Chicago Politics

Press Availability 1.7.26

Chapters

Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson hosts press availability.

Transcript

0:40 Well, good morning and Happy New Year, everyone. Thank you for being here. I'm going to present a few brief slides looking at the final end-of-year crime numbers, as well as looking at the successful New Year's Eve celebration that we had. And then, of course, I'll make myself available for questions. We finished 2025 with 416 homicides recorded. It's a 29% decline from the previous year and the lowest total since 1965.

1:15 We also saw a 34% reduction in shooting incidents and a 21% decline in overall violence. After years of significant increases, robberies fell 36% and vehicular hijackings fell 50%. CPD took more than 11,000 guns off the streets, and we worked closely with our Department of Law to pressure Glock to discontinue their pistol series that could easily be converted into Glock switches.

1:49 Over the same period, we also made significant progress in overdose death reductions, far outpacing pure cities with a 37 percent reduction. And we made progress in making our city safer for pedestrians, bikers, and drivers with a 30% reduction in traffic fatalities. In all of these categories, it goes without saying that there is still much more work to be done. By acknowledging the progress we have made, we are identifying what has been working so that we can go much further this year and in years to come.

2:28 No family who has lost a loved one to gun violence or addiction or traffic violence is comforted by these statistics. We grieve for those we lost, and it is in their honor that we redouble our efforts to save lives and prevent future tragedies. The work this year was only possible because of the strong collaboration between law enforcement and the community as a whole. We saw both sides working in tandem, whether that was through community organizations, youth organizations, victim services, community violence intervention groups, all played a role in helping CPD prevent shootings and reduce violence.

3:10 I want to thank all of those Chicagoans that stepped up this past year to help make this the safest year in our city in six decades. This is real progress that we can continue to build on in the year ahead. Now I also want to take a moment to talk about the success of our first ever national broadcast New Year's Eve celebration. Even with the cold, it was certainly cold that night, we're proud to report that more than 20,000 Chicagoans came downtown,

3:45 surpassing our goal of 15,000 to celebrate and bring in the new year. The majority of the attendees came in the 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. window and enjoyed the performance as well as the spirit of the entire evening. At the same time, more than 34 million viewers saw Chicago throughout the evening on the broadcast and increase over previous years. This type of national and international exposure is important to continue to drive tourism and investment in our city. We know we broke records at O'Hare and over the summer in tourism,

4:18 and we want to continue to grow so that we can support the hundreds of thousands of hospitality jobs in our city. We will take all of the work that we've done to continue to build on that progress in the years to come to ultimately build the safest, most affordable big city in America. Thank you all, and with that, I'm happy to answer any of your questions. Good morning. Good morning, everybody. Two questions per. We'll start with Justin. I want to thank our deputy mayors who are here today, Arturo and Kenya and Garion, for Health and Human Services, D-Case and Department of D-Case, as well as Economic Development and, of course, Community Safety.

5:05 So you just brought up tourism. There's the tourism improvement district that was introduced in December. I think the goal is to get it, I guess, approved by January and February. I believe this is something you support. One, is that true? And did you hesitate to support it because it obviously goes towards a fund that will be controlled by the hotel owners and choose Chicago rather than the city itself? Look, I think this is a relevant development, and there was no reticence around the support of it.

5:40 We just wanted to make sure that it was packaged in a way that maximized full benefit. Deputy Mayor, do you want to add anything to that? Yeah, and ultimately it will be a good thing for Chicago. As we're continuing to break records around tourism, this provides the capital and the resources for Jews to be able to do more in terms of attracting visitors and meeting to our city, so it's a good thing. And then on the, you know, there's no zoning committee this month, or at least not scheduled now, there's no zoning chair. You've said that you'll put forward, I guess, a leadership team.

6:11 Do you anticipate more changes beyond just zoning chair? I know in the past that you had sought to also remove Sam Nugent as president of pro temp. Do you still want to do that? I don't know what you're speculating there. However, what I will say is that, you know, the chair personship of city council is rooted in building, you know, the safest, most affordable big city in America. Anything beyond that would be just purely speculation.

6:43 Good morning. Good morning. All this New Year's Eve talk, any New Year's resolutions on your docket? Yeah, you know, the big resolution that I have is, of course, is to build more muscle mass. I'm going to be 50 this year. And, you know, as I, you know, prepare to, you know, send my oldest off to college and as he attempts to demonstrate his power and strength, I have to get prepared for the big battle royale before we send him off.

7:15 That will be pay-per-view, by the way. Well, you've got the TV deals working, so there you go. Let me ask you about this OIG report out in the last 12 hours or so, that seven staff members across two high schools on the same campus committed sexual misconduct towards then-current or former students, mostly happening from last decade. But I want to get your reaction to that. Well, obviously, this is absolutely disturbing to hear our communities, particularly our school communities, have to be a safe space.

7:46 When there is accusation or evidence of violation, we want to make sure that people are held accountable while at the same time thinking about those families who will need an incredible amount of support as they work through their healing journey. And if I can, just Alderman Hopkins and the curfew, He invoked kind of your usage of the curfew on New Year's Eve as an argument for how can the mayor be for it on one day of the year,

8:18 but against it on other critical days. Your reaction to that? Yeah, I'm really, you know, Craig brought this up a couple of days ago. I'm really perplexed by how confused people are. I'm not opposed to a curfew. There actually is a curfew. There's a 10 p.m. curfew that has been on the books for some time. I've never been opposed to that. And so what I simply said was that for New Year's Eve, the curfew that's already in place, as we've always have, we will make sure that that curfew is implemented.

8:48 So, yeah, there's a 10 p.m. curfew. If the people of Chicago are not aware, there's a 10 p.m. curfew. So if your child is under the age of 17, they can't be out past that curfew. In fact, that curfew actually was applicable when I was a child as well. There's nothing new here. Now, let me be absolutely clear. What I'm opposed to is giving unilateral control to one entity of government to make a determination in a snap notice that could be a violation to people's civil rights. That position has never changed. And so, again, for once and for all, let me be absolutely clear.

9:23 The 10 p.m. curfew was no different on New Year's Eve than it is on any other day of the week. Right. So are we all clear about that? So know where your children are, first of all, all parents and adults. And if they are out past 10 p.m., they should weep. be with an adult. But we also have to make sure that we note that, by the way, we did not need a new tool to have a safe night. So I just want to make sure that that's recorded as well. Hi, Mayor. Just to follow up on that, it seems there's a little bit of confusion on your

9:59 part on what this new ordinance would do, because the wording that I have right here in front of me says that the superintendent's not going to have unilateral control. When the superintendent, after consulting with the deputy mayor, sitting here at the table with you, then something could be imposed. So is it a little disingenuous to say that it would be up to unilaterally of the superintendent when the ordinance specifically says... So no, let me make sure that you're clear because I think you're confused. The question was whether or not I support a curfew, of which I said there's a 10 p.m. curfew. Then there was a follow-up question

10:32 about the previous ordinance that I said that I rejected. And then there was a conversation about what's being discussed right now, and I've addressed all three of those. The 10 p.m. curfew, we support that. It's in place. The SNAP curfew, as you have brought up in the past, I don't support that. The one that's being discussed, I've said that we've been in collaboration and conversations with them. So I hope that no one is confused now. Well, I'm still further confused because I sense some contradiction in what you're for and what you're not.

11:04 Would you be for an ordinance that would allow for curfews if there are problems, if the consultation is done with your deputy mayor for public safety before any, to use your words, snap curfew, to use the ordinance words time and site curfew is put into place? We are in conversations, and we will continue those conversations with the current ordinance that's being discussed. And can I just ask you about Jill Jaworski's departure? I know last summer when she went on Bloomberg and said that a property tax was probably going to be needed,

11:36 that that report's worth caused some friction. Did you ask her to leave? Were you not happy with her through this budget season where your budget didn't get passed? Well, Jill Jaroski has served this city remarkably. And, of course, I'm going to wish her well as she moves into her next venture. She has been an incredible public servant, and I believe that this next venture in her life,

12:07 the skill and the expertise that she has brought to my administration and previous administrations, that she will continue to do that. Did you want her gone, I guess, is the question? Well, you know, I don't discuss personnel issues, and this was a decision that she made. Okay. Thanks. How are you doing, Mayor Johnson? I'm doing very well. The White House yesterday announced it was cutting social service funding for a number of states, including Illinois. It appears to be tied to the ongoing conversation about the situation in Minnesota.

12:39 Can you talk at all about what those cuts could mean to the city and what you and the governor's office are doing to try to alleviate those or reverse them? Well, look, this is nothing new. These are the type of threats that this administration has put forward across the board since he's been in office. In fact, he has had an incredibly addled approach towards governance. It's quite upsetting for a lot of working people across this country

13:09 because he continues to abdicate his responsibility in supporting the interest of working people. As far as what the state and the city will continue to do, We're going to continue to stand up for working people. As you know, in the budget proposal that I put forward, which was protected, there are $7 million additional dollars that we provided towards home health care providers. This was in collaboration with SEIU Health Care. This has been an effort. It's the first of its kind, by the way, to make sure that we're stabilizing the workforce.

13:42 I know that this is important to the General Assembly as well as the governor as well to ensure child care is not just available, but it's affordable, it's accessible, and ensuring that the workforce is protected. We've put more skin in the game as the city of Chicago. I believe everybody is clear of my position around progressive revenue. These are ideas around progressive revenues that should be addressed, and I'm going to continue to advocate for child care providers. Some of you may know that my background in youth development was also in child care.

14:18 I'll never forget that first paying job at $6.25 at Children's World Learning Center. Come a long way since then, but that work is important. And I'm going to continue to fight for those workers, but making sure that those families have accessible and affordable and predictable child care. And quickly back to New Year's Eve for a minute. I understand. I know that you were particularly pleased with your look that night from what you mentioned yesterday. Have you heard from ABC about whether they want to do this again next year?

14:48 And have you already picked out your tuxedo for next year? Well, I will say that I said that, and then I got home, and my wife was reminding me that she looked a lot better than I did, which is true. You had to see her outfit. Look, this was an incredible display of our city. You know, as far as the ongoing commitment to make the city of Chicago a year-round destination, I'm going to pass it over to our acting D case commissioner. But this is something that we believe in the long term because of the results that we put forward.

15:21 We believe there's no question that Chicago should remain the place for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve celebration. Yeah, nothing additional to add, but just the mayor did look great on New Year's Eve. I do my best. Thank you very much. And you haven't heard from ABC yet about next year? So we're in constant conversations with local ABC as well as Dick Clark Productions around our partnership, but there have been no commitments for 2026 at this point. Thank you. Hey, man. Hey. On the curfew, I just want to clarify.

15:54 So with this new proposal only, I promise I'm not going backwards to the other ones. Just the new one. OK. The only major difference that I see is that the notice period is instead of 30 minutes, it's 12 hours. If that passes, is that something that you will again veto? I have not made a decision on that. And, you know, one thing that you and Alderman have said about this budget is that it's a living document. It could change. And I'm curious about what those changes might be. In particular, I'm wondering if on video gambling terminals, is that something that you are trying to pose now?

16:27 Is that something that you think should be taken out of this budget? Or how do you see that fitting in going forward? Yeah, look, there are some serious concerns that I've made very clear that, you know, again, 98 point something something percent of the budget, you know, there was agreement around. It was the last 1.6 percent. The city of Chicago's representatives made a decision that instead of challenging 0.0008% of a revenue stream to balance this budget,

16:57 they decided to sell off debt of working people and poor people over to debt collectors, which I still stand firm that it's immoral. In fact, there's admittance that this budget and the numbers do not match and add up. Our last city council meeting, we made some adjustments to be able to make sure that the presentation of the package was entered correctly. But there are still some concerns about whether or not the budget projections that were put forth by those other alders, that those projections will actually materialize. So now I'm bracing for what could be mid-year layoffs, right?

17:32 We warn people, right? So there will be an ongoing effort to continue to clean up this process as far as the specific, you know, around, you know, video gaming and VGTs and the like. You know, look, again, I think that there are some projections there that are inflated and we'll have to continue to work with city council and we will, right? I'm going to continue to work with city council to find ways in which everything can match, the expenses as well as the expenditures.

18:05 Do you view video gambling as a regressive tax? Look, I will say that there are a number of taxes that are not necessarily taxes that I promote. So, and I think the room is quite clear here that whether it's the city of Chicago or the state of the nation as a whole, there is a real desire and a hunger from working people across the country to challenge the corporations and the ultra-rich to pay their fair share in taxes.

18:39 Look, there was a point of contention here. There were those who handedly selected to protect the interests of the ultra-wealthy in this city and this state. I don't believe that they want that type of protection, personally. I think that there are a number of them who recognize that they can do more, particularly at a time in which we saw historic declines in violence. Remember, that's the top priority for everyone. It's been mine. We've been very intentional and strategic about those investments going towards driving violence down in the city of Chicago.

19:10 To experience a type of historic reduction is something that, again, we're not taking, like no one's taking a victory lap we're taking responsibility because that's what leadership looks like and so a millionaire's tax a billionaire's tax a corporate head tax a digital ad tax we're talking about taxing the top of the top in this country to ensure that child care is provided that child care workers are protected Education is funded, that we're, you know, expanding our access to affordable housing.

19:44 So that is always going to be at the top of the front for me, you know, and any other taxes that, you know, do not necessarily live up to those expectations. It's not like I'm not aware that there are other ways in which we can generate revenue. I just believe that there are more sound ways to do it. Mayor. Mayor. Oh, hey. Hello. Happy New Year. Happy New Year. Could you be more specific on that bracing for mid-year layoffs? what's the timetable who are you talking about how many what will trigger that

20:15 if the revenues do not match the expenses that's what's going to trigger it we're going to monitor it every single month as those projections come in let me rephrase that based upon the projections every month when the revenue comes in we're going to have to make strategic decisions around how we salvage or address the shortfall.

20:47 As far as individuals who could be laid off, we're talking about public employees. There could be real serious consequences to workers who are attached to community safety. But again, I'm continuously working with city council and rolling up my sleeves to ensure that we can mitigate that type of harm. But we have to deal with the reality that there were alders who chose to create projections that, quite frankly, just were not tethered to reality, quite frankly.

21:30 We're going to monitor it closely, you know, and in the event that shortfall does exist, then we're going to have to go before city council again to have another conversation about ways in which we can either mitigate the harm or have to deal with the harsh reality where people will be laid off. Could I also ask you, there's been several possible challengers for your race next year. Where do you stand on that talk, and do we count you as all in, definitely you are running again,

22:01 or are you in the maybe I'm thinking about it? And what do you make of all that talk of whether it's Mike Quigley, Maria Pappas, Alexei, what do you make of all of that? Yeah, well, look, here's what I can tell you. I am all in in ensuring that we have another successful year, right, where we continue to drive violence on the city of Chicago. My focus is ensuring that our young people have opportunities. My focus is going to be in Springfield, quite frankly, as well, because there is an appetite to generate more progressive revenue,

22:35 particularly around a millionaire's tax and other areas that are progressive in nature. My focus, of course, is going to continue to be to drive down violence. I remember I was just doing a little reflection, and I remember when I was running for office, And there were, you know, folks in the press corps, people around the city saying that our investments would take years to materialize and that Mayor Johnson's projections around driving violence down the city of Chicago are not tethered into the immediacy.

23:07 And many of you suggested that somehow that those long-term investments would not be fruitful in the short term. And, you know, our Deputy Mayor Gatewood expressed something that I think is powerful, that it's not about how much time it takes. It's about the commitment it takes. And, you know, again, to answer your question, I'm committed to doing the work that's necessary to build the safest, most affordable big city in America.

23:38 Because driving violence down on the city of Chicago, you know what that means? It means that's less black young people who are murdered. That's what we're really talking about. You know, Arturo is here. When we're talking about the opioid addiction and how we have seen incredible reductions, we're talking about working people across this city whose lives have been saved because of those investments. And so, look, politicians will do what politicians will do. They will project and forecast what their intentions are. This politician is focused on driving down violence and building more affordable homes.

24:13 Just yesterday, we broke ground in Humboldt Park and North Lawndale, two communities where, one, you had one community where exodus has happened because of privatization and school closures and the like. You had another community, Humboldt Park, where gentrification has been the form of governance there. Sixty-one affordable units for seniors in Humboldt Park. Developers in North Lawndale breaking ground in communities where vacancy has been pervasive. That's what my focus is, and that's what my focus will remain, and when it's time to talk politics, you know, we'll get into that.

24:46 Good morning, Mayor. Hey, good morning. I, too, turned 50 this year, so congratulations. Yes, this is a big year. Listen, 1976 was a good year for America. Bicentennial babies. So a couple of questions here. One is, going back to the HHS funding for the potential freeze, Has you or anyone on your team had a chance to really take a look at the impact of what that would mean for Chicago families that really depend on that for child care so they can go to work?

25:17 Yeah, it's going to be severe. Arturo, you want to talk about that a little bit? Yeah, so we're working closely with the state, the Department of Families. Have you all met? Arturo, why don't you give your full name and your title? Yeah, because I know you're all used to King Yang Gear. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. Dr. Arturo Carrillo, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. So part of my portfolio, of course, includes the work of DFSS at the Department of Family Support Services. We absolutely are monitoring this situation closely. We want to make sure that working with the state IDHS office, we can prevent any harm caused to communities by any acts by this administration.

25:49 We want to make sure we protect child care as an essential right for families. We want to prevent any harm to the providers who are doing their best to provide care at the best quality possible for Chicagoans. So we want to be there committed. We'll be monitoring this and making sure that we can prevent any harm caused by these decisions at the federal level. Okay, and then my next question is kind of going back to some of the crime numbers, specifically CTA crime. I know overall crime has fallen on the CTA. There were two areas where they saw very, very slight increases.

26:21 I think it was like one or two or three more than 2024, and it was shootings and homicides. And my question is, I know the FTA has asked for an updated safety plan from the CTA. What are we going to see in that that was different than before? Yeah, well, look, there's a comprehensive plan that CTA has always had. Now we have a funding source to help support the comprehensive plan.

26:52 And, you know, look, Springfield did an incredible job passing what was essentially an historic investment in public transportation. As ridership has gone up 11%, 12%, I believe. And to your point, violence has gone down on the CTA, but there's still some real significant areas where we have to address. And so, again, we're going to make sure that we're investing in preventative care and services as well. We want to prevent it, right? But we also want to make sure that there's a presence there. So there will be coordination with CTA, as we've always had, to ensure that we have, you know, the adequate number of police officers and security on the platform and along CTA.

27:32 But let's just keep in mind, look, law enforcement can't be everywhere. We know that. That's why we have taken a comprehensive approach here in Chicago in terms of how we've addressed robberies, how we've addressed shootings, shooting victims. It has to be full force of government led, because if it's policing alone, we know that that is not only mediocre, it's been proven to be ineffective, quite frankly. And so, like, look, one incident is one too many. There's more work to be done. But now we have a funding source to help support many of the efforts that, you know, we have long engaged in.

28:06 Right. And that's everything from social and emotional. And that's also making sure so preventative. But that's also making sure that there's accountability. And so all of that working together, I believe, is going to put us in a much stronger position. But as far as the updated plan that needs to go to the FTA... We've already submitted it. So listen, let me just be clear, you all. Let's stop acting like we don't know who the president of the United States of America is. There is nothing that we can submit to this president and it's going to satisfy him. I mean, you're talking about a goady-brained individual.

28:38 I mean, someone who has no moral compass at all. This is about punishing cities and working people who do not think like his donors. That's what this is about. And so, like, I don't want the people of Chicago, quite frankly, the people of America, to believe that somehow there is a perfect plan that's out there that's going to satisfy a president who has already made it very clear that he does not, you know, submit to the rule of authority. The constitutional parameters in which this president is trampling on is a threat to the sensibility of everyday working people.

29:15 There are people who are working hard every single day to prevent violence in this city. This president is not interested in doing that. He's not interested in comprehensive anything. He just isn't. He is incapable of it. And so asking city government or city governments around this country to put together a document that, one, he's going to read, two he's going to comprehend, or three he's going to invest in would be be a waste of exercise. Now, we're going to do our part because that's our responsibility. But make no mistake about it, I am not going to subject my administration or anybody that I'm responsible for,

29:51 and this is the 2.8 million people, to the type of tyranny that is not interested in driving violence down. He has cut food off from people. He has cut medicine off from people. He has defunded education. You know, he has threatened families just simply because we believe in diversity and creating more opportunities for working people. He is more interested in protecting the ultra-rich, these big tech companies, these big corporations, the ultra-ultra-rich in this country and on this globe than he is interested in protecting working people.

30:22 Mayor. Please, Deputy Mayor. In regards to CTA, we've also, along with the Chicago Police Department and CTA, opened a strategic decision center. So, one, there's more access to cameras, more coordination between CPD and CTA team. Also, obviously, we'll continue to work with our violence interrupters. But the work between OEMC, CPD, and CTA has never been stronger. This is, again, why you saw some of those declines in violence last year. but being more intentional about understanding where we're seeing problems, where we're seeing problems on platforms,

30:55 where we're seeing problems on buses, and also working with the staff over at CTA. As the mayor mentioned, obviously we won't have officers on every platform or anything like that, but we are going to continue to work and be very intentional about hot spots where we've seen crime, where we've seen increases, and making sure we roll out additional plans. Regardless, again, like the mayor said, regardless of what's happening in D.C., our focus is the people of Chicago. So we're going to continue to do that and focus on bringing crime down on the CTA through those strategic decisions in the rooms, through those additional partnerships, and through more intentionality between the security teams at CTA, our teams at CPD,

31:30 the teams that the mayors put together and being really focused on, again, some of those hotspots and driving some of that crime down. Thank you. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Is this the last one? Two more? Okay. Okay. Yeah. Good morning and belated Spanish Christmas as Three Kings Day is known in Creole culture. High-level housing and urban development department officials say that the wretched conditions they witnessed last month at CHA properties on the north and south sides will inform how they deal with the local agency henceforth.

32:05 Without but passing and in your role of strictly advisory mayoral outreach, what will you recommend so that the Chicago Housing Authority can avoid potential remediation and a potential federal takeover from that experience as they audit the local agency for tenancy as far as criminal background and immigration status? Yeah, thank you for that question. So, you know, CHA starts with leadership. I've put forth a vision around how we build more affordable homes,

32:36 and that is very much attached to our vision for public housing as well. In fact, it's not just about building more affordable homes and including a stronger footprint with our public housing. It's about the full wraparound services that have to be connected with that development. There are a number of CHA housing development that we have expanded That includes better access to transportation, social services, access to the economy. And so it has to be holistic, and that approach will continue as we look to solidify leadership in the coming days.

33:12 But what about the properties themselves? Yeah, again, it's also about leadership. You're right. I mean, there are conditions that we have to continue to address. And that doesn't just confine ourselves to public housing. That's housing in general. There are a number of tenants around this city that have brought conditions to my attention that we have to address, and that's something that I'm very much focused in on, but it really requires to have the right leadership,

33:43 particularly at CHA, to continue to help support our ongoing effort to build more affordable homes and public housing that is attached to a holistic approach, public transportation, schools, jobs. It has to be an entire community that surrounds these developments. Okay. And the executive orders, your executive orders, that is, capping police overtime and against selling of medical debt in the 2026 alternative budget in the world of creative legal analysis tend to smack of a de facto line item veto, which by statute you don't enjoy.

34:26 If a sizable majority of the orders don't go along with those executive orders off the face, how do you plan to enforce them? They are enforceable because by design, the executive order gives me the authority constitutionally to be able to ensure that those executive orders are carried out. But I just want to offer some clarification around both of them. One, the executive order around the selling off the debt of working people and poor people, we just establish parameters around it.

35:03 It doesn't prevent the city of Chicago from doing it. It just means that if and when it's done, if it happens, that there are certain parameters centered around it. And here's why. Look, the working people across this city have been harassed in the most vicious way by the Trump administration. What I do not want is to exacerbate that level of harassment. And if you've ever been subjected to, you know, entities attempting to collect debt, it could be quite humiliating and degrading.

35:40 And so we put some parameters around it so that we didn't de facto, as you put it, veto it. You know, as far as the cap on police overtime, look, for a long time, this city has not been as forthright around what our police department needs. So the $200 million sets it at a rate that matches what it has historically consisted of. What we said, though, was in the event for non-emergency desire for overtime, that that would require approval.

36:17 That's called proper stewardship. And I'm going to continue to do that as we build a safe, affordable, big city for everyone. Oh, yes, please. Deputy Mayor? Police overtime has decreased by around 23 percent over the last couple of years under this administration. And as the mayor mentioned, right size and what is actually in the budget for police overtime will also help keep those parameters there. But I did want to point out it has decreased drastically over the last couple of years under this administration in comparison to 23,

36:50 where it was at its peak at around 300 plus million and has come down around 23 percent since then. And thank you for that. And the only reason why the number is what it is is because of raises primarily, but the hours of themselves have reduced dramatically. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. Okay. Hi, Mayor. Hi. You've been very patient. I just want to make sure I understand your answer to Marianne's question. You said you're focused on, you know, having a safe, healthy year ahead for the city. So you're not committing to re-election at this point? What I'm committing to doing is my job. That's what's important right now.

37:21 Look, the people of Chicago are not thinking about, you know, mayoral elections. I can tell you. When I'm in the community, no one says, Mayor Johnson, are you passing petitions? No one does. You know what they do ask? How can we invest more in young people? That's why I'm focused on youth development and investing in mental and behavioral health care services. This is not to obfuscate your question. What I'm simply offering is that my focus right now is doing the thing that I was elected and charged to do, which was to drive violence down the city of Chicago, to build more affordable homes, to invest in young people, to invest in good-paying jobs, to invest in our education system.

37:57 Look, there's going to be a half a billion dollars going into our public schools. That's the largest investment from TIF surplus ever in the history of Chicago. That's what my focus is, and I'm going to keep that focus. And when the time is appropriate, we can have more political discussions around the future of our city. But in the meantime, we're coming off historic lows. That's what my focus is going to be, to continue to drive Boninstein to Chicago. And why is that important? Again, for every life that we save, that's an investment in the very communities that have been disinvested in historically. When we're talking about driving down violence, when we talk about the lawsuit against Glock,

38:31 we're talking about saving and transforming communities that have been ignored. And that's what the problem, I believe, has been in Chicago for so long, that people just simply focus in on the politics. And I get it. This is a political realm. What I'm saying is I'm focused on lives, not the politics right now. I'll let those other politicians do that because apparently they don't have much else to do but to think about two years from now where I have to think about every single moment that's in front of me, and that's what I'm going to continue to do

39:01 because that's what I was elected and charged to do. On the budget, you mentioned that this is a living document and that you're obviously concerned about the year ahead because of that. But does Jill's departure make that work any more challenging? And when do you hope to have her replacement in place? Well, look, she hasn't left yet. Just relax. So we want to give her her flowers. Wow. We're going to give her her flowers while she's still here. She's done an incredible job. You know, one of my fondest moments of Jill, there was a so-called reporter, you know, who made this claim.

39:39 about how many individuals they talked to and the fact that she was able to do the math on the spot to debunk essentially what this person was getting at. She's feisty. She's sharp. She's smart. She is an incredible dresser. Right. So I'll be in competition, you know, with Joe Jarowski in 2026, who's going to have the baddest New Year's Eve outfit on. But, you know, as far as, you know, what this means for the future. Look, we have done, I believe, a really good job of having, you know, diverse, talented, you know, people who have served this administration.

40:16 We are not in this position. It's driving down violence and building more affordable homes than we've seen in a generation without smart, talented, competent, compassionate people in my administration. And so Jill is going to do an incredible job for Navy Pier. And we'll be able to fill her shoes. So, you know, that person is going to have something to live up to. But I'm confident we'll be able to find the right person, the right fit. Thanks, man. All right. Thank you all. A happy new year again. Thank you. Thank you.

Sources and methods: how we get and count this data · report an error