Officials had a Sunday deadline to opt out of the automatic raise, which routinely presents a political conundrum as city residents battle rising costs and inflation. And it comes as the Johnson administration has enacted a hiring freeze to stem a $223 million end-of-year deficit and nearly $1 billion dollar budget gap for next year. If all elected officials were to take this year’s raise, it would cost the city about an additional $311,276, and the mayor’s $221,052 annual salary would grow by roughly $9,125 to $230,177.

“It’s certainly something I think would be a great economic development project for the city of Chicago, to have 78 neighborhoods,” Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said, but it didn’t change his mind that the developer should prioritize seeking private investment.

According to Chicago police, officers were called to the scene for a report of multiple people shot at the studio. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire and then windows breaking. One of the owners of the Zumba studio said they have decided to close their studio immediately and relocate.

Much of the questioning from justices focused on the implications of what precedent a ruling in favor of the state would set. Justice Mary Kay O’Brien asked, “If the same situation were to arise somewhere else, you’re saying that that discretion is going to be upended by the potential for a special prosecutor coming in, or special prosecution being commenced, which would, in circumstances like this, impede state’s attorneys from exercising their discretion?”

The closure is attributed to a recent sale of the company. While the McCook location has closed, Marquee’s other locations in Kansas City and Texas remain operational.

Trustee Michelle Kohler expressed concerns about collecting less in property taxes while the tax breaks are in place than the $963,600 the property would generate while vacant, but said she supports the proposal.

The plan did not call for specific changes to selective enrollment, magnet, or charter schools, a possibility signaled in December when the board first announced its intention to rethink school choice. But the plan does seek to bolster resources for neighborhood schools “with an intentional focus on disinvested communities.”

A man with a pending juvenile gun case has become the 25th person accused of shooting, killing, or trying to shoot or kill someone in Chicago this year while on felony pretrial release. The crimes involved 40 victims, eight of whom died.

“Every year, Cook County collects interest payments on late property taxes. For 2024, those fees were projected at $35 million, but the treasurer is on track to collect more than $100 million from taxpayers by December — three times the budgeted amount. This, along with other items, created a budget surplus in Cook County for 2024, but reinvesting 10 percent or 20 percent of these collections to stabilize the very tax base we rely on would usher residents through a time of financial hardship.”

Mexicans made up more than 50 percent of the population in only six neighborhoods in 2000, according to the report. Mexicans represent over one-fifth of the city’s population and about 74 percent of the city’s Latino population, according to 2022 U.S. Census estimates.

Rodents are common in cities because of the access to food and sanitation practices, according to Terminix. While small, they can create public health concerns and cause significant property damage.

“People have been frightened away from doing this job,” said Lenny Sanchez, Director of the Independent Drivers Guild of Illinois. “We have seen many people state that the risk and reward is no longer worth it.”

Karen Freeman-Wilson of the Chicago Urban League: ” It matters to Chicago for three important reasons — revenue, jobs and Chicago’s growth in the technology economy.”

One resident, turned away from a checkpoint on their way home, said they slept in their car.

“We are going to need more investment,” CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said. “We are hoping we are going to have friends in D.C. and continue to see investments at the federal level.”

Some alderpeople are not buying a plan that doesn’t use rankings and metrics to measure student achievement. “We are seeing this touchy feely policy where everyone is going to get a participation medal for being in school applied to CPS and I think it’s going to have very dangerous affects on then next generation,” said Ald. Ray Lopez.

“…(P)olitical promises must be weighed against the facts and information that one obtains once in the job. Let’s be honest about the facts. ShotSpotter does not do what it initially promised it would, which is to solve and prevent crime. But it does save lives.”

“We’re looking at a number of things to ensure our fees are properly calibrated to support the cost of the service that they’re providing. We’re also looking at what costs are that we can hedge against,” Chicago Budget Director Annette Guzman said.

District 65 has been adding employees while losing enrollment for the past several years. That deficit is now projected at $10 million in day-to-day operational spending for the current fiscal year, and more if you include other funds. “There is no way we can continue to support Individual Education Services (special ed and related programs)”, Superintendent Angel Turner stated, without restructuring.