City Council meeting, December 19, 2025

When: Fri, Dec 19, 2025, 11:00 AM (Chicago time)
Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
Status: Scheduled & Published
Body: full City Council
Video: https://vimeo.com/showcase/citycouncil?video=1147756540
Transcript: full text (9,858 words, automatic captions)

Meeting notes

AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.

At the December 19, 2025 City Council meeting, ten public commenters spoke, largely on the competing 2026 budget proposals, business taxes, hemp regulation, debt collection and property taxes. The council held a moment of silence at Alderperson David H. Moore request for a CPD division superintendent who had died, passed 19 ward and committee fund transfers 49-0, and Budget Chair Jason C. Ervin and Finance Chair Pat Dowell deferred and published seven 2026 budget items including the annual appropriation ordinance. Under unfinished business, the council passed the substitute 2026 Municipal Code Revenue Ordinance alternative 29-19, the 2026-2027 general obligation borrowing ordinance 39-11, and a GO and Sales Tax Securitization Corporation bond refunding ordinance 50-0. Alderperson William Conway spoke against the scope of the borrowing authorization, and Alderperson David H. Moore raised equity concerns about video gaming terminal licensing.

Topics: 2026 revenue ordinance, general obligation borrowing, bond refunding, 2026 budget, video gaming terminals, hemp regulation, public comment

Agenda items discussed

50:19 Public comment period: discussed
1:21:24 Moment of silence for CPD District 7 division superintendent Chris Manuel
1:22:22 Communications, including mayor's revenue ordinance for the 2026 budget and OIG report on CPD response to hate crimes
1:24:05 Budget: 19 transfers of funds within ward and committee accounts for 2025: passed
1:28:03 Budget: seven 2026 budget items including annual appropriation ordinance, management ordinance and salary resolution deferred and published: deferred
1:30:56 Agreed calendar resolutions: passed
1:31:23 New business: aldermanic introductions
1:42:07 Substitute 2026 Municipal Code Revenue Ordinance alternative (SO2025-0021719): passed
1:45:42 2026-2027 general obligation borrowing ordinance (O2025-0021097): passed
1:51:20 General obligation and Sales Tax Securitization Corporation bond refunding ordinance (O2025-0021096): passed

Alderpersons who spoke

David H. Moore (alderperson): Asked to suspend the rules for a moment of silence for Chris Manuel, the District 7 division superintendent who died the previous night. (1:21:24); Said the CFO confirmed the Illinois Gaming Board does not award video gaming licenses to sweepstakes machine operators and that he could not support the package without equity in video gaming terminals. (1:38:36); Asked the clerk to confirm the start time of the next day's meeting. (1:54:47)
Jason C. Ervin (alderperson): Presented Budget Committee transfers of funds within ward and committee accounts for 2025. (1:24:05); With the Finance chair, deferred and published seven 2026 budget items, including the annual appropriation ordinance and salary resolution. (1:28:03); On a point of personal privilege, asked Alderperson William Conway to explain a Pinocchio reference he made about colleagues. (1:39:54)
Pat Dowell (alderperson): Moved to consider the alternative 2026 revenue ordinance, the GO borrowing ordinance and the bond refunding ordinance under unfinished business. (1:33:30); Said the city is at a critical financial juncture, thanked colleagues for developing the revenue ordinance to close a $1.2 billion gap without burdening vulnerable residents, and asked for a yes vote. (1:40:54)
William Conway (alderperson): Opposed the GO borrowing ordinance as broader than necessary, noting he had proposed a narrower $500 million authorization for firefighter back pay and settlements instead of about $1.8 billion. (1:34:33); Cited about $40 billion in unfunded pension liability, $25 billion in outstanding debt and credit ratings near junk, saying added borrowing increases interest costs. (1:35:35); Said the city would have $3.8 billion in unused GO capital authorization after the vote and asked for narrower, more transparent borrowing with stronger oversight in the future. (1:36:39)
Debra L. Silverstein (alderperson): Stated for the record that she would be absent from the next day's meeting to observe the Jewish Sabbath. (1:55:08)
Andre Vasquez Jr. (alderperson): Said technical difficulties prevented his vote and asked the record to note he would have voted no on the revenue ordinance. (1:55:42)

Exchanges between members

1:39:54 Ervin asked Conway to explain his Pinocchio reference about colleagues.
1:40:17 Conway answered Ervin that the remark was tongue-in-cheek and referred to comments attributed to the mayor.

Roll-call votes at this meeting

Issuance of general obligation bonds and/or Sales Tax Securitization Corporation sales tax revenue bonds for refunding outstanding general obligation bonds and/or sales tax revenue bonds (O2025-0021096): Passed 50 yea, 0 nay
Issuance of general obligation bonds for capital projects and other purposes (2026-2027 General Obligation Borrowing Ordinance) (O2025-0021097): Passed 39 yea, 11 nay
Amendment of Municipal Code Titles 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14A, 14B, 14X and 15 (2026 Municipal Code Revenue Ordinance Alternative) (SO2025-0021719): Passed 29 yea, 19 nay