# Chicago's budget hearings, department by department: police, buildings, health and streets face the Council next week *The Budget Committee questions 40 City departments over nine days, starting Monday with the budget office. Here is the schedule, and what members asked the same departments last year.* By Chicago Politics · Updated Oct 24, 2026 Starting Monday, Oct. 26, the City Council's Committee on Budget and Government Operations will call City departments one by one to defend their share of Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposed 2027 budget. The schedule, in the committee's [amended agenda](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/clerk/meetingattachmentspublic/c6ebaa40-43ce-412a-9d8e-b2a0a58b5d87.pdf), runs nine hearing days through Nov. 10 and covers about 40 departments and offices. Why it matters: these hearings are where alderpersons ask, on the record, why a department needs what it is asking for, and where the trade-offs behind next year's taxes and cuts get argued in public. The Council has until Dec. 31 to pass a budget. The hearings follow a first session on Oct. 23 on the City's savings work with Ernst & Young, which [we covered here](/on-my-block/chicago-budget-hearings-begin-ernst-young-savings). On Friday, Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) said the administration had adopted only a fraction of that firm's recommendations, [ABC7 Chicago reported](https://abc7chicago.com/post/brandon-johnson-formally-files-petitions-seek-second-term-chicago-mayor/19973526/). ## The schedule All hearings are in the Council Chamber at City Hall. Each link goes to the meeting page, which will carry video and a searchable transcript afterward. - **[Mon., Oct. 26, 10 a.m.](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/4E4F726A-90C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5): Budget and finance.** Office of Budget and Management, Department of Finance, Chief Financial Officer. - **[Tue., Oct. 27, 9:30 a.m.](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/851CA01E-91C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5): Infrastructure, day 1.** Buildings, Aviation, Fleet and Facility Management, Environment. - **[Wed., Oct. 28, 9:30 a.m.](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/2D73B4D3-91C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5): Public safety, day 1.** Police Department and Department of Public Health. - **[Thu., Oct. 29, 9:30 a.m.](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/31EFF839-92C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5): Infrastructure, day 2.** Streets and Sanitation, Transportation, Technology and Innovation, Water Management. - **No hearings** Oct. 30, Nov. 2 and Nov. 3, Election Day. - **[Wed., Nov. 4](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/8A97D1CA-92C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5): Economic development and the arts.** Planning and Development, Housing, Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. - **[Thu., Nov. 5](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/93474B73-93C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5): Public safety, day 2.** Fire, Emergency Management and Communications, Animal Care and Control, Office of Public Safety Administration, Civilian Office of Police Accountability. - **[Fri., Nov. 6](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/62AEBFEC-93C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5): Social services, clerk and libraries.** City Clerk, Office for People with Disabilities, Family and Support Services, Commission on Human Relations, Public Library. - **[Mon., Nov. 9](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/1D6DFF77-94C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5): Procurement, HR and elections.** Treasurer, Human Resources, Administrative Hearings, Procurement Services, Board of Elections. - **[Tue., Nov. 10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/D7BBF3E9-94C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80B58E5): Oversight and law.** Liquor Control Commission, Police Board, Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, Board of Ethics, Inspector General, Department of Law. ## What our records add: what members asked last year The same committee held the same kind of hearings on the 2026 budget. Our meeting notes show the questions that are likely to come back: - **Budget office (Oct. 21, 2025).** Members pressed the budget director on the size of the TIF surplus and what it meant for ward projects ([meeting notes](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/E233D27C-C19F-F011-B4CB-001DD8001AAF)). - **Buildings (Oct. 23, 2025).** Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) said the department's budget had stayed flat while it took on new duties, and asked about uncollected building benchmarking fines ([watch](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/2901D28F-C69F-F011-B4CB-001DD8001AAF?t=21140)). Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) asked the commissioner to speak up about staffing costs before the Council passes new ordinances ([watch](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/2901D28F-C69F-F011-B4CB-001DD8001AAF?t=21030)). - **Public Health (Oct. 30, 2025).** Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) asked for a contingency plan rather than tying the CARE mental health teams to the proposed social media tax ([watch](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/5D875568-C79F-F011-B4CB-001DD8001AAF?t=24387)). This year the Mayor again proposes paying for CARE from that tax; [more here](/on-my-block/chicago-mental-health-clinic-care-teams-social-media-tax-2027). - **Transportation and Streets (Oct. 22, 2025).** Members raised vacancies, bridge closures, pothole delays and sidewalk inspection backlogs ([meeting notes](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/C4B82512-C69F-F011-B4CB-001DD8001AAF)). - **Police (Nov. 5, 2025).** Public commenters and members focused on overtime and vacancies ([meeting notes](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/4247F010-C89F-F011-B4CB-001DD8001AAF)). ## How the hearings fit the calendar The budget documents were to be available for public inspection by Oct. 26, Budget Chair Jason Ervin (28th) told the Council when it received the budget ([watch at 2:17:26](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/meeting/6AE8B3E3-86C9-F111-AAAE-001DD80FDA55?t=8246)). The Council also set its formal public hearing on the budget for [Dec. 8 at 11:30 a.m.](/matter/R2026-0029546-time-fixed-public-hearing-2027-executive) (R2026-0029546). The tax pieces of the plan, including the head tax, the lease tax increase and the package tax, are in the [2027 Revenue Ordinance](/on-my-block/chicago-head-tax-2027-employers-expense-tax-seed-credit), which went to the Finance Committee rather than Budget. Last year, the Council passed its own revenue plan instead of the Mayor's, [after weeks of hearings like these](/on-my-block/chicago-head-tax-2027-employers-expense-tax-seed-credit). ## What's next Departments usually answer members' follow-up questions in writing after each hearing. We will post the video, transcript and notes for each day on its meeting page, and write up the most-discussed exchanges. *Sources: [R2026-0029546: public hearing on the 2027 budget](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/matter/R2026-0029546-time-fixed-public-hearing-2027-executive).* ## Sources 1. ABC7: [ABC7 Chicago reported](https://abc7chicago.com/post/brandon-johnson-formally-files-petitions-seek-second-term-chicago-mayor/19973526/) --- Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/on-my-block/chicago-budget-hearings-schedule-department-by-department-2027 · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt