# Update From City Hall 11.14.25

- Date: November 14, 2025
- Type: Video
- Length: 36:32
- Topic: Update From City Hall
- Video: [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWIJjT7qwvc)
- Transcript: Machine transcription, 3,376 words ([text](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/youtube/rWIJjT7qwvc.txt))
- Mayor: [Brandon Johnson](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor)

## Description

Mayor Johnson hosts a media availability.

## Transcript

[0:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=4) I want you to do it.

[5:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=300) like in jazz, and we're not... Yeah. Maybe... I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. They're really... I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I can see them all together. Thank you.

[5:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=354) . . We're going to talk to y'all. Please let me. She's a type of favorite person. I am. All right. What the hell? I'm trying to literally all be able to see you. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. She was like, she was like, you're right. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Oh, she said that, yeah. She's like a girl. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

[6:24](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=384) I don't know. Thank you.

[7:02](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=422) Thank you. Thank you.

[7:59](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=479) .

[8:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=511) Thank you.

[9:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=548) Thank you. Brick Levin should close the line to see which undertones. Which undertones? No, she's like, there's a joke in Old Rock where she's like, she's like, she's like, she's like, which undertones?

[9:40](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=580) No, but I think she's like, she's like, she's like, I'll just change it. She's like, I don't know. I don't know. Thank you. But no one is not talking about the same thing to do. . . .

[10:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=621) You know what, it was crazy how those are just on the office. Oh, yeah, no, no, no, no, no. They'll look so loose and they'll look so loose and they'll realize that they're working. Your camera's still stressed about the focus. There's a lot of the project with the focus. That's why. Because they want to show you.

[10:53](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=653) . Well, yeah, I would before. Thank you.

[11:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=688) Thank you. Thank you.

[12:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=748) Thank you. Thank you.

[13:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=815) Thank you. Thank you.

[14:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=867) Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I can see stuff you can be careful.

[15:07](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=907) Yeah. Lori almost did it. She just asked me. We're good. And you're just, yeah, preparing the English different types of eyeballs. What would he say? Preparing the different types of eyeballs. So we all have to do that.

[15:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=939) . . . . . . . . . . . . . Who's the guy? It was . Oh. So it wasn't even like . It was a kind of speech. It wasn't very clever. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh.

[16:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=970) Thanks. So we've got to . That's a crazy word. I agree. We're on the same page. This is more like when people are the same thing. Yes. . . . . . . . .

[17:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1020) Oh, my God. All right. Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for being patient. I'm joined today by my budget director, Annette Guzman, Jung Yoon, who's our chief of policy.

[17:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1055) We're pleased to announce that after years of litigation, we have reached an $18 million settlement with DoorDash. Over there are deceptive business practices that hurt delivery drivers, restaurants, and consumers. This settlement is based on our assertion that DoorDash violated the municipal code through an array of deceptive practices. We asserted that DoorDash listed restaurants without their consent. They did not present up front the full cost of its service to consumers.

[18:07](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1087) They imposed a so-called Chicago fee that was not a city-mandated fee. They did not disclose that the menu prices they displayed were actually higher than the prices from the restaurants. And they used the tips that consumers thought they were tipping drivers directly with to subsidize their own payment of drivers. As a result of the settlement, DoorDash will pay over $3 million to restaurants that had been listed without their consent.

[18:38](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1118) DoorDash will provide almost $6 million in delivery commission and marketing credits to eligible restaurants. And then they will provide $4 million in credits to eligible users with active accounts on the platform. And finally, they will also pay restitute to drivers who were impacted and to the city to cover our cost in bringing this lawsuit. This is an important victory for workers, small businesses, and drivers. It builds on the success of our affirmative litigation division that we have been moving forward recently.

[19:12](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1152) We fought to restore millions in funding that the federal government has attempted to withhold from our city, and we have effectively pressured Glock to discontinue most of his pistols in a series in response to the lawsuit. that we put forward with the Glock switches in particular. We will continue to fight in the courts and with legislation to win more victories for working people. Thank you all very much, and I'm happy to answer your questions.

[19:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1183) Okay, testing. All right. We're just going to do one question each to get through everybody. All right. That's live. Here's Jeff. How are you doing, Mayor Johnson? I'm doing pretty good. Thank you. You and your budget team have introduced a revised version of the budget. of the budget, which includes alterations to the community safety surcharge and other things. And there are committee meetings and votes scheduled as soon as Monday. Are you confident? What is your level of confidence that Alderman will actually vote on this budget on Monday,

[20:18](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1218) given the number of questions that a lot of them still have? Well, look, this is part of the process. You know, what I'm confident in is that this budget protects working people. That's what's most important here. This budget ensures that we are investing in community safety in a way that no other municipality is across this country. It will be the largest community safety fund that a municipality has put forth anywhere in this country. And so ensuring that our young people have opportunities, again, the single investment in our education is the largest that this city has ever experienced, right?

[20:53](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1253) And so I'm confident that the people of Chicago, their voices are actually expressing this budget. and we'll continue to go through the entire parliamentary procedures to ensure that this budget does just exactly what I've set out to do, which is to protect Chicago, all of Chicago. Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor. Would you okay any budget that has basically no corporate head tax in it? Well, look, I mean, I think it's incumbent upon us right now to understand the choice that we have here.

[21:25](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1285) We either challenge these large corporations to put more skin in the game, to continue to drive violence down in the city of Chicago, or someone needs to propose increasing taxes on working people. Those are the only options that we have here. We're either going to challenge the corporations and the ultra-rich, or we're going to balance this budget off the backs of working people. I've made a commitment not to balance this budget off the backs of working people, but to invest in working people to continue to build the safest, most affordable big city in America.

[21:56](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1316) Hi, Mayor. You have some alders and some editorials asking you to slow down. Why push for a vote next week on this when there's a lot of members out there saying it's not ready? We need more debate. We need more deliberation. Yeah, well, look, this process started back in April. So several, several months ago with working groups, one-on-one conversations, group conversations, every single configuration that you can imagine, we've put that configuration together to start this process early.

[22:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1350) Now here's what I've experienced so far, that there has not been one alternative that has been presented. And so I'm for more deliberation if we're actually debating over something. But to slow it down just for the sake of slowing it down, that just doesn't make sense, right? No alder has put forth an alternative vision to my proposal. And so the question is, like, what are we slowing down to do? To talk about what we've already decided, you know, several months ago.

[23:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1380) This budget has been before the city council for over a month. If there's something substantive that's worthwhile debating, I'm always going to be open to that. Hi, Mayor. Some Alderman Desmond Yancy included told us that you've discussed on Monday you would like to see a vote even if it's not secure, that it's not certain to be approved. Is that the case, and what is the strategy? I guess he said that you would like to get people on record. Do they support kids or support billionaires?

[23:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1415) This budget is not about just simply having people pitted against one another. There's a clear choice here. We're either going to challenge the ultra-rich in this city, much like what Americans across the country are calling for, to put more skin in the game and pay their fair share in taxes, or you're going to balance this budget off the backs of working people. This is not a rush, you all. We literally have been in conversations for months. The city council has had a month to review the current proposal as it is.

[24:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1450) If alders have other ideas, this is the time to bring them forward so that we can debate them. Good afternoon, Mayor. Good afternoon. The latest proposal restores some funding for gender-based violence funding and the library's collection budget. Why was that important to put back in, and why weren't they in the original budget proposal? Well, look, I've always expressed what my values are to ensure that we're investing in programs and people. And as you know, the dollars that have funded these programs were funded by ARPA, which ARPA has rolled away.

[24:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1489) And so it was never, ever a part of the corporate funding structure in the way in which ARPA delivered. and now that those Those opera dollars have rolling off, it's incumbent upon city council to work with me to find revenue streams to ensure that these programs are fully funded. So what did we do? We went back to our spaces. We found another tool that could generate more revenue so that the programs that people have relied upon that were funded by ARPA can now be a part of our general infrastructure.

[25:26](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1526) Hi, Mayor. Hi. Oh, sorry. Hi. So you've had some movement right now in the head tax in terms of the number of employees that it applies to. How much further are you willing to go on that? And what other kind of concessions are you willing to make to get more people on board? Well, look, I mean, these conversations have been quite robust. This is the type of debate that we need in this city, in this state. For too long, we have not challenged our corporate partners to do their part.

[25:57](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1557) There are ways in which we can all contribute to building safe and affordable communities. What I've said repeatedly, I'm going to hold to my values. I'm going to hold on to them and negotiating details around how we can ensure that businesses that our communities rely upon do not get unintended consequences that could undermine some of the value that they do bring.

[26:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1587) So, again, our conversations are ongoing, but it's clear here. We're either going to cut services and lay people off and raise property taxes, or we're going to make sure that those with means who can actually afford it put more skin in the game. That's the choice that the people of Chicago have right now. You're either going to balance the budget off the backs of working people, or you're going to make sure that these corporations who are making hundreds of millions of dollars and billions of dollars in some cases to pay their fair share. Hi, Mayor. Hi. Some older people have also criticized the proposed size of the TIF surplus.

[27:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1620) Is that something, is reducing that also something that's being negotiated or just discussed? Well, look, the question is, do we believe in public education? Do we believe in our parks? Do we believe in our libraries? Right after I presented my budget, I held community town hall meetings, and I'm still holding them. I've visited places of worship. I've knocked on doors. all over the city of Chicago. We're holding these meetings, knocked on doors recently in the 17th Ward, and not one person that I spoke to at the door said, do not invest in our parks,

[27:37](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1657) our libraries, and our schools. This is a worthwhile investment, ensuring that special education is supported, ensuring that we can actually expand park programs. That's what families need. You know, so this is an opportunity for us to actually stand up for working people, And that's why I'm proud that this budget releases the largest TIF surplus back into our schools, our parks and our libraries. And by the way, two hundred and thirty million dollars of the surplus actually comes back to the city of Chicago to balance our budget. Water reclamation, the county. So everyone is going to benefit from this investment.

[28:09](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1689) Good afternoon. Good afternoon. So what has become of the accounting on the spending for your reparations plan that you promised on the record to get back with us five weeks ago? I mean, what's the caper with the paper? Why is it taking so long? Well, look, we have put the $500,000 into this reparations working group. That working group is meeting, and so those dollars are actually going towards the work that the working group is doing.

[28:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1721) Well, I'll ask our budget director to get an account for the $500,000 that's there. But that money is being spent to service to make sure that reparations become something that is not just a study, but a way in which we can actually demonstrate how do we build equity across the city. Happy Friday, Mayor. Yes. Your finance chair, Pat Dowell, said she does not support the head tax at any level. How difficult does that make the road ahead of advancing the revenue ordinance out of her committee? Well, look, the conversations are ongoing, and, again, the choice that we have before the people of Chicago

[29:13](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1753) is that at this point the choice is really going to come down to how do we balance this budget and who is going to take on that full responsibility. What I've put forth is an equitable distribution of how we can balance this budget. And, you know, again, we're open to ideas, right? So if individuals have ideas for revenue that they wish to debate, they have time to do that. In fact, I'm going to continue to implore and encourage the city council to show up with an idea that we can debate.

[29:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1789) And if there are some ways in which we can make adjustments based upon progressive revenue, because I don't think this is the time to push for regressive. revenue. If there are some progressive revenue ideas that have not been brought before us, there's still time. Mayor, what do you say to the business community who says, look, we've already come up with $150 million to invest in anti-violence programs. Now you're

[30:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1819) basically saying come up with another $100 million. Well, first of all, all of the business community has not participated in this effort. In fact, that's a pledge. I don't believe that they've actually shown up with all of it. It's over 100 over the next five years. So we're really talking about $20 million a year from only a handful of corporations in the philanthropic community that's putting resources into this effort, which we appreciate and we commend them. But I don't think it's fair to the business community at large

[30:52](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1852) that only a handful of business communities are actually putting skin in the game. This is a way in which all business corporations, big corporations, can participate. And then I think the real question is, like, what's the price and the value that we put on the mental health and well-being of police officers? Like, what's the value? What's the price of that? What's the value of youth employment? I've shared this with you all multiple times. 1,800 young people from Austin in particular had summer jobs.

[31:23](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1883) When you look at the study of those individuals, not just in Austin but across the city, the number of young people who had summer jobs that were justice involved or experiencing poverty is actually the vast majority of them. So this notion that somehow that the youth employment is going to kids who are already good, it's just not the case, right? And so the question is, what's the value of youth employment?

[31:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1914) Particularly at a time in which we know these investments, you've seen incredible declines in violence in those very communities. People know that gender-based violence is a real problem. Domestic violence is a real problem. There was a resolution that was submitted today by a member of city council. This investment is going to go towards ensuring that survivors and victims of domestic and gender-based violence have the support and the resources that they need. You just heard one of your colleagues mention that we've placed $21 million and even more towards these efforts.

[32:30](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1950) The people of Chicago want me to invest in them. That's what this budget does. asking corporations, large corporations who have benefited from tax breaks from the federal government to put more skin in the game, that's also what the people of Chicago want. We're just simply responding to what the people of Chicago want. There's a concept. It's novel. The people of Chicago want and deserve investment. This budget does that. That sounds like good government to me. Hi, Mayor.

[33:01](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=1981) Hi. Last night we learned that the city plans to borrow $283 million to cover the cost of police misconduct settlements. Is that number shocking to you, and is that an indication of the depths of the city's liability when it comes to these cases, which, of course, represent real damage to hundreds of lives? Well, look, let's just start with the lives that have been impacted. You know, my drive and desire is to make sure that we are providing restoration and restitution to families who have been harmed by police misconduct.

[33:39](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=2019) Now, we are moving in a stronger and a better direction. This budget, in fact, places a system in place that in the event there's an officer in particular where there's a pattern that's being developed, There's an early warning signs that we can address so that we don't find ourselves in this particular position. So we have known for some time as a city how bad the the the abuse cases have been.

[34:11](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=2051) You know, as far as what our ultimate goal is in the future is to see that constitutional policing becomes the regular practice. But using means in these instances to be able to resolve these settlements and do it in a way where you can spread it out long term. And even though we'll actually pay it off within a few years, we see this as far more prudent than in elongating these cases that inevitably cost the city more over time.

[34:45](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=2085) Hi, good afternoon, Mayor. Good afternoon. So some alders have shared concerns about your administration's plan to entail a $3.9 billion debt authorization to refinance debt. Can you share any more details? about that? I'm going to pass it to our budget director. Okay, thank you. So Annette Guzman, budget director, standing on behalf of the CFO. So to clarify, the refunding authorization is $2 billion of existing

[35:16](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=2116) bonds and debt that the city has. This is actually an opportunity for the city to save dollars and save money, as that is the constant refrain that we continue to hear from city council. $1.8 billion of of the bond ordinances that were introduced to City Council last night are for the continuation of our CIP plan and for the financing that Heather just spoke about related to settlements and judgments and the fire contract. So 1.3 of that 1.8 is for the CIP plan, which is a five-year plan

[35:51](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc?t=2151) and supports critical infrastructure in the City of Chicago. All right. Thank you all. Have a great weekend, okay? Thank you all. Thank you.

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Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/rWIJjT7qwvc · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt