# Why does 311 close requests that aren't done? Alderpersons pressed the City's tech chief, who says a fix is in the works *At Thursday's budget hearing, the Department of Technology and Innovation also described the City's new AI policy, a payroll system due next summer, and a budget that looks 55% smaller mostly on paper.* By Chicago Politics · Updated Oct 31, 2026 Anyone who has reported a pothole to 311, watched the request close, and then hit the same pothole a week later has company on the City Council. At Thursday's budget hearing, alderpersons told the City's Department of Technology and Innovation that 311 closes requests that were never finished and leaves their ward offices in the dark. Why it matters: 311 is how most residents ask the City for basic services, and members say it is also how they are judged. The department's answer was that the technology can be fixed. The harder part, it said, is getting every department to record its work the same way. The hearing came late in a session that also covered Streets and Sanitation, Transportation and Water Management. We covered those [here](/on-my-block/chicago-streets-sanitation-budget-hearing-4000-stump-backlog-rodents-encampments), [here](/on-my-block/chicago-aldermanic-menu-money-street-costs-cdot-budget-hearing-2027) and [here](/on-my-block/chicago-water-meters-85-percent-accurate-lead-lines-dupage-budget-hearing). ## 311: "closed" doesn't mean done Ald. Michelle Harris (8th) said she has complained since the Emanuel administration that 311 "does not talk to us." She said residents blame alderpersons when a request isn't handled, but ward offices can't see requests from their own wards as they come in ([watch](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/31EFF839-92C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5?t=34415)). Another member gave the example of a pothole request that an inspector finds is really a cave-in. The request is sent to the Water Department but shows as closed, so the resident sees it closed with nothing fixed ([watch](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/31EFF839-92C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5?t=34537)). Chief Information Officer Nick Lucius said he had gone through the process with departments and found that each enters information in its own way. Not everything they enter should be public, he said, so the work is setting a standard. He said the Mayor's Office is running a 90-day plan on resident services that takes on this exact problem, and that staff did ride-alongs over the summer. "The technology's there," he said. The question is making the updates useful rather than a flood of texts residents can't make sense of. Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) said any overhaul that leaves alderpersons out misses "the front-facing part" of City service. ## The City's AI policy Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) asked whether the City uses AI to track worker productivity. Lucius said the department has issued a new AI policy to City departments and bought AI licenses for them. He said Council offices should already have Copilot Chat, Microsoft's chatbot, and offered training ([watch](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/31EFF839-92C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5?t=33722)). Vasquez took the other side. He asked how the City protects residents' data and asked the department to send the Council its AI guidelines and recommendations for local laws ([watch](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/31EFF839-92C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5?t=33826)). Lucius said the policy requires a person to review anything AI produces, and that City workers stay responsible for the results. He agreed to send recommendations. ## A new payroll system, in pieces Budget Chair Jason Ervin (28th) asked about the City's new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Lucius said Guidehouse is building it and the William Everett Group is managing the program. The first piece, time and attendance, is to roll out to City workers in summer 2027. Human resources and finance pieces will follow, with no schedule yet ([watch](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/31EFF839-92C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5?t=32679)). Ervin questioned starting with timekeeping rather than the general ledger, which he called "the spine" of the City's books. Lucius said timekeeping was chosen because it is expected to save the most money, for example through better overtime tracking, and because the old system is the most likely to break down. ## What our records add **A smaller budget, mostly on paper.** The Council Office of Financial Analysis said the department's proposed 2027 budget is $34.41 million, down about $42 million or 55% from 2026. Its 144 positions are unchanged, and 24% were vacant as of Oct. 21 ([watch](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/31EFF839-92C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5?t=32392)). Lucius told Lopez the drop is not a saving: citywide costs such as Microsoft licenses were moved to Finance General and other citywide accounts. Lopez asked for a written list of where the money went. **Contracting.** Ald. David Moore (17th) said about $2 million of the department's $163 million in contract spending through July went to Black-owned firms, about 1.5%. A department official said combined spending with minority- and women-owned firms is over 30%, against goals of 25% and 5% ([watch](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/31EFF839-92C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5?t=34868)). Every question and the full transcript are on our [meeting page](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/31EFF839-92C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5). ## What's next - **Through the chair:** the department promised written answers on the ERP modules and costs, the AI guidelines and contract spending. - **Thu., Nov. 5:** the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, which runs 311, comes before the committee, according to the [hearing schedule](/on-my-block/chicago-budget-hearings-schedule-department-by-department-2027). - **By Dec. 31:** the Council must pass the 2027 budget. *Sources: [Chicago Politics: Transcript, Oct. 29, 2026 budget hearing](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/1240513369.txt); [Chicago Politics: Budget hearing schedule](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/on-my-block/chicago-budget-hearings-schedule-department-by-department-2027); [Chicago Politics: Committee on Budget and Government Operations](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/committee/budget-and-government-operations).* --- Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/on-my-block/chicago-311-tickets-closed-unfinished-ai-policy-dti-budget-hearing · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt