.
They know the timeline that we're working on as well.
And as I mentioned, we have a meeting tomorrow and four additional meetings after that, because, as you know, we're leading into the summer.
I may be a little busier during the summer than I am now, so we'll try to make sure we get things wrapped up before then,
making sure that work is quality, presented to the mayor, presented to the public, and go from there.
Is there a need for greater public updates on this work?
Inspector General Deborah Wissberg's recommendation urged this task force to update the public periodically.
This is the first time I've heard anything about this.
Does there need to be more transparency into its work?
Well, look, I mean, I think that's a fair question.
Look, there's a lot of work that we're doing in the city of Chicago responding to a variety of things.
You know, again, there's nothing surreptitious about our administration.
The information that we put forward is information that is ultimately improving the lives of people.
And, you know, that's why this public forum is important, too.
There are multiple ways in which information can be transferred.
And we're going to use every single means to ensure that people of Chicago know that those who work for this city,
not just in our police department, share their values.
Thank you for taking the question, Mayor.
I wanted to ask you about the working group that you've set up yesterday with the executive order.
And are you surprised? I know. So the city of Chicago, as you've talked about, has had long term budget issues, deficits annually, debt, pension related issues.
So why is it that you wanted to set up this working group now and not at the beginning of your administration two years ago?
Well, look, here's what's important here is that you have an administration that is committed to working with everyone. Right.
And that's what we've done. We closed the deficit in my first budget, working with people.
We closed the deficit in my second budget, working with people.
We're taking a more strident approach because, you know, the circumstances have changed dramatically, right?
You know, the Trump takeover is real.
And, you know, he threatens the very fabric of our democracy.
And what you have probably noticed is that this is not just isolated in the city of Chicago,
having conversations with people like Mayor Bass.
We know what's happening in the state of Maryland.
We know what's happening in the state of Illinois.
Budgets across this country are grossly underfunded
and dealing with the same challenges.
Here's an opportunity for the city of Chicago to lead the way
to further demonstrate our commitment to a collaborative approach.
Now, look, we take full responsibility for what we've inherited.
We know that a couple of administrations ago
raised property taxes by almost a half a billion dollars every single year,
left our credit rating in junk status, right?
It was an incredibly anti-business approach towards governance.
We're taking on a different task here,
and that task is to ensure that the future of our budget is secure.
This is not just about one or two budgets.
In terms of just the timing, I'll turn it over to our budget director.
She can expound more on that.
Yeah, I mean, I think the mayor encapsulated this pretty well, right?
We are facing threats at every single level of government that are unique to this time period, right?
I think that what's happening at the federal level has only heightened our resolve to ensure that the city is in a position to withstand those types of attacks in the future.
But we're also seeing that the state is having pressures as well.
And so we've got to put our city in the best position possible to, you know, address and deal with issues on its own while working with partners at the federal and state level where we can.
And we think that the best way to do that is to bring a bunch of voices to the table because, as you know, people are always commenting on our budget.
People have always commented on what they think we should do without actually engaging in the conversation with the city itself.
And so this is the chance for everyone to get at the table together and have those discussions.
And are you open to options such as layoffs at this point?
I know that's been something that you have not supported in the past.
Well, who supports layoffs?
I don't know anybody who supports layoffs.
Or service cuts.
Or service cuts, right.
As I said earlier, you know, our ability to continue and to sustain staffing and services at the level in which we've done is threatened by the federal government.
Like these, I shouldn't even refer to them as threats anymore.
I mean, these are real attacks.
And listen, despite how incorrigible this president is, it's not going to dilute our work.
What we are offering here is a pathway forward.
And the voices that have been historically neglected and have not been permitted to participate in our budget process,
we're giving voice to those individuals.
And listen, this is the culmination and it's the manifestation, quite frankly, of our community meetings that we've had.
We literally went all over the city of Chicago for residents to voice their hopes and aspirations into our budget.
We're growing as a result of...
what it means to be an administration that is committed to co-governance,
and I'm very proud of the direction that our budget director has helped move us in.
And as I said before, this is a problem that is literally all over the country.
We're taking an approach that might be more unique just because of the historic entanglements
as well as the lack of willingness to cooperate with a variety of voices,
And we're doing that.
I'm proud of it.
We've got to keep moving.
I don't know if we're in a unique position.
Thank you for getting that extra one in there.
All I'm saying is that this is not just Chicago, right?
My good friend in Los Angeles, Mayor Bass, is doing an exceptional job.
And, you know, we're not having a conversation about how we respond in this moment.
You can't start off with cuts.
That's just not how you start the conversation.
You start the conversation with, you know, how do we, first of all, find ways to be more productive?
How do we make sure that, you know, we're able to strengthen and streamline our services in a way that saves dollars, right?
What are the revenue options that people have that we should be exploring?
You know, again, nobody wants to cut services, especially because, you know, the great concentration of our budget is in public safety, right?
And so we're going to do everything that we can to continue to bring people together to have budgets that match the values of working people.
And I would just add, I would challenge you, Shruti.
I know that you cover not just the city of Chicago, but I would challenge you to go look really deeply at what other cities are facing right now.
It's almost eerie to the degree of how the challenges of the city of Chicago mirror exactly the city of L.A., the city of New York, like eerie.
And so I think that what you'll find is cities are at the front lines of dealing with the hopes and aspirations that people who are residents and business owners of those communities are dealing with.
And so when it comes to that, those municipalities need all the tools possible to meet those needs and to provide, you know, working people, business owners, and those that come in and enjoy that city, the services that they desire, the services that they expect, and the services that, frankly, they deserve.
And so he's right.
You know, I've had conversations with the city of L.A. and other cities throughout the country.
We're not in a unique position.
Good afternoon, Mayor.
Good afternoon.
Almost exactly a year ago, you unveiled a proposal for the domed stadium for the Bears on the lakefront.
This week, we're hearing that Arlington Heights is starting to review impact statements for a possible stadium in Arlington Heights.
What's your assessment of the dynamics of this process of finding a new home for the Bears as it stands right now?
I think the state of Indiana is working on trying to get the Bears to Chicago, to get the Bears to Indiana as well.
Look, there's not a politician in this city or this state that has actively worked to keep the Bears in Chicago.
That's the goal.
There has to be a public benefit and use for this stadium.
And, you know, this is an opportunity not just to transform the lakefront,
but it's an opportunity for us to grow our economy.
Look, at the end of the day, you know, the Bears and their ownership, you know,
have a financial decision that they'll have to make.
I feel good about what's been presented in the city of Chicago,
and we're going to continue to work with ownership.
We're going to work with the General Assembly to find a way to keep the bears in the city of Chicago.
How confident are you that a financial package can be crafted that would be acceptable not just to the city but to the state?
Look, it all has to work together for everyone.
I mean, we're talking about billions of dollars of income for those who are working.
Again, we're also talking about being able to host multiple events.
You know, just yesterday I had a chance to talk with some of the folks that choose Chicago.
Hotel occupancy is up.
Revenue generated from downtown is up.
We're at pre-pandemic levels of investments.
People are coming to Chicago, right?
As violence continues to go down and investments continue to go up, Chicago is positioned to be a transformational space.
I would love for the Bears to be a part of that, but that's a decision that doesn't solely just rest on.
My wishes, we're going to continue to work with the state of Illinois, the Bears ownership,
and we're going to continue to grow our economy one way or the other,
and I still believe that Chicago Bears belong in Chicago.
Good afternoon.
Back to the budget.
I know if this working group comes out and says you don't have a choice,
you're going to have to look at furlough days, look at city hall salaries,
is that something that you would consider?
I know you said you would not start out with cuts.
But let's be realistic right now in terms of revenue options.
There really are not that many revenue options out there.
Well, there are many revenue options.
It's a matter of whether or not people have the political will to actually engage in those options.
So we're not short on revenue options.
But I hear the premise of your question.
You know, look, again, the effort here is ultimately to bring everyone's voices together so that we can come up with multiple options.
Right.
This is not about a singular component of the options that will be presented.
And, you know, as far as what we'll have to decide when the culmination of this working group places on the table,
we'll make that decision when it's upon us.
But would you consider it?
You know, again, yeah, look, we've looked at that.
There was a 3% cut across the board.
This is not like, you know, breaking news, right?
I mean, the city of Chicago made 3% cuts across the board last year, 3%, right, across the board.
So it's not that it's unprecedented, right, to have cuts.
What we have said is that the people of Chicago want quality services,
and we're going to do everything in our power to ensure that quality services are available.
That does require person power, right?
As far as what will be recommended, there will be some ideas that will be recommended for revenue.
Perhaps there will be concessions that people are willing to make.
Perhaps there will be, you know, people who will place furloughs.
It's not like that has not been presented to us, right?
You know, so again, once the culmination of all of the incredible minds that are being assembled by my administration
put forth recommendations, I'll look at them seriously.
This is not a futile exercise.
This is about the future of our economy.
me. Again, it can't be lost on us, though, that the, again, American cities are under
attack by the Trump takeover. We're under attack. These are unique circumstances in
that regard, where you have literally the erosion of what is sensible about our democracy
that is happening right in front of us. We will have to use force. Let me just say this
last part, because I think it's a healthy question as part of our overall dialogue.
This is not a response just simply from government. We need people to organize and take it directly
to the federal government to push government to respond to working people.
I'm going to do my part as an executive.
I will.
We will bring people together.
We will assess and analyze every single possible option.
And this city has to continue to lead the way when it comes to pushing back against the nastiness from this administration.
I believe there's another big rally this weekend that's being planned.
I would encourage people to participate in and join in those efforts.
This is the follow-up to the follow-up.
Go ahead, you're fine.
No, go ahead.
Actually, about the crime trends.
OK.
You know, I know your predecessor,
I think all your predecessors always come out.
Trends are down things.
How do you change that perception?
You know, you come out and say everything is down,
but then you have, you know, a kid that was killed
in Lincoln Park last week.
You have, you know, obviously shootings every day
in other neighborhoods.
So how do you make, how do you change,
how do you make people feel differently?
I mean, people look at statistics and they're like,
They don't really register.
Yeah.
No, thank you for that question.
I can tell you how I feel, and maybe that's a good place to start.
Every time someone is shot and injured, or even worse, their life is taken, I feel that every single day.
My chief of staff, Ms. Pacione Zayas, she has the arduous task of being my first call in the morning to talk to me about what happened the night before.
And I know it affects her because she has to sort of ease into it, right?
Because there is anxiety around violence in general.
And what our work...
What our work is translating into is that it is working, and so part of why I think these sit-downs are important
is so that people at least know we're moving in the right direction.
It doesn't mean that we don't have a long way to go. It doesn't mean that.
I mean, we do have a long way to go still, you know, and as a parent, as a husband,
a parent of young children, by the way, one of which is determined, you know,
I would rather he stay in Chicago to go to college, but he's looking and exploring other options.
And I think about just what it's going to feel like when he is out by himself.
I know that feeling.
And what I want to convey to the people of Chicago is that the feeling of being
insecure or unsecured is one that
I grapple with every single day. But know that
my entire administration is working hard every day
to change the direction of this city. And we're doing that
but it's going to take all of us. All of us have to find ways to put our arms
around our children. All of us have to do that. All of us have to
find a way to not just put our arms around people
but to show up for people, right?
And look, the numbers are encouraging.
Even the return that people are experiencing downtown,
those investments are paying off.
So we're going to just continue to tell people the truth,
and we're going to find opportunities to give people a little bit more hope
by building more affordable homes, providing mental health and support services.
And then here's the last thing.
We have to tell our own story, Chicago.
I think it's pretty cool that
our investments are up and violence is down. We have to tell that story.
Most people don't even know that we're not the most violent city in America. We're not even the
first 25, top 25. And we have a responsibility
to tell people that story, and we also have a responsibility to ensure that
no one gets injured, no one gets hurt. And to the best of our ability,
we're going to continue to do that. Thank you for that question.
The feeling piece is a real concern, and I think the biggest thing is we need help from you all.
We need help from the media to tell the story about violence that we are stopping
and crime trends that we are stopping and the impacts that it is having.
That piece, and I know talking about crime is very difficult
because you're really comparing your success on decreasing violence from the prior year.
But there are lives that are being saved, and we have to work together to tell that story better.
And that's not just on media.
That's on us as well to be able to help tell the story around the lives we're saving, the impacts of our work, and just the trajectory that the city is going.
The mayor's right.
You know, often people talk about the city of Chicago, and on Monday mornings during the summer, the first thing that comes up is the shootings from the weekend,
Not the work that went in to stop those or the families that are being impacted, but it's always about the shootings.
So I would challenge all of us to really think about that narrative as we go into the summer.
How do we tell the story of the violence that we are stopping?
How do we also tell the story of the opportunities that we're creating and the people that we're holding accountable?
Think about the work that we've done to sue gun manufacturers to try to stop guns from coming into our streets.
the work that we have done with our returning residents community,
the work that we have done with our victims and survivors of crime.
So us coming together to be able to tell those stories
and actually bringing more people into the work will help.
And I think that was a part of the work that we set out with the People's Plan,
literally going to blocks where people have been riddled with violence
so they can help us tell the story and help those communities heal.
So we all go through that.
We all have those feelings.
but it's important that we tell the story of the work that's happening
and make sure we continue to bring more people in.
Good afternoon, Mayor.
I want to pick up on Craig's question about the Bears.
I'm wondering if you think the half million dollars that the team has spent
either on their own research and the money that they're funding the city of Arlington Heights
to make sure that their numbers are legitimate and all of that work
that the mayor of Arlington Heights told me today,
He believes it is a very real likelihood that the Bears could be coming to their town.
Do you believe that this is a leverage play by the Bears to kind of make it look like,
hey, we're very serious out here to put pressure on you?
Or do you take them at their word that this is a very viable option for them?
You know, I don't see this as pressure.
If you haven't noticed, I'm under no pressure as mayor of the city of Chicago.
Hey, thank you. Craig got that one. This is a very tough crowd today.
Look, there's no more pressure to apply. For me, I want the Bears to stay in Chicago. I do.
Now look, ultimately, you know, it's going to come down to their own decision, right?
But if you look at all of the assets, I mean, we're talking about prime real estate that, you know, overlooks, you know, the Great Lakes, right, 20 percent of the world's fresh water.
You're talking about a booming economy, right, where $11 billion of new investments last year, $8 billion already of new investments this year.
We're building more homes, more affordable homes,
and if you look at our ability to attract large-scale events
and what that means for the overall trajectory of our city,
again, voted as the best big city in America eight years in a row,
corporate relocation right here in the city of Chicago.
People want to be in the city.
They do.
I don't think it's a coincidence that the city of Chicago is targeted by this administration
to undermine the hopes and aspirations of working people.
So, you know, they don't have to use leverage.
We just have a conversation.
I'm not that person, right?
We want to come together with a deal that makes sense.
And if it makes sense that we can all celebrate that collectively,
we're talking about one of the most storied franchises in sports history.
I have a great deal of respect for the family.
But, again, there's not a politician in America that has worked harder to make sure that the Chicago Bears remain in the city of Chicago.
So you take them at their word that they're very serious about Arlington Heights.
You're not thinking that this is some sort of public theater.
Look, I can't get into the framework of someone's thinking.
What I'm simply saying is that's not how I function.
Understood.
Do you talk to mayors of other cities that have danced this dance with NFL teams
and gotten any insight or advice from them to how to navigate?
These are pretty tricky waters.
Mayors are remembered for winning or losing in moments like this.
So I understand you're not feeling the pressure.
Well, clearly you want to apply pressure, too.
Mayor Johnson, the pressure of keeping a franchise in the city of Chicago.
You know, look, again, I've put forth, you know, a team that has been engaged with the family.
And, you know, I don't rest my mayorship on one decision, right?
That would be, that would placate the pundits, quite frankly, right?
And no disrespect to the pundits.
Not that any of you are pundits.
You're serious journalists and reporters.
but it just would placate the pundits.
I don't mess around and play in that sort of
pure-wild approach towards governance.
We have put together an operation
to help this process
land itself in the city of Chicago.
And as you know, there are other mayors of Chicago
that have dealt with this aspect.
And I feel confident about our approach and confident about the package that we've assembled.
And I trust that the Bears and the organization and Kevin Warren has negotiated with our team in good faith.
And we fully anticipate and expect that to continue to happen.
Hey, man.
Hey.
Can you confirm you're returning to Springfield next week?
And can you tell us a bit about your agenda there?
what caucuses you're meeting with, what you're going to ask for, stuff like that.
I can confirm that.
I will be in Springfield next week.
Our agenda hasn't changed.
I'm happy to turn it over to our chief of staff, and she can talk to you about our agenda.
Sure.
It's the same five areas that, you know, we've been talking about since the beginning of session, right?
Various avenues for creating additional revenue or sustaining revenue.
So that's the telecom tax, as well as the 9-1-1 surcharge.
There's been some discussions around the PPRT within the budget, the one-system initiative investments,
and then, of course, transit and having those discussions overall.
And then I feel like I'm missing one more.
Yes, mandated categoricals with the Illinois State Board of Education
and increasing the proration, ideally getting it up to 100% so that we can get fully reimbursed
for the services that we are mandated to provide for children with respect to transportation,
special education, and bilingual education.
Any elaboration on what the agenda is while you're there, not just what you're asking for, but what you're doing?
Just what I'm going to be up to?
We're going to meet with people to discuss our agenda.
Go ahead.
Okay. Thank you. All right.
Over 200 people in the arts.
If you're asking if I'm going to go out and party and kick it, you know I don't do that, right?
I'm a pretty boring guy, Jake.
We're going to go and have meetings and have a serious conversation about what Chicago needs in this moment.
That's my only responsibility and job.
Okay.
Well, over 200 people in the arts community sent you a letter last week criticizing Commissioner Clint A. Hedspeth at DK's.
What is your reaction to that letter?
Well, you know, look, there's a lot more engagement in government these days, and I welcome that.
You know, arts is incredibly important to me and my administration.
We put together a full transition presentation around the arts.
We know that, you know, funding is a challenge across the board.
How we invest in our community festivals, how we invest in our artists is something that I have long presented opportunities for that.
And, you know, look, preserving and protecting art is the preservation of our democracy.
And it ultimately provides space for the freedom of expression, the First Amendment being chief amongst them.
You know, so, you know, look, I take the feedback seriously and we'll continue to work with all of our partners to ensure that our values are carried out in every single department.
And that includes D case. Thank you. Good afternoon, Mayor. Good afternoon.
Back on Springfield. Will that ask for CPS be enough to address the district's financial issues for next year without needing to go back to maybe previous borrowing plans or that budget amendment?
Well, look, if you're asking me if there is ever going to be enough funding for our public education system,
my hope and aspiration is built around the evidence-based funding model
that I know the state of Illinois is committed to increasing that funding year over year.
How we get to full funding over time is something that is the responsibility of all of us.
As I said, our budget director and our chief financial officer meet with the governor's staff
on a regular basis to address a whole host of issues, look, in order for us to be fully realized,
it's going to take some time to get there, and no one is disputing that.
So whatever we ask for, you know, I think there's no secret that whether it's the School District 299
or other school districts, they're going to be perpetual asks over time.
Look, here's the most important thing, though.
There's not a mayor that's fighting hard to ensure that our public schools are fully funded and supported.
You know, I was here we go. I do this once. I'm sorry, Aaron. All right. So I'm going to upset my somehow. Alice, you just managed to bring out the best in me.
I was watching an interview between Rahm Emanuel and someone else, and I was incredibly bothered by his temerity.
You know, look, there's a long-sustained movement in this city that has pushed back against neoliberalism and the neoliberal agenda that worked to set up austere budgets to ultimately undermine public accommodations.
Like the playbook that Donald Trump is running is a playbook that Rahm Emanuel executed in this city.
and, you know, we didn't get here because we just happened to have a tyrant in the White House.
We got here because someone gave him the script.
And the shutting of schools, the firing of black women,
privatizing our public education system is why the system is as jacked up as it is today.
And yes, we have to ask more, but we have to also be clear about how we got here.
The Emanuel administration had immense disdain for public education,
and particularly black, brown, and poor children.
And he was vocal about it.
He told one of my heroes, She-Rose, that 25% of children won't become anything.
Those are his words directly to Karen Lewis.
And now he is prancing around this country asking people to reconsider him.
It is not just frustrating.
It is beyond offensive.
now again to your question
it won't be enough
until every single child has everything that they need
in this city and I'm going to fight with everything
in me to ensure that that happens
and then in terms of revenue to
fund issues like that
I understand what you're saying about it's up to Springfield
to discuss this progressive revenue
it's not up to Springfield I'm just saying
they play a part of it what is it 60% of our
of budgetary options are controlled by Springfield.
So it's incumbent upon all of us to work hand in hand.
Look, our enemy is pointing all of their ammunition
directly at progressive leadership like mine.
It is.
And in Springfield, I'm going to have conversations
with the Speaker of the House, the Senate President,
the governor, all Democrats. We have one common enemy in this country right now. And maybe
enemy is too harsh of a word. We have one common opposition. And that is the extremism
in this country that has demonstrated that public accommodations and that government
in and of itself should only benefit the ultra-rich. The fact that we have billionaires
circling around all that which is meaningful for working people in this country is problematic.
The last thing that this country needs is the ultra-rich controlling and dictating how working people live
and how poor people experience government.
That's why we put forth the 1.25 bond investment, the largest investment in the history of Chicago,
for housing and economic development, the $830 million to respond to the infrastructure needs that we have,
the green social housing, they give us another tool so that we don't have to rely upon the federal government
to build affordable housing.
These are all of the efforts that we put forth, hiring more young people, growing our community colleges,
investing in our public schools, making sure the behavioral mental health support services are available,
attracting more businesses, a city that is open for business, not for sale,
for the sake of working people, is what I ran on and is what I'm delivering in this moment.
And so, no, it's not incumbent upon just one level of government.
It's requiring all of us to work together, and that is what I'm desperately organizing in this moment,
bringing people together to solve critical issues that working people are counting on us to do.
So next week when you meet with these state leaders, are there any specific new taxes you might want to propose,
put your weight behind, such as another go at the progressive income tax, the corporate head tax.
You know where I stand on that issue, right? I think we should take on it all.
And it's a little bit of gall and some political fortitude to show for working people.
That's what they want. That's what they get out of me as mayor.
No one in this room questions my values. You all don't question my values.
You certainly don't question my motives. I'm going to repopulate this city with working people,
and whatever it takes to do that, that's what I'm committing myself to.
Alice, we've got to keep it going. Thanks.
Amy, you're staying on the topic of Springfield.
You hired two people to lobby on your behalf, right?
Can you talk a little bit about how that's been going and just obviously on the different topics that you guys will be bringing up once you're there tomorrow and so on and so forth, how that's been going?
Yeah, thank you.
Look, we've assembled a pretty robust team.
You know, they have a regular cadence and check in with my chief of staff.
I'll turn it over to her.
But I just want to make sure that we're also clear.
I am the chief negotiator for the city of Chicago.
And, you know, my chief of staff checks in with the chief of staff and the Speaker of the House on a regular basis.
Me and the Speaker and the Senate President, we have regular conversations.
We sit down.
I think the two individuals that I believe that you're referring to are doing a solid job.
I just got a call from Senate President's Chief of Staff during this meeting.
As you know, in Springfield, it's about communication, coordination, and collaboration, right?
Our Director of Springfield Affairs and the Senior Legislative Assistant are in Springfield on a weekly basis when they are in session.
When they're not in session, they are having in-district meetings with members.
They're talking through, you know, the various asks that I just enumerated.
In some cases, if there's language to be discussed to kind of get a finer point on those particular asks, there's that.
We have members of the Chicago delegation that are carrying different elements of those asks forward, bringing them back to their caucuses.
And then it's just, you know, kind of watching how the plays are carried out
and making sure that all the members of the body, because, you know, it's always about the numbers, right, 60, 31.
60 votes in the House, 30 votes in the Senate, and one governor to sign off on it.
And then there's always, you know, as the mayor has been discussing, the coordination with the governor's office.
So on top of the finance team meeting with the governor's office, our team members are also touching base with them
and making sure that they have that information.
It's, you know, in Springfield, it's a lot of discussions.
It's a lot of coordination.
It's a lot of hurry up and wait.
But then when it moves, it moves very quickly.
And so that's why you've got to have people embedded on the ground in Springfield.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Good afternoon, Mayor.
How are you doing?
Wanted to ask about back to the budget and this working group in terms of the timeline.
We've got this preliminary report in four months.
How are you feeling about that?
Is that that's a pretty quick timeline.
Can you address that and why?
Yeah, well, that's a great question.
And I do apologize in advance, Annette.
I've put a lot of pressure on you to do things in very little time,
but I'm going to turn that over to our budget director.
Yeah, I mean, it's not unusual, right?
I was looking back at some of the other working groups that the city has put together,
and I hearken back to, like, the Police Accountability Task Force group,
which had an amazingly large task and produced a report in four months as well, right,
that literally shook up and transformed how we do police accountability work in the city of Chicago.
So it's not uncommon.
It's a big ask, but it's not an impossible ask.
You know, we've already been in conversations with proposed members of the working group who are excited, dedicated, and ready to get to work.
And I will also say that the ideas, there's no shortage of ideas that haven't already been out there in the, you know, kind of in the ethos that people have been thinking about.
So I fully expect that this working group will get together and have, you know, preliminary recommendations within that time frame.
I'd also say that, you know, in addition to this working group, the mayor also tasked me with doing a comprehensive review.
And so, you know, to ensure that we aren't duplicating efforts,
we'll be able to bring a lot of that information that I'm doing already to that working group and say,
here's a bunch of ideas, here's a bunch of research that we're doing in addition to what you'll be doing.
So I think it'll be a comprehensive approach, bringing all of those things together to put together a very preliminary report in August.
But again, this working group currently is tasked with 12 months worth of work, right?
Because it's not just, as the mayor says, he doesn't want to have the city continue to lip along year after year with these structural budget gaps,
which is essentially what the city does.
Every three years, it seems to be another crisis that we're dealing with.
Part of this is looking at the larger Springfield play.
Part of this is thinking about the federal play and saying, okay, how do we really protect the city going forward so that we're able to make these decisions and be a little bit more flexible?
I think, Justin, you asked me the question yesterday about, you know, what happens if federal funding is taken away.
You know, the city is not in a position to replace federal funding.
It never has been, right?
But how do we put the city in a position to make continued investments year over year in our city to see those crime statistics drop every single year, to see our public schools fully funded and thriving, to see public health be able to be there when people need it, right?
And that's what this working group has really put together to do.
I've had members, potential members already tell me, is this something that can stay in place beyond the 12 months, right?
People are excited.
I've got my inbox filling up with people asking to be on this working group.
People are excited.
They want to be a part of this conversation.
And just as a follow-up to that, you've called this historic.
This is the first time to this magnitude.
I know that other folks in city council have said, well, we've done this before with COVID.
Can you sort of expound on that, why this is different than what has happened in the past?
Sure.
It was a once-in-a-generation crisis, pandemic, right?
That's a much different scenario, right?
I mean, we're talking about the entire – our entire economy essentially shut down.
This situation is different in that, again, historically, the city of Chicago
and other cities have just limped along
and figured out just how to patch things together.
So let me give you an example.
The selling of our parking meters as patchwork.
Look, I may sound a little bit judgmental,
and I'm not trying to be judgmental.
At the time,
That was the decision that the mayor of the city of Chicago was presented with, and whether it's the Skyway, whether it's, you know, the parking meters, you know, whether it's pension holidays, right, this is all patchwork.
What I'm simply saying is that my administration is going to take accountability, that we're going to put forth a concerted effort to put our city in a position for long-term solvency.
And here's the other unique thing, too, is that, look, the Trump taxes right now, the tariffs, could on average cost families $4,000, $4,500.
11,000 people losing their jobs is going to disrupt our economy.
We're working to build homes.
This could cost us more to be able to make those kind of investments.
It's different in that I don't know if we have seen this level of animus from a president
that has made it his business to attack American cities the way he's doing it.
Like he's literally threatening and willing to withhold tax dollars that people send to the federal government and not returning those tax dollars.
I don't know if in modern history that type of ominous form of governance is being applauded by the ultra rich.
I don't know if there's anything else you want to add to that.
Yeah, the only thing I would add is, sure, the city has had working groups, right?
And I think, if I recall correctly, I think during the Rahm Emanuel administration, there was a working group.
They're usually focused on very specific things, right?
And I think in his administration, they were focused on county-city overlap, right?
We're asking for essentially a financial plan for the city of Chicago.
That's never been asked for before and never been asked of a broad working group of people.
that's going to hit on how do we sustain our services and ensure that the very people who
provide those services are provided for while they're working for the city of Chicago and when
they retire. And so I think this is different. And again, as I said before, I've had working
group members say, hey, can this stay in place after, you know, the report is done? And, you
know, my initial reaction is like, let's see how this goes, right? But I think that the other thing
I would say is different is the accountability piece of this, right? The people that I've
approached and had conversations with already about the working group have said, are we actually
going to implement the stuff that the working group presents? Because their experience in the
past of working groups with the city of Chicago is we present a bunch of recommendations and you
never do it, right? I think that we've already shown the proof is in the pudding with the cut
the Tate working group that presented, I don't know, over 70 recommendations,
a good chunk of them have been put in practice.
And you can actually go online and see the status of each of those recommendations
that that working group put forth to the city.
So I think that this is a different approach under a different mayor
who is not only committed to bringing people together but saying, hey, the proof is in the pudding.
Let us show you how we're taking what you tell us and actually implementing it.
And, you know, for the members of city council who are either skeptical or want to see, you know, cautious optimism around this working group, I invite them to be a part of that conversation.
In fact, we have invited them to be a part of that conversation.
And so I think it's up to them to actually engage and be a part of progress rather than blocking progress.
Good afternoon, Major.
Major, how are you?
I know that at the beginning of the Q&A, you just said that you don't support the layoff, that nobody does.
But also you said yesterday that Chicago will have to do more with less.
Are the layoff or city services cuts are going to be imminent?
You know, again, I mean, I think let me just maybe expound on the statement doing more with less.
We're doing that, right?
That's just the reality that everyone is experiencing.
That's not unique to Chicago.
We're hiring more people for summer youth positions.
We are investing more in behavior and mental health.
Though our revenue streams have not been as potent as we would like,
we're doing more of that work with less revenue stream coming in.
And we're also responding to our obligations to ensure that people's retirement is secure.
So we're actually doing that. And in terms of what's imminent, perhaps it's because I'm a middle child. I tend to be just optimistic naturally. That might have something to do with it.
And I understand, because your colleague, Sarah, asked the same question about layoffs, furloughs.
Look, the task of this working group is to present us with opportunity and options.
We're going to look at all of it, and we're not going to start the conversation.
I am not starting the conversation about what I'm going to take away from someone.
Just in a personal relationship, if someone just approaches you and just says,
hey, listen, you know, I want to continue to figure out ways in which we can move forward,
but let's start with a conversation around what you cannot have.
That's not a – I don't believe that's an adult approach.
I think an adult approach is looking at the full scope, analyzing and assessing the full scope,
and then making a decision.
It's personal, too.
You know, my father is 82 years old, and he's suffering from Alzheimer's.
And he's such a stubborn man because sometimes he remembers that he forgot.
That's just how tough he is.
He was part of a generation of people who saw how Reaganomics ruined our economy.
He lived through that.
And, you know, sometimes we do have these moments where we're able to see each other.
And I reminded him of the days where we would pull into Dairy Queen
and we thought that would be the day that we would all get Sundays.
And then he would come out with those sad dilly bars.
It was still ice cream, though, right?
Still ice cream.
And listen, I'm not saying that we're going to be able to provide Sundays for everyone.
But in the political financial budget of Andrew Leon Johnson II,
if we can find a way to still make sure that we show up with something,
at least people know that they are loved and cared for.
You may not be able to get everything that you want,
But hopefully there will be a season where we can deliver more on behalf of the people of Chicago.
But in the meantime, you know, we're going to continue to make sure that we are investing in our young people, investing in affordable housing, you know, investing in our behavior and mental health.
And we're going to continue to make these investments to drive crime down in this city.
And if I could add to that, I'm going to try not to get too philosophical.
Or emotional like I just did.
I'm sorry to add more.
You are warranted in your emotion because I know how much you feel it.
But I think I think I think what you're hitting upon is really, really important.
And what the mayor said is really important to just pause on for a second, which is not only the city of Chicago, but most governments do more with less.
And I think that it's incumbent upon us to continually remind people that we're doing more with less.
You know, during last budget cycle, we spent a lot of time with city council helping them understand how little our budget actually increases relative to the cost of everything else in society.
Right. And people people don't question the increases for the other things in their day to day budgets, but they question the increase of the city or their municipal, state, federal governments constantly without recognizing what they're getting in return.
And we have to do a much better job of explaining to people what it is that we do every single day that brings value into their lives, because once it's not there, they recognize it's not there.
And I think that people are seeing that right now about what's happening at the federal level when those things are being taken away.
And so, you know, when it comes down to what is it that you truly value that brings value into your lives
and, you know, what happens when those things are no longer there,
we have to have real conversations about that because we are doing a lot more
and people are asking us to do a lot more, but yet doing it with a lot less.
And at some point, those mathematics don't actually add up.
Also, I would like to know if you can confirm, excuse me, if there's any cuts in the health department,
we're hearing that Dr. Geraldine Luna is transitioning out.
In the health department, in the city's health department?
Well, I don't discuss personnel issues, you know, and, you know,
I'm very grateful for the leadership that Dr. Ige has provided.
Our chief of staff just reported something to me yesterday.
about containing, yet again, a potential outbreak of measles.
So we're doing some incredible work.
The threat that is ultimately real is the one from the federal government.
The Trump administration has made it very clear.
that the resources that public health has relied upon, he's not willing to continue to support those efforts.
And to Director Guzman's point, this is also going to have an impact on county government,
potentially county care as well.
There are a host of services that we provide as a public good that will be disrupted by the Trump takeover.
We have to do everything in our power to fight back against that.
Hi, Mayor.
Hi.
I have a quick question on, a follow-up question on the Springfield agenda and then my own question.
Is pushing Springfield to change who's ultimately responsible for paying the CPS non-teacher pensions
and the MABF on your agenda for next week?
Well, look, Senator Martwick, who is the chief negotiator and sponsor around our elected school board,
we made this very clear from the very beginning that we have to work to disentangle the district.
That's an ongoing assignment.
That's not something that is necessarily provocated by a trip to Springfield.
That work continues.
And then more than a month ago, you know, on Trump administration threats,
the Justice Department announced it would investigate Chicago for what they allege is anti-Semitism on school campuses
and demand that you sit down with investigators.
What's your understanding of the status of that probe?
Have you gotten any requests or formal subpoenas as part of that investigation?
Well, the first thing that I'll say is that we don't have, you know, tolerance and we will not accept any forms of anti-Semitism in our city.
And I have been quite vocal about my position on making sure that the Jewish community and all of our communities feel protected, loved and safe.
We know that there has been a concerted effort, however, to intimidate and to provocate fear amongst the Jewish community.
And we're going to stand firm as a city and continue to put our arms around our Jewish neighbors to ensure that they have maximum support.
You know, as far as the direction of this particular investigation, we can have somebody get back to you about any specifics related to that.
But what I can say unequivocally is that I'm not going to tolerate it, you know.
And, you know, I want our Jewish siblings to know the profound and deep love that I have for them.
It's a love that, quite frankly, comes from my own personal faith as a believer, as a Christian.
I never want to see harm promulgated against a particular group because of their beliefs, their religion, or just their cultural identity.
It is antithetical to my value system.
And so I'm going to remain firm in my position and continue to surround, again, of course, all of our communities,
but in particular the Jewish community that has been under an incredible amount of an attack,
that they are loved and supported by my administration.
Sorry, are you aware of any requests from the Justice Department to sit down with that task force?
You know, again, we'll get back with you on that.
All right, thank you all very much.
Very, very patient today.