# Press Availability 3.18.25

- Date: March 19, 2025
- Type: Video
- Length: 1:36:48
- Topic: Press conferences
- Video: [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jP2zDGtkFY)
- Transcript: Machine transcription, 13,846 words ([text](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/youtube/3jP2zDGtkFY.txt))
- Mayor: [Brandon Johnson](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor)

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=0) Introduction and setup
- [8:37](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=517) Financial entanglements overview
- [14:38](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=878) MEABF pension fund details
- [17:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1038) Historical context and TIF surplus
- [21:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1281) Funding needs and borrowing plans
- [25:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1500) Transitioning to independent governance
- [29:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1768) Q&A: Budget and vendor contracts
- [39:57](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2397) Q&A: CPS funding and board relations
- [55:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3328) Q&A: CTU and education vision
- [1:01:22](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3682) Q&A: Policing and accountability
- [1:05:32](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3932) Q&A: Final inquiries and closing

## Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson hosts press availability.

## Transcript

[8:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=514) guys handling the slide deck? Okay, great. Thank you. Good morning. Okay. The red light is good? It's good. All right. Good morning, everybody. Thank you, Jim. Sure. Good morning, everybody. Thank you for being here today. We're going to start this press conference off with a little bit of an educational piece on the city and the MEABF payment that we We have requested from CPS for the education reporters that are in the room.

[9:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=548) You've had the pleasure of walking through some of this material already, and I'm sure many of you took the opportunity to review the material that was presented to the CPS board last Friday at their hearing on their budget amendment. But we thought it was useful to take a quick walk through some of the material to make sure that everybody understood some of the background. So if we're on slide one, yeah, quick summary of what we're going to walk through today.

[9:40](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=580) We're going to talk a little bit about the entanglements between the city and CPS. We're going to talk about the MEABF fund and CPS's involvement in their... their participation in it. We're going to talk a little bit about the Board of Education considerations for their budget amendment that we have discussed with them, and the budget balancing proposals that we have made to them as part of attempting to further the

[10:13](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=613) dialogue and help move the process along. So real quickly, brief summary of CPS and the city entanglements. When the state passed the legislation authorizing an elected school board, one of the things that they also did was require an independent financial review of CPS be written to identify the entanglements between the city and CPS. The review identified the city's payment of the MEABF payment as the largest entanglement.

[10:45](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=645) Notably, the city is the only municipality in the state that pays for a school district's pension obligation. So at the time after the legislation was passed, CPS and the city agreed to a five-year transition whereupon CPS would take on paying for their portion of the MEABF payment. As we'll discuss in a minute, the MEABF, the Municipal Employees Annuity and Benefit Fund, is a fund that has both city workers, such as everyone at this table,

[11:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=678) as well as CPS's non-teacher employees are participants in the fund. Legislatively, the city is required to make the fund contribution, which we do every year. But what we have tried to do is work with CPS to have them begin making their allocable payment, their allocable share. So the original plan was for a five-year transition, starting with a $60 million payment and working up to a full payment, which at the time was estimated to be $289 million.

[11:50](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=710) An intergovernmental agreement was passed in 2020 that provided for annual payments through 2059, which needed to be evidenced each year by a new IGA specific, which only would specify the amount to be paid in that year. The IGA going through 2059 indicates the long-term nature of the agreement from the first time it was passed. Although the city has lowered the amount that we have asked from CPS,

[12:24](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=744) not $289 million this year, but instead $175 million, CPS has failed to budget for the MEABF payment. We move to the next slide. We want to do a quick review for context of what the current city support is for CPS. The top line is the MEABF payment. So when I mentioned, and we'll get into this in a bit earlier, that the payment this year was originally projected to be $289 million, that was because at the time of the agreement in 2020, that was the projection for CPS's portion.

[12:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=778) That portion has actually turned out to be $452 million because there was an experience study that increased the costs, increased the liability and the contribution amounts for MEABF. So if we look at that $452 million and we assume they receive the $175 from CPS, we're still providing a $277 million subsidy, in essence, for CPS's employees. And of note, if you look at their financial statements, their ACFER, it notes this payment is made on behalf of CPS.

[13:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=810) We're also spending $319 million on TIF-funded projects currently for CPS. We had provided a surplus this year of $298 million to CPS, plus $13 million to their building fund for a total of $311 million. $142 million in debt service for projects that have been previously completed. $12 million in debt service on other projects that were previously completed. About $7 million in grants for things like after-school matters,

[14:05](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=845) our obstacle all-stars, safe passage, those types of things. We're about $303 million in other services provided by city departments and $10 million in water and utility fees. So that's a total of $1.24 billion if the $175 million payment is not made, $1.07 billion if it is made. So the city provides very substantial financial support to CPS.

[14:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=875) Thank you. So if we move to the next page, I want to talk a little bit more about MEABF. So the Municipal Employee Annuity Benefit Fund, as I stated, is a fund that covers both city employees. Essentially, everyone in the city that is not police, not fire, and not a laborer is a participant in MEABF. It also covers the non-teacher employees in CPS. Currently, CPS is 63% of the active participants, 47% of total payroll, and 40% of the benefit costs.

[15:07](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=907) If you're wondering why they're 63% of the participants and 40% of the benefit costs, these are generally the lower paid employees inside of CPS. So I only note that because, you know, we at the city are extremely focused and dedicated on making sure that our pensioners are paid. We take a lot of extra steps beyond what the state requires, including putting advanced payments in,

[15:37](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=937) because we value our workers in their retirement. These are some of the lowest paid workers at CPS. We do value making sure that their retirement is secure, as we hope does CPS. If we move to the next page, this is a little bit of a busy table down here, but what we want you to see is the arc over time. So the share of payroll that is attributable to CPS versus the city continues to grow every year. The number of city employees and the participants is steadily declining while CPS participants are not.

[16:12](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=972) You know, you may remember our budget hearings. Our payroll is tightly managed, and the CPS participants, while they're in a fund that we have a legal obligation to pay, we have no control over. And, again, this is a highly unusual situation to have participants in a fund that you must pay for, but you do not hire, budget for, or control the number of folks who are participants. So if we're on slide six now, just again taking a look at the history,

[16:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1003) what was the original plan for the CPS contributions? As I noted in my opening remarks, the plan was started with $60 million in the first year, ramping up to $289 million in this year is what was originally expected. And that was designed to be a time period in which the ramp-up was slow enough that CPS could manage working that into their normal budgets.

[17:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1037) On the next slide, we have the actual results and revisions to the MEABF contribution plan. So the original payments of $60, $100, and $175 were met. In 24, that payment was supposed to be $250 million. When the Mayor Johnson came in, CPS approached the city to talk about it and stress the growing nature of their budget deficits, and we lowered that to $175 million. We have also this year again asked for $175 million,

[17:50](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1070) so we've plateaued as opposed to continuing the increase. This slide also shows how those numbers jumped in the total amount that is allocable to CPS starting in 2022. So you see that number is now 407.5 million, this year 445. That was previously projected to be 263.3 million, so significant increase. That was due to an experience study.

[18:20](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1100) The experience study determined that the amount of liabilities that the fund had, the costs that it would have going forward in the future were much higher than had been previously projected. So that increased our liabilities and increased the required contribution. One other thing that I want to note in this is that the city does make supplemental payments to each of our funds. We do not count that supplemental payment when we talk about the allocable payment.

[18:53](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1133) The supplemental payment has been made for monies that were reserved from prior year surpluses. It's a very important program that we have to lower the costs to the city moving forward and to our taxpayers. But it is money that we have set aside, a city money, and we are not in any way asking CPS to participate in the supplemental payment, even though, of course, all of the pensioners in it, including their employees, will benefit from having a more highly funded pension plan.

[19:25](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1165) So on slide eight, what we wanted to highlight here is what has gone on with the TIF surplus and CPS MEABF payments. One of the things that you've heard from CPS is they look to the TIF surplus to pay the MEABF payment. And so as you can see, if we look back, you know, prior to 2020, the payments were under $100 million a year on average. That started to bump up in 2020. In 2021, we see the first MEABF payment at $60 million and a TIF surplus at $164.

[19:57](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1197) The next year it moved down to kind of that normalized amount that it had been. But since then, we've been highly focused on surplusing as much money as possible out of the TIFs. And you can see that these are record-breaking numbers that CPS is receiving each year, and they are significantly in excess of what the requested contribution has been and what the agreed-upon contribution has been. So, in fact, if CPS had gotten to the $289 million this year,

[20:29](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1229) the TIF surplus that they've been provided would be sufficient to cover that. This is also part of our general plan for letting TIFs expire. As you know, we passed the GEO and Housing Economic Development Bond Proposal Ordinance last year, which uses expired TIFs to pay for housing and economic development projects. One of the things that is really important is how dedicated the mayor is in this administration

[21:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1263) to returning any excess TIF dollars that are not going into projects beneficial to our city residents into all the different taxing bodies. It's a focus that has never been had at this level in any prior administration. So moving more directly on slide nine to what are the funding needs that CPS has this year? We did some analysis on our own to see how could CPS pay for this MEABF payment that they did not budget for,

[21:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1294) and how can they manage their increased labor costs that will occur when they reached a collective bargaining agreement with a CTU. So we put together some illustrative numbers. I want to note here that what we put together, I made an assumption of $200 million on labor cost increases. That is no problem. No worries. That is an illustrative number only.

[22:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1324) It is not designed in any way to indicate what the results of collective bargaining are. I am not involved in those discussions, nor have I made inquiries of anybody who is to determine the accuracy of that. The number could be 140, 150, 250. 200 is an illustrative number designed to run the calculations. We have $200 million, we're assuming, in increased labor costs, $175 million for the MEABF payment, And so those are higher expenses, right?

[22:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1356) But we also know we have $139 million of funds that they can budget. That's the amount of the TIF surplus that they are receiving that is in excess of what they originally budgeted. CPS will receive a significant portion of the TIF surplus this week. We are sending the money to the county for distribution today. So this comes out with a target number of $240 million needed for their 2025 budget.

[23:07](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1387) So what we have looked at is two items, short-term borrowing scenarios to address the remaining gap, as well as applying the $139 million. Each of the scenarios is a refunding of existing debt, which results in a reduction of debt service costs. So we have an addition of revenue in the TIF surplus and a reduction of cost by doing a refunding. If we move to the next page, we can show what this borrowing scenario would look like under three different scenarios.

[23:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1421) There's many ways that CPS could accomplish this, but what we wanted to do was provide them our thoughts on how it could be done. Scenario one through scenario three have basically three. there's basically one thing that has changed between the three, and that is the repayment term. So we looked at a three-year, a five-year, and a ten-year repayment term. Looking at each of these, we used current market rates at the time of the analysis, which I believe was done on March 3rd.

[24:13](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1453) Yes, it says March 3rd. Current market conditions, you know, as rates go up or rates go down, obviously those would change. There's no indication to indicate that that's a guarantee of those rates, but they did take into account where CPS bonds do trade in the marketplace. And each of them had a borrowing cost that was under 5%. So as I said, this would refund payments due June 1 and December 1, for which the deposit has already been made to the debt service fund. So since monies have been deposited, we've reduced that debt service.

[24:45](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1485) Those funds can be released, providing additional liquidity to CPS to meet their operating needs. If we move to the next slide, and I promise this will be my last for those of you who are nodding off, this is just an illustration of the debt service repayment. So I know this is a lot of numbers here on the page, but let's focus on the yellow one in the middle. What we have in the left column for each is the cash flow,

[25:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1518) so $240 million coming out that goes to repay debt and release liquidity. And then in each year, we have a repayment of that debt. And so if you do a five-year repayment, that payment would be $56 million each year. In the middle column, which we say is new revenue, That is looking at the property tax, the new property tax that CPS will receive when the TIFs expire. As you might be aware, the city has a website for the GEO and Housing Economic Development Bond.

[25:53](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1553) We have a tremendous amount of information that explains this and shows all of our projections because we are using that money as well, our portion. Our portion is about 23%. Theirs is about 53%, but we're using our portion to repay the $1.25 billion in bonds that city council authorized. So the amounts that are projected are in that middle column, and on the right is the balance, in essence, where it says unused revenues is what would be available to CPS after the payment of the debt service.

[26:24](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1584) And so what this illustrates is, you know, one, we're recommending a short-term borrowing to serve as a bridge to working out a more fulsome budget solution for CPS, but also one that as we look at CPS's revenues going forward, we know that they are going to have increased property taxes that will become available to them that are above and beyond their base property taxes and above and beyond the inflationary increase that they are allowed to take each year.

[26:55](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1615) And if we look at those as a source of repayment, it is sufficient, whether you do three years, which is sort of accelerating it as quickly as possible using those repayments, or do something longer like the five- or ten-year scenario that is illustrated here. I think, you know, in wrapping up, you know, the key points that we want to make is, you know, So CPS is moving to being a fully independent governing body. That is something that I think many people in the city are excited about.

[27:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1647) They were able to participate in the first election of 10 school board members this year. It is something the mayor has supported long before he became mayor of the city of Chicago. I've had an opportunity to speak with the board members, either individually in groups or at the meeting. It is a really wonderful group of individuals. I am excited that they will be moving towards full control of the school district in less than two years' time.

[28:02](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1682) But as the schools become independent, they also have to achieve a level of financial independence. It is the entanglements we have are related to the history of the city controlling CPS. And we are working with them to transition them to that point of financial independence. And we are also working together on one work hand-in-hand on coming to a full solution that entails what are all the ways in which CPS continues to be held different from other school districts.

[28:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1715) That includes CPS being able to hold referendums, for instance, CPS being able to have the full-tool suite of borrowing options that other schools have, CPS having their teacher pensions paid for by the state. So there is a whole range of areas in which CPS has been held to a different standard and has a different legislation related to them in the school code, and we look forward to working with them to resolve all of those to give them the tools they need

[29:07](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1747) to manage their full financial independence. as they move forward. Thank you, Jim. And with that, Mayor, I will turn it back over to you. No one was nodding off, and I know you all would have preferred social studies than statistics and math class, but you did a wonderful job, Professor. Thank you. All right, we'll start with questions. So we have time for one question, one follow-up. Just say who you're addressing your question to, and no monologues, all right? Just questions. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, good morning, Mayor.

[29:37](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1777) A few weeks ago, your administration was warning that the city may need to dip into reserves If the school board doesn't pick up this pension last Wednesday, you would not go that far when we asked about your plan B. Why? Look, as our chief financial officer has articulated, working with the Board of Education, with our labor partners has been, of course, met with some level of consternation. But there are good people that recognize that we have to place the Board of Education on a path to solvency and independence.

[30:11](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1811) There's no secret here that there could be significant consequence if the board doesn't adhere to what the CEO essentially promised. We're going to continue to work with the board members. Today you had a nice presentation around what their options are. They do have options. That's the most important thing here to remember is that the Board of Education has options. Now, that has not been articulated from from the CEO, but it's clear that they do.

[30:44](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1844) And we're going to work with the board to explore all of these options and move towards independent solvency as an independent unit of government. And when you say significant consequences, you know, if the city finds itself in a position where it may close out 2024 with a budget deficit, would dipping into city reserves be on the table? Well, look, we're not making any major pronouncements of what we'll do. What we're doing, though, is working with the Board of Education, as we promised, to make sure that they understand that they have options.

[31:16](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1876) The relationship between the Board of Education, as well as our alderman, is very critical, as articulated. There's no other administration that has declared the level of surplus for our schools. That's what's most important here. I want to make sure that that is noted. investing in our schools, ensuring that we have sustainable community schools, ensuring that we have class sizes that are smaller, social workers and counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, arts, extracurricular activities, to

[31:47](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1907) ensure the well-rounded experience that people voted for me to deliver, that that is what is most central in this moment. Hey, Mayor. And this is also, I guess, for the CFO and the budget director as well, but your budget team told us last week that this 3% ask has been tried by Amir's Lightfoot and Emanuel as well. When did they try this, and what's your understanding of how successful it was? Yeah, so let me just say thank you for acknowledging that this is very much a standard procedure

[32:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1938) other administrations have asked before, before I pass it over to our budget director and our chief of procurement is here as well. You know, Alders were a part of this conversation, as you know, as I put forth a budget proposal where we're asking everyone to look deeper into their budgets to make sure that we're balancing a budget and we're not laying people off and cutting services. This has always and long been a part of our

[32:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=1969) conversation. Budget Director Guzman. Hi. Thanks for the question. So, you know, I always like to challenge you to the research, and if you go back and look at every single one of Rahm Emanuel's budgets, there is a section on efficiencies and cost savings, and this is a prominent feature in those budgets that were introduced by the mayor. I think it's a regular occurrence for leadership as well as the budget office to look for savings where savings can be made,

[33:22](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2002) and readily looking at contracts is one area that administrations in the past have done. What I will say is when we were working with city council to close the 25 budget gap, they challenged us to look for ways to reduce costs, to look for efficiencies within our budgets without having to raise property taxes or lay off workers. And so we went back to each of our department heads and asked them, what ideas do you have? What are ways that we can cut our costs?

[33:52](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2032) And this was one that our Commissioner Roberts from Procurement Services brought to the forefront. We worked this into the budget analysis that we briefed Alders on. And so this was before them when they voted on the budget. They were very well aware that this was an initiative that we were implementing as part of the 25 budget. And so I'll pass it over to Commissioner Roberts, because she has a lot of history, not only at the city level on this, but also at other levels of government. Thank you, Director Guzman, Chief Procurement Officer Sharla Roberts.

[34:26](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2066) What we did as part of this cost-saving reduction initiative, we sent out notices to all of our departments, and they were aware of this notices coming down the pipeline regarding the cost-saving reduction letter. After that, at DPS, we provided training to all the staff that will be involved in the cost savings initiatives. And most recently, we sent a letter out to all of our current contract holders. And so far, we've seen great responses, but we intend most of our responses will be coming in by the end of this week.

[35:01](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2101) Thank you. Is there any sense of how many responses? And also, you know, in the budget for Mayor Emanuel, did he actually realize those cost savings or was it just something that was budgeted for? I'll have to get back to you on the actual realization of initiatives that past administrations have done. But I will say, you know, we don't give lip service to what we put in our budget. If we have an initiative and, you know, the city council is expecting us to be able to meet our budget targets,

[35:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2134) then we're going to implement and be held accountable for the initiatives that we put in our budget. We want to be transparent about that. And working with Commissioner Roberts and all of the experience she has on the state level doing initiatives of the same nature, we believe that we will be successful. Mayor Johnson, city vendors have told me that they received a letter from you requesting a 3% discount on their contracts. They say that it read more like extortion. They asked me to ask you, why are they the ones being targeted for a discount, a 3% discount,

[36:11](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2171) when you and your staff is not taking a 3% pay cut? You're not asking CPS to take a 3% pay cut? You're spending money like water, city, you know, obviously taxpayer dollars. And they also asked me to please ask you, out of respect for them and the First Amendment, to give more than your standard yes or no scripted answer that your press people have scripted out for you? Again, as our chief procurement has indicated, as well as our budget director,

[36:46](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2206) this has been a part of the budgetary process from the very beginning. All of our alders are aware of the efficiencies as well as stronger productivity that the government is working towards. And I believe, Budget Director Guzman, there were 3% cuts across the board. Could you speak to that, please? Yeah, I thank you for that, Mayor. It is important to note that if you read the letter and if you look back at what we talked about in the budget season,

[37:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2239) not only did all the departments take a 3% universal haircut and some went even above and beyond that 3%, our city council also took a 3% haircut. Our other elected officials also took a 3% haircut. This is all about collaboration and cooperation to ensure that the city is running at the most efficient way possible. And so we are inviting our partners, our contractors, to join us in that effort. Mayor Johnson, at your press conference for the Youth Employment Jobs Program,

[37:55](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2275) you said that the best way to prevent the type of mob violence that we see during the summer months is to spend tens of millions of dollars on these youth jobs programs. um many people especially the people the residents of streeterville uh who are still waiting for an arrest in uh hey in the case of the uh tourist who was shot by a mob of black teenagers we got

[38:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2308) to get to the question yeah i know you don't like the question we just got to get to it they um they uh they asked me is this really extortion uh pay us tens of millions of dollars or else there will be violence in our neighborhood. And by the way, they also asked me... I think I have your question. I think you have multiple questions there. Investing in people is our top priority, and that's what we've said from the very beginning. And no one's going to deny that even with all the work that we've done to invest in people and as violence continues to go down in the city of Chicago,

[39:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2340) no one's going to argue that we still have more work to be done. And that's something that I've committed to doing. We have, again, the lowest homicide rates that we've experienced in the city of Chicago since 2019, and there's a 20 percent reduction. overall in violent crime in the city of Chicago, as we continue to invest in people, as we continue to grow economic opportunities for folks, that is certainly the strength of our city. And again, everything that we're doing is to ensure that every single community can experience safety,

[39:32](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2372) and in addition to experiencing safety, that the people of Chicago know that there are opportunities for them as we build more affordable homes, as we provide more mental and behavioral health services, Again, $200 million, $300 million, well, it's $200 million in violence prevention over the last couple of years. So there's a lot of work that's being done to continue to drive down violence in the city of Chicago, and it's going to take all of us to do that. Thank you. It is still morning. I can just follow up with the schools.

[40:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2403) Last week we were talking about this story. Peter Martinez was insisting that, and he even said this at the board hearings last week, that he had asked for $484 million in TIF money, and that was the consistent ask, and that was what he was expecting in order to be able to pay the $175 million. Where's the disconnect? Help me understand. Was that number ever discussed? Was it ever promised? That's a good question. There's not a disconnect. Look, people ask for stuff all the time. You know, we've asked the state of Illinois to contribute more.

[40:37](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2437) You know, we understand that even the work that the state of Illinois is doing, as much as we want more, there are some restraints that they're working through. Asking for something, just like I asked for 30,000 youth positions, right? We got 29,000. This is how these things operate. So there's not a disconnect. That was a particular ask, but just keep in mind, the largest TIF surplus in the history of Chicago, Everything that I'm doing is to ensure that our public schools have everything that they need.

[41:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2469) There's work to be done, as our finance team and our budget team has indicated. We are working hand in glove with the Board of Education as they have to wean off the dependency of city government and prepare to be an independent body. This transition is going to take a lot of work, and we're putting that work in. And so, you know, look, it's it's it's right for any individual to ask and demand more from government. You know, and we showed up in a very dramatic way by ensuring that the largest surplus in the history of Chicago was released into our schools.

[41:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2509) If so, the board has their meeting on Thursday, I believe, where they're going to vote on their amended budget. But is it your expectation or have you been given any assurances that they will be voting on the recommendations that were sent? And what happens if they say, you know, we just can't do this? Look, it's a fair question. And you may have noticed that there is an independent report that was released today that essentially corroborated or substantiated what we've indicated that they do have options. Our chief financial officer, as you can tell, is a quite meticulous human being.

[42:23](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2543) and walked everybody gracefully through this process. Look, I think it should be noted that we have been the most transparent, open administration in this entire process. There's a unique opportunity with the labor, the Board of Education, the mayor's office, this triangulation to ensure that our schools are sustainable, that our schools are well-funded. I think it's worth celebrating that there is a high school that celebrated a state championship, died at high school, and this school was slated for closure.

[42:56](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2576) I joined that hunger strike to fight to ensure that those students in that neighborhood could go to a high-quality, well-funded, sustainable community school, and it's proof positive that when we invest in people, our young people show up and show their very best. So, again, as far as options are concerned, we fully expect that this board is going to take their job seriously, work with the city of Chicago, as our chief financial officer has articulated, find this, build this bridge, rather, so that we can move towards a fully funded,

[43:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2610) fully operable public education system that our city can be proud of. Well, I mean, do you expect them to vote on Thursday to re- Well, I mean, we wouldn't expect anything less, right? I mean, it's no secret that we have been pushing for the Board of Education to take responsibility of their workers. I mean, that's not a secret. As you saw on the slide, there has been a continuous ramp-up in our investments to help them contribute to the financial security of their employees,

[44:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2644) and that's something that obviously my administration is committed to supporting along the way. We're simply asking them to do their part because it's inevitably We'll be right back. It's going to be their responsibility as they become a fully elected, independent body. So what are the other options? You said that short-term borrowing is just one of the options. Are you asking specifically about what is in the report? It seems to be that short-term borrowing is all you're asking for.

[44:38](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2678) If they say no to that, then what's the alternative? Are you specifically asking what's in the report? Yeah, I mean, I'm asking what is CPS going to do? Yeah, CPS has a report that I have not read it. It was released this morning, so I haven't had a chance to look at it yet, that, you know, walks through their other options. But, you know. Do you have another option recommended? This is the option that we have presented to them. Short-term borrowing. Yes. And if they say, you have not read the report,

[45:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2709) you don't know what they're also considering? Have you read the Baker-Teller report? I'm not also in charge of it. No, but I'm just saying, like, the reason you have it is because it just came out this morning, and that's why you have it. And it's the same reason why I have it, because it came out this morning. Jill, thank you. I mean, the point is that there are options that they have, and that's the most important thing. We are working with the Board of Education to help them become an independent body.

[45:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2739) That's the most important thing is at some point, respectfully, these conversations more than likely won't be necessary or the same. So I don't want people to think that this is like some sort of holy position. At some point, they're going to be an independent body. The disentanglement is critical so that they can stand alone. but I think also when we're talking about options, the Board of Education in Chicago is not treated the same as other school districts, right?

[46:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2777) And so there is a development of our democracy that is happening here. And I appreciate the question of how the city is helping the Chicago public schools, a separate entity, how to find a pathway to solvency. I appreciate that. But it's a task that we have obviously embraced and we're grateful that there are partners there that understand the gravity of this scenario and they're willing to work with us. And can you explain, especially when it comes to CTU, if everyone's being asked, your vendors are being asked to take this 3% cut, you've asked aldermen as well and their funds, their discretionary fund to take a 3% cut.

[46:55](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2815) What about CTU? Why have they not been asked to take a 3% cut? A 3% cut in their current contract? In the contract of their contract? Well, we didn't ask our police officers to take a 3% cut. Right. We didn't ask our park... No, that's a fair question. I mean, I suppose we didn't ask our police officers to take a 3% cut. We did not ask our park district workers to take a 3% cut. In fact, our park district workers experienced the highest raise that they've ever experienced in the history of park district workers.

[47:33](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2853) We certainly did not ask our CPS workers because there are other members in those buildings besides the Chicago Teachers Union. You do know that Local 73 did not take a 3% cut either. There's no secret here. I know one of your colleagues asked this earlier this week or last week, you know, do I regret giving police officers raises? Let me just offer some context to that. Our Chicago Fire Department and our budget director can speak to this. This is how dedicated and committed we are to workers in this city, and this is how executives historically prepare budgets.

[48:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2890) Even though the fire department contract has not been settled, as a fiduciary, I have a responsibility to forecast and project what the labor costs will be for other entities and units of government. Annette, you want to just speak a little bit more to that? Because I think this is helpful to have full context when we're asking a question about a 3 percent cut in our labor force, where we inevitably have to project and forecast labor costs as well as pensions,

[48:44](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2924) of which this particular body of government, Chicago Public Schools CEO, did not do that. Do you want to speak to that, Annette? Yeah, sure. Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for the question, Marianne. I think it's important to remember context here. The contracts that are being negotiated now and even the ones that the city negotiated for our labor force are contracts that are being put in place post-pandemic. So we saw record inflation happening throughout 2020 and 2021 and 2022. where labor contracts were significantly under that inflationary increase.

[49:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2957) And so what you're seeing, even in the FOP contract that was negotiated and signed last year, is the city's commitment to mitigating against that kind of historic inflation that our workers experienced but yet didn't have their cost of livings increased by the same amount. So, yes, the mayor's right. When we do our budgets, even though all of our contracts have not been finalized and adopted and appropriated by city council,

[49:48](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=2988) we forecast out what those potential costs will be and put those in our budget. It's what we ask CPS to do when they pass their budget in August of last year. It's what you see most governing bodies do in order to allow for those negotiations to continue until completion. And I just want to just make one other clarification. The report that Jill was talking about, that wasn't commissioned by the city of Chicago. That was fully commissioned by the president of the Board of Education.

[50:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3019) So when you ask us if we've seen the report or if we know what's in the report, it's not a report that was made to us. It was a report that was made specifically and directly to both the Board of Education as well as the district. So that report that I've heard has a lot of options other than short-term borrowing. And I think that's the point. CPS does have options. For a long time, they were told that they didn't have any other option than to come to the city of Chicago and ask for $484 million. Hi, Mayor. I wanted to ask you about something some of the alders are talking about.

[50:51](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3051) Should the city withhold funding for CPS construction projects if it doesn't reimburse the city the $175 million payment? Yeah, thank you for that question. As I articulated earlier, the relationship between the Board of Education and Alders, that's a relationship that's a new one, and it's one that's going to be critical as we move forward. It's going to take both bodies of government to think critically, to be collaborative in our approach towards moving the Chicago public schools to an independent body.

[51:26](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3086) As far as reactions to the what-if scenarios, You know, again, I'm going to remain optimistic and positive that the Board of Education recognizes its responsibility in securing the retirement for its employees and how critical this is as they work towards becoming their own independent body. Weaning their their leaning on the city of Chicago and their dependency on the city of Chicago is one that they're going to have to work to detach themselves from.

[52:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3123) But I will say this is the most important thing here. Clearly, my administration is committed to helping this body of government become a successful body of government. And just to clarify, so it sounds like you don't support saying you need to do this or we'll withhold that. I appreciate the question. Look, I think you have covered me long enough to know that I don't I don't hold people to that level of animus. Right. I mean, and I know that's how politics have been carried out before in Chicago.

[52:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3156) Right. Where we make these threats to individuals. And I'm not judging those approaches. I'm going to remain optimistic that we have fought collectively to secure an elected representative school board and that no one is going to question. I don't believe they'll question my commitment to public education, again, from TIF surplus to being on a hunger strike to keep the school open that has produced champions. I believe that my bona fide is secured, you know, and so I don't necessarily have to walk in that type of hyperbolic state making threats.

[53:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3189) We expect people to do what they said they would do. on their commitment that they made to city council to make sure that they are paying into the retirement for their workers. Mayor, do you mind if I add something? I don't mind at all, right? Tamana, are you okay with that? Please. Let's be here directly from Alders, too, the way that you do. You know, city council is responsible for the city of Chicago's budget, right? They have zero control over CPS's budget. They have zero ability to question what CPS spends their money on, zero ability to approve their labor contracts and how much growth in those labor contracts occurs every single year.

[53:46](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3226) They have zero ability to do that. They only have control over the city of Chicago's budget. You have seen, you know, our budget faces a lot of pressure in the coming years because of growing pension costs for our workers, as well as other costs that are growing, including labor costs. And they're very cognizant of that. They're very cognizant of the choices that they have to put before their very own constituents about how to maintain. and provide resources to support our own functioning government.

[54:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3258) And so over the last year or so, those types of conversations have come to a heightened scrutiny, including are we going to continue to sell bonds that support our infrastructure or are we going to include CPS in those types of decisions? Are we going to continue to collect TIF dollars in TIF districts that could be released to all governing districts that have a portion of those tax dollars and direct them only to CPS, or are we going to release them?

[54:53](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3293) So these are the questions that they're asking themselves, and that's why we believe there's a conversation that has to happen about the long-term strategy of CPS, because they are still very reliant upon the city. As CFO Jorowski noted, it's to the tune of $1.2 billion. And as Chairman Irvin, I will say, so eloquently stated during his statement to the board, much of that is not an obligation that the city has to take on.

[55:25](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3325) Mayor, I wanted to ask you about your friends at the CTU who are sable-rattling. They said late yesterday that the conflict, the contract dispute, is barreling toward an escalated conflict instead of a landed contract. Do you believe the CTU would strike when one of its members occupies the fifth floor? I share the frustration. I do. You know, as I stated earlier, you know, there's no other mayor that has the commitment that I have for our public schools.

[56:05](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3365) I believe in public education. I do. I've benefited from public education. My family has. My children are CPS students, the first mayor in the history of Chicago to send my children to our public schools. You know, I know the frustration in the classroom. I do as an elementary teacher and as well as a high school teacher. the expectation that the people of Chicago have is that we move towards

[56:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3395) really fully funding our public education system and what does that mean? That means ensuring that no matter where you live in this city you can count on a social worker and a counselor being in your building no matter where you live in the city you can count on class sizes that are smaller and manageable no matter where you live in the city you should have a reasonable expectation to know that your children are being exposed to the arts, extracurricular activities that can help create confidence in our young people to help build purpose.

[57:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3428) That's what I'm fighting for. That's what the people of Chicago voted for. They voted for a parent. And, you know, some of the experiences that they're having with these negotiations, there are individuals that are not working in good faith on behalf of the expectations that the people of Chicago have. And that is a frustration. The people of Chicago have spoken.

[57:40](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3460) They have. They trust my vision for public schools, sustainable community schools. I put my body on the line for public education in this city. I don't know if you can name any other mayor that blocked elevators and went on a hunger strike to make sure that a school wouldn't be closed. And God help us, if that school would have been closed, those young boys would not have experienced the joy of competing and winning. Our children were left for dead.

[58:11](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3491) Our teachers were fired, and speaking of cuts, I remember two administrations ago, a 4% raise was snatched away from educators, and it's that type of animus and disdain towards the public good that we're also experiencing from Washington. It's the same approach. Cut, lay people off, dismantle programs that work. That's what Donald Trump is doing. We cannot have a district that acquiesces to the the ridicule that's coming from D.C., where people are blaming educators and blaming children for growing up in neighborhoods that have been historically disinfested in.

[58:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3538) And so, you know, I'm trying my best to, you know, show some restraint here. But I'm home now. I don't have to do that. In D.C. I had to do that. But I'm home. We've been fighting for public schools in this city for decades. Al Raby, the first, the campaign manager for the first black mayor in the history of Chicago, you know, called for justice at Marshall High School and led wildcat strikes. Black folks in particular have been dealing with the pain and frustration of administrations

[59:33](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3573) that refuse to invest in them. The school closings in 2013, over a thousand children missing. We don't even have an account for where they were or where they are. Willis wagons, the fact that we have lost half of the black teaching force, that is the system that we have grappled with, and now we're in a position where we can do right by veteran teachers that are overwhelmingly black. We can do right by children who need special education services and bilingual education. We can do right by the workers of this city,

[1:00:06](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3606) And unfortunately, we have an individual that believes that he doesn't have to acquiesce to the demands of the people of Chicago. Their frustration is not directed at the fifth floor. Their frustration is directed at the individuals who believe that they are the only arbiter for what the people of Chicago deserve. And so here's what I'm going to say here now. I'm calling on the city of Chicago, all of us, to challenge the Board of Education as well as challenge the leadership of Chicago public schools to challenge them to make sure that we do not go back to a dark time with layoffs, privatization, harming workers, disinvesting in our children.

[1:00:52](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3652) whether you're on the north side of Chicago, the far southeast side, and everywhere else in between, we deserve high-quality education, and I need the city of Chicago, as you voted for me, to stand with me to ensure that we don't have an individual or individuals who want to take us to a dark time in our city's history, that they cannot acquiesce to the iniquitous forms of government that's coming down from Washington, D.C. We're Chicago. We are better than that. Hi, Mayor. I want to ask you about a report out of Bolts Magazine that says there's a pilot program now ongoing in the 8th Englewood Police District that allows police officers to file felony charges without going through the felony review process, which ensures that an assistant state's attorney examines the evidence in those cases.

[1:01:42](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3702) Is that a pilot program that enjoys your support and should it be expanded citywide or does it raise questions of potential misconduct given the police department's history? Thank you for that question. And thank you for acknowledging the historic harm that has unfortunately still rears its ugly head as we settle cases from a time period in which I was in the elementary school.

[1:02:12](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3732) And constitutional policing, building relationships within the community and restoring relationships and maintaining relationships with law enforcement and community, that is my top priority. And you are seeing some signs of progress of constitutional policing. And thank you for challenging the city. Yes, we have a long way to go. And those numbers, though they have increased, it's not satisfactory. But I am confident that there is leadership that recognizes the importance of now.

[1:02:47](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3767) To the specifics there, I'll pass it to our Deputy Mayor Gatewood. Good morning. Thank you for that question, Heather. I think one of the big pieces as we go through understanding what some of those calls to service are in that community and in that neighborhood, making sure that people in that neighborhood are involved in this process, making sure police are transparent in this process, and really having a better sense of where we are trying to go as a city. We do know in Englewood, one of the top calls of service is for people with guns.

[1:03:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3797) That doesn't necessarily mean they're creating or acting violent. It is just that is one of the top calls of service. So we always need to look for solutions to those issues and always need to find support. So we'll continue to have conversations, obviously, with the Chicago Police Department and also with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. But more importantly, we'll continue to have conversations in those communities. that would be impacted and harmed by gun violence. Yesterday, Superintendent Snelling named a new head of the Office of Constitutional Policing and Reform.

[1:03:47](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3827) That is the first time that position has been filled in more than a year. Will you charge that new leader with filling the 250 vacant positions in that department, which... I imagine is an obstacle to sort of fulfilling the mandate under the consent decree. So, first of all, Heather, I'm so impressed with your commitment to this issue. And I mean that with all sincerity. I really do. And, you know, as you laid out, we're taking this seriously.

[1:04:20](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3860) The superintendent has been very thoughtful about his leadership team. And, you know, as far as the specific question about the charge to fill the vacancies, Yes, that's a that's that's that is that will be one of the responsibilities. Right. And, you know, this goes back to our budget conversation. There were, you know, some level of consternation around positions and particularly in these key areas to ensure that we are moving with expediency towards constitutional policing. And though it's been an uphill battle, again, at the preliminary level, I believe it's 88% fulfilled, the secondary level, right, 52%.

[1:04:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3898) And at the top level, I know there's some debate over whether it's 11% or 16%. We have 16%. Again, I commend the superintendent, and it's why I appointed him, because he understands this value system. And I think it's appropriate at this time that I do shout out Yolanda Talley, the first black woman, the first woman to hold this post. And, yes, she is a Westsider, too. So congratulations to Chief Talley and the leadership team that the superintendent has assembled.

[1:05:29](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3929) Good afternoon. No, still morning. Good morning, Mayor. I first want to ask about the 3% ask of the vendors. How much consultation was there ahead of the letter with people within the business community about what ideas they might have for having savings in contracts? Because I spoke with people from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce who said, there are a couple of other ways we could have done this other than just ask companies that had solid contracts to change them.

[1:06:07](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=3967) Sir, Chief Roberts or Chief Guzman? I can answer that question. We continually have relationships with some of the advocates' agency. We did not have those conversations with them. However, we are at DPS is continuing to explore other initiatives, how we can be more cost-efficient in the process. So we are scheduling some of those meetings right now because cost savings, We are continuing to be looking to be more cost-efficient and look for other ways we could save the city money to overall meet our budget target.

[1:06:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4003) And I would add, this isn't an either-or. This is a both-and for the city to always continue to look at ways to reduce its costs, meet its projections as it relates to the budget. I, you know, will be working over the course of this year and into next to continue to look at those types of options. because, as you know, because you guys all cover it and you all report on our structural deficit, this is about a long-term solution for the sustainability of the city's budget to allow us to continue to provide the much-needed services,

[1:07:15](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4035) especially to those who need them more than others throughout the city. So we welcome those conversations, and they will get their opportunity to provide their input into other ways and additional ways for us to achieve those types of savings within the budget. Which includes revenue, too, by the way, and they have been a part of those conversations. Thank you for that question. Thank you. And another question, what, and for whoever would be handling this, what kind of evidence have you seen of ICE activity in Chicago within the last couple of weeks?

[1:07:47](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4067) It's no longer in the headlines, but are you getting either better reports or seeing less activity? What's your sense of what ICE is doing here, if anything? I'm going to pass it over to our Deputy Mayor Gatewood. I will say this, though, is that our commitment as a welcoming city is one that I'm very proud of. And March 7th, the week that I testified in D.C., marked the 40-year anniversary of that policy

[1:08:23](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4103) that was implemented by the first black corporate council, James Montgomery. And, of course, the first black mayor, which simply states, and I just want to make sure that the people of Chicago fully understand our vision for safety, is that our local police officers do not dub as federal ICE agents. That's it. With a criminal warrant, there's collaboration there.

[1:08:53](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4133) and the status of someone This is not asked by any of our departments. This is not an invitation necessarily from people around the globe, though we do stand on the shoulders of immigrants and descendants of slaves. That is who we are as a city. But the welcoming city ordinance maintains community trust between law enforcement and residents, and that's important.

[1:09:25](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4165) But as far as any of the particular activity, Deputy Gatewood? Thanks for that question, Craig. I think ultimately we have seen just a constant line of communication between our police department and federal partners, not necessarily in regards to ICE, but just in the work that they do in general. We know that there are quarterly reports when there are ICE interactions that are submitted to the city. We have those reports. We'll review those reports. But ultimately, we're still about the business of making sure people in Chicago are safe, regardless of what federal agency is in the city.

[1:09:59](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4199) Hi, Mayor. The school board's meeting this week, and they're expected to consider the budget amendment that would have set aside money for the teacher's contract and the disputed pension payment. What's your over-under on that budget amendment passing? And do you do it with such a straight face? That's impressive. Can I just offer a friendly amendment to your question that also includes selling the contract with our principals, which doesn't get discussed very often. And, you know, look, I don't want to take much more time on this because I went on a long monologue with one of your colleagues,

[1:10:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4230) but I want to just make sure that I'm being direct here, is that this is about the people of Chicago. It's about our families. We're talking about almost 330,000, 325,000 families who are counting on our district to fund arts, the music, which is part of arts, our IB courses, the transportation within our public schools. We know that that's a challenge. Our bilingual education, our special education, I believe it's 30 percent.

[1:11:06](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4266) And I guess you can quote me, but we'll fact check it. But I believe 30 percent of black students require an IEP or special education support services. And we can get you those specific numbers. The point is there's a significant number of students in our schools that really require special education support services. Just yesterday I was at Morgan Park on the south side, high school, and there were two students who were part of the special education programming that we have in Chicago,

[1:11:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4296) and one of the students competed at the state level in basketball, and she was so proud. I won't reveal her name, but she was so proud that she was a champion. These are the type of families that rely upon our public schools, right? And so the Board of Education really in this moment have a responsibility not just to make sure that the workers are supported, but it's all of the programming. I think we don't talk enough about how this contract codifies programming.

[1:12:07](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4327) It really does. It codifies safety. You know, it codifies interactions between the teachers and administrators. And, you know, I'm just going to make a, maybe this might be a little selfish here, what I'm about to say. But one of the things that I know that teachers are pushing on are areas around how they're evaluated and having a more substantial way to demonstrate the evolution of their teaching.

[1:12:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4359) But there's also elementary teachers, and I know this personally, where we don't get enough time to prep in between time with other students. If you ever worked in an elementary school, it's different than high school. You know, they have periods, right? So your first period, second period, all the way up to eighth period. And so high school teachers, no disrespect to them, I taught at the high school level, they don't bear the same level of responsibility with students as elementary teachers do. Sometimes I would sit with my students all day. And as much as I love working in the Chicago Public Schools,

[1:13:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4389) We didn't have enough support in the building where a child could have a prep period like art or music. I had to walk them down to lunch, sit with them at lunchtime, never had time to go back and grade papers. My wife used to get so frustrated with me. I'd bring all these papers home, and she would have to help me grade. It's too late. The statute of limitations are over now. My wife helped grade. So all those 30-year-olds out there, 70 graders that I had, my wife helped me grade some of those papers. And she's a smart woman. But I just think that there are costs that we talk about in terms of raises, and I get it, right?

[1:13:44](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4424) But there are costs to educating children that go beyond just raises. So as far as my over-under, I'm confident and I'm counting on the Board of Education to show up for the families of this city. And, you know, what will happen if the budget amendment fails, but the intergovernmental agreement passes, then a governmental agreement would legally require CPS to pay the pension payment in that scenario. Could the CTU be left without money for its contract? Well, look, there is a responsibility the Board of Education has. They have to do both.

[1:14:15](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4455) They have to do both. All right. I'm going to say this as briefly as I possibly can. Could you imagine if I would have put my budget together like that? where we did not cost out for raises or taking care of people's retirement, I would imagine that all of you would have the same question every single day. Mayor, how was it possible as an executive, as the fiduciary, that you did not prepare your budget to speak to what essentially is, what percentage of a budget is our salaries, Annette?

[1:14:50](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4490) Well over 80%. Typically in most budgets, even with corporations, right? Like that is the first thing that you have to do. Our chief of staff used to be a senator in Springfield. That's that's you understand that that is the fundamental responsibility of any executive is to make sure that you can pay for the workers and secure the retirement. I'm not asking you to ask a certain question. I'm just saying that in my response that the failure to do that is is reprehensible.

[1:15:25](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4525) So the Board of Education has a responsibility, even if executive level has certain proclivities that miss the mark. The Board of Education has an opportunity to do something right on behalf of the people of Chicago. Good morning, Mayor. Do you think that restricting the application process for 35th Ward candidates to just one week restricted the number of people who applied at all? I know that under Mayor Lightfoot, she had four appointments, and they were all two-week application windows.

[1:16:01](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4561) It's an open process. You know, if people are serious about fulfilling a vacancy, I don't think you need an inordinate amount of time to determine if you want to represent. that. Here's what's most important, though, is that the 35th Ward deserves a person who is going to reflect their values. That's what's most important. And those conversations with individuals

[1:16:33](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4593) that reflect the values of the 35th Ward, they have my complete and undivided attention. To the point that you just made about reflecting the public's values in that ward, There were public input surveys that were done with like the 43rd Ward and the 12th Ward under your predecessor as well. How is public input going to be gathered in selecting and vetting candidates? Well, I mean, look, I mean, there's no secret around what the people of Chicago want in leadership right now.

[1:17:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4623) They want someone who is committed to investing in affordable housing. The 35th Ward, under the leadership of Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, did an exceptional job working to keep the 35th Ward affordable. There are some great things that are happening up there, but it's getting expensive to live in Chicago. The 35th Ward has been very aggressively pushing and calling for more investments in youth and workforce development. that, you know, many of the coronation that was done between 35, 33, and 26 around treatment, not trauma.

[1:17:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4659) What I'm getting at, I mean, we're talking about an historic region that has strong progressive values that unite the interests of black and brown and marginalized people. You know, so their input has already been heard. I believe the 35th Ward and the leadership under Carlos Ramirez Rosa has not only taken the 35th Ward in a progressive direction It has helped shape progressive politics for the entire city of Chicago. So whomever it is, they'll be filling some pretty large shoes. Good morning, Mayor.

[1:18:11](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4691) I have a question regarding what is happening with the Alderman request to open satellite police station 12. And what about the request for police station 13? I'm going to pass it over to my budget director. I mean, look, I think there's no secret that, you know, our city does not have the revenue flows that we would like, and we're working hard to do that. You know, and, you know, there's a staffing element that we have to discuss as well.

[1:18:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4721) So I don't know if anything else you want to add to that. No, I think it's important to always remember that we pass a budget that sets out the resources and allocations every single year. That's clearly not in the budget that was passed in 2025. And I think that that means that we have to continue conversations with not only between city council and mayor about what we are going to appropriate each year, but I think there's a serious conversation about the needs within the community that has to be had directly with the superintendent who is responsible for those types of decisions.

[1:19:13](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4753) And just, you know, to that point, look, the investments that we've made in community safety have been substantial. First of all, we respect the work that the women and men in the Chicago Police Department do. And I just want to tip my hat to their work over the weekend. Was it me or did it feel like there were 1.5 billion people here celebrating St. Patrick's Day? I mean, it felt like it was a platformer. I mean, Mary Ann's still wearing green. That's our trigger sheet. And they did an exceptional job. And this is hard work to get people from all over the world coming to hang out in Chicago.

[1:19:46](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4786) And so I want to just publicly acknowledge and share this on social media. I really thank them for their work and our investments in helicopters and other technology and investing to support our law enforcement. We do still ask them to do too much. We do. That's why we're working hard to make sure that we are expanding opportunities for folks to participate in the fullness of what the community safety looks like. Hey, Mayor. So this budget that we're discussing, you know, it was approved when the sorry, the CPS budget, you know, it was approved at a time when you still had full control of the school board rate.

[1:20:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4821) Right. It's we've moved on since then. But what went wrong back then? Right. Were you not that you were not able to get the Board of Education that you appointed to either reject the budget that didn't include funding for the labor costs, didn't include an actual hard IGA on the MEABF payment? Were you not sufficiently like leaning on them? Did you tell did you not intervene then to ask them to not approve the budget? What happened back then when you still had control of the board that this budget was approved?

[1:20:56](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4856) Well, look, where we are today did not occur simply because of what was or was not done in August. I think our chief financial officer laid it out really eloquently, and we can go back further if we want. But there have been attempts after attempts to move the Board of Education towards solvency. And I was a part of those efforts. I've been.

[1:21:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4888) And from school privatization, that was supposed to fix it. I don't know if you were here for this one, Joseph, but school turnarounds, right, where they were firing entire staff members and said this is going to be a better way to educate children. It was in 2016, the pension holiday, right, three years. And then they went and had the temerity to ask the Springfield to give more resources, right, even after having a pension holiday. What I'm saying is that there's been gross negligence for some time. So I don't want to put it on just one budget, right.

[1:22:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4920) I don't know if that's a healthy way to substantiate how we're here. moving forward that's really what we're getting at here is that this board is going to be an independent body and you know I don't want to sound you know like my dad you know here but at some point they're going to have to move out they're going to have to move out and you know for me I was fortunate to fall in love

[1:22:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4950) with Mary Young and moved out and got on my own and somehow managed to stay committed for 26 years, that's what this is. This is a relationship that we have to disentangle. I don't know if this is a good analogy. I don't want people to think that my wife is leaving me, by the way. This is about me leaving my father. It's a scripture, you know what I'm saying, that a man leaves his mother and father and cleaves to his own wife. And I think this is what's happening here, that they're going to have to get comfortable.

[1:23:03](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=4983) And that's essentially what this ramp has done. We're not just kicking them out. By the time I was 18, 19, my father gave me a couple more years. What we're just saying, we have a couple years before you're going to be fully on your own. And that's really what this process is about moving forward. make sure that this independent body can stand on its own. I just want to add, I think clarifications are really important. As the CFO said earlier, the CPS entered into almost over a 30-year IGA.

[1:23:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5014) So there's two IGAs. There is the master IGA that literally clearly sets out the intention to make this payment every single year. All the annual IGA does is put the number in for that year of how much they are going to pay. And that usually, for the last couple of years, the district has waited for us to declare the surplus so that they can confidently put the number into the annual IGA that's just about the payment. But the intention has always been that they reimburse every single year.

[1:24:07](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5047) History of it. One other question is that CPS didn't put the MEABF payment in their budget last year either. You know, I'm not sure if they've put any of them in. Those have all been a case where they passed a budget and then they made a determination later how much the payment, you know, would be, signed an IGA later, and then provided the funding, provided the payment to the city.

[1:24:38](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5078) So, you know, this is, you know, in this year, they've insisted that they need a budget amendment for that. But for instance, last year when they paid $175 million, it was not in their budget, nor did they pass a budget amendment or indicate a need for one. I think they did pass a budget amendment one of the years under Lightfoot, right, because it was a tight three to two vote. I guess my point is kind of to your analogy, didn't you have more leverage when, you know, when your kid is living in your house, right, and you have more authority of what they do,

[1:25:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5109) and now they're out of the house. And what leverage do you have here on the current school board? I mean, we're talking about there's no good financial option, right? It's choosing from amongst bad options, but you have to get two-thirds of the Board of Education to approve it. It's the first tough vote a lot of these folks are making. What are you saying to them? I know this is probably part of it, this kind of public awareness campaign,

[1:25:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5139) But what are those conversations like to get people, especially those who you didn't appoint, didn't, you know, kind of ran against you in a sense? What are those conversations like to get them to approve this? Well, they're open and transparent. I mean, the conversation is what you are experiencing today. Like there's no, you know, special language that is spoken when I'm not in the public space. I believe that our finance team, our budget team, have made very sound arguments.

[1:26:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5178) Again, whether it's today or tomorrow, this is going to be their full responsibility. And that's important for the people of Chicago to know. That's why I'm calling on the entire city of Chicago, that this is not about securing the retirement. And look, I understand the frame of the question because it's just a dollar amount. I just hope that people can appreciate this. This is not just about making sure that we are securing the retirement of people. This is about how we're investing in our public schools.

[1:26:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5209) Look, this sort of tit for tat or back and forth that I think that some people would like to see, I'm not, that's not how I get down. It's just not. And what we're saying is that there's a complete vision for our public institution, our public schools. and whether it's making sure that the retirement is secure for their workers, ensuring that we have small class sizes, and moving towards what my vision for public schools, which are sustainable community schools, and there's proof positive that they work. Diet High School is a sustainable community school.

[1:27:20](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5240) This is about investing in what works. And the Board of Education has a fiduciary responsibility to take care of their workers. They also have a responsibility to make sure that principals have the support that they need, our teacher's assistance, security staff. There's a whole bunch of people that are leaning on this Board of Education to take some responsibility of what the people of Chicago voted for, which is inevitably a fully elected representative school board. This issue doesn't end when this agreement is secure.

[1:27:55](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5275) You can see that over time there's going to be a greater expectation. So it's not about leverage. It's about what's doing right, what's right. And, you know, that's all we can ask for, is for people to do what's right, take it seriously, and make sure that we're centering people in our decisions and not an individual. Mayor, good morning. I'll make you a question. You've been very patient, thank you, and it's a very lovely sweater. Thank you very much, appreciate the fashion input.

[1:28:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5307) Question for you, taking you back to Washington. I'm wondering if you or your team... I know, I know. Been a couple weeks. Wondering if you or anybody on your team has heard from the Justice Department after Congresswoman Luna recommended you for criminal investigation to the Department of Justice. Has anything come from that? That's a good question, I'm not sure if anything has come from that. Just unclear. Yeah, we can have I'll make sure that our corporate counsel responds, but I'm not sure if we've received anything directly yet from that particular item that you're referring to.

[1:28:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5338) From the Department of Justice, Pam Bondi. Exactly. I know which one you're talking about. OK, yeah. Finally, there's been a lot of chatter about your job and other people that want your job. You've talked about wanting this job for a very, very long time. I'm wondering if you can let us inside your headspace. It's very early, I understand, but where is your head at on running again and the field that may be filling up to occupy the fifth floor? Well, I mean, look, my focus is making sure that we're investing in people, right? I mean, that's, you know, I'm very proud of the work that we've done, right?

[1:29:33](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5373) You know, the amount of affordable homes that we've built, almost 4,000, Department of Planning and Development, which includes our housing investments, And a number of other investments just last year, I believe DPD, through our planning commission, approved about $11 billion roughly. It's about 37,000 construction jobs. I made a commitment to open up mental health clinics. We've done that. That's what people, they knew I was going to do that because I said it and we've done it. We said that we would increase youth employment.

[1:30:05](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5405) I keep getting the number wrong. It's 45% increase since I've been in office, youth employment. We said we were going to, you know, hire, promote 200 detectives. We did it. We said we were going to make sure that we add, you know, stronger equipment to our law enforcement, three helicopters. Every single promise that I've made, you know, we have worked hard to fulfill those expectations because we believe in our beloved city, one of the most diverse economies in the world. I can go on and on about, you know, those investments,

[1:30:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5436) And I'm saying that I have a unique honor. There's only been 56 other individuals that have experienced what I'm experiencing. And I don't take that for granted. I love this city, the diversity of our city, standing up for our immigrants, right? And whether you're Jewish, Italian, Polish, Irish immigrant, Mexican immigrant, standing up for black folks as descendants of slaves, making hundreds of millions and billions of dollars in investments on the west and south sides of Chicago.

[1:31:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5468) We're going to keep doing that, you know, and I'm very proud of the diversity of our administration, too. You know, more black and brown folks in an administration, more black and brown folks leading city council. Superintendent Snelling is carrying on that trajectory. And even with more black and brown folks, it's not like non-folks of color are losing. And, by the way, we have work to be done, but we are safer, right?

[1:31:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5499) Another 20 percent reduction in violence this year alone. I mean, personally, I don't know why anybody would even try to run against me. You've got, what, 60 percent of the cabinet are women? Yes, that's right. Thank you for lifting that up. More women in our administration. And really one other thing about, you know, Chief Talley, I think our police department deserves credit for this. I believe 27 percent of the police department is now right. Women, women, there are more brown and black folks that are applying for these positions.

[1:32:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5530) What I'm saying is that the city of Chicago is just an incredible, soulful place where we are the heartbeat of America. And while other cities are capitulating to the pharisaical leadership in D.C., we're holding to our values. The largest city for paid time off was 1.1 million workers, roughly, that received 10 days.

[1:32:42](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5562) We abolished the sub-minimum wage for tip workers. the most pro-worker mayor in the country and with all of that Conde Nast 8 years in a row, the best big city 13 years in a row, corporate relocation right here in Chicago look, there's a lot of work to be done I inherited quite the ordeal we took a crisis that the country could not figure out responding to that crisis because remember, it wasn't just the city of Chicago

[1:33:14](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5594) responding to the migrant mission, you had the county and the state working in silos. It brought all of us together, all of us together, and then working with the state of Illinois, working with the governor, we built a one-system initiative. How many beds do we have available in our shelters right now? Total 7,200 because 400 of them are winter-based beds. It's a 120% increase from year over year. And so when people call 311 looking for shelter, we don't have a waiting list.

[1:33:46](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5626) It's the first time in the history of Chicago. We removed tent encampments in the 26th War at Humboldt Park. It had almost 100 people. Gompers Park in the 39th War showed up, and we actually did that one two months at a time. Look, I'm saying all that, and I know I'm not perfect. Look, I know there's been some hard times in the city of Chicago, and I've lived through them, right? And if you look at every single category in the city of Chicago, we're improving, getting better.

[1:34:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5659) We're getting stronger. Our cities are getting safer. But the last thing that I'll say to this is that this is not a one-person job. This is the full force of government. The faith-based organizations that are stepping up, community-based organizations that are stepping up and leaning in in this moment. It's going to take all of us. And look, I'm going to defend this city to the day that I die. I am. And I know that I cannot do this by myself. That's why I'm working with the Speaker of the House, working with the Senate President, working with Alders,

[1:34:52](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5692) working with all of our partners, working with the board president, working with the governor, on and on and on, bringing people together to ensure that the people of Chicago can have some advantage. Right. And I just I could not have imagined when I was teaching in our neighborhood schools that a hunger striker, someone who took a rest and organized in this city would ever become mayor. But I know one thing for sure, that this city deserves comprehensive leadership.

[1:35:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5731) Someone's going to tell them the truth. Someone who is not just willing to be held accountable, but someone who's committed to bringing people together to respond to all of these challenges that we have. We've done that, and I believe over these next 797 days, whatever I have left, seven-something days left in this first term, we're going to continue to make those critical investments. And when that time comes for us to make our case, I feel incredibly confident that what I set out to do in my first term, that we would have moved in the right direction and that the people of Chicago will make their decision in 2027.

[1:36:05](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY?t=5765) And I feel pretty good about about where I stand. Thank you all very much today. Appreciate it. Thank you.

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Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/3jP2zDGtkFY · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt