Ald. Jason Ervin, the Budget chair, joined the avalanche of opposition, noting that 70 percent of the TIF surplus is “coming out of socially economically disadvantaged areas” like his own West Side ward.

“They’re finally starting to realize that any form of revenue, especially given the deficit we’re facing, should be on the table. And this would generate anywhere between $30 million to $40 million,” Ald. Gilbert Villegas said.

New York City spends roughly 17 percent of its budget on pension and debt service, while Los Angeles spends about 11 percent. Chicago’s share of 40 percent is double that of other major cities.

Alds. Byron Sigcho-Lopez and Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez are the only two alderpeople who opted out of the 2.4 percent increase in 2026. Their salaries will remain $142,776.

“Chicago’s progressive media act like they’re reading from the same hymnal: Blame Trump for every shortfall, sanctify Pritzker and Johnson, and sneer at anyone enforcing immigration law. But underneath the spin, the truth is unavoidable — the city is broke, the schools are failing, the people are at the mercy of violent repeat criminal felons running amok, and ordinary Chicagoans are footing the bill for leadership that mistakes activism for governance.”

The Oct. 3 video of a federal agent grabbing and then handcuffing Ald. Jessie Fuenteswas shared widely online. Now, Fuentes is seeking $100,000 in personal injury damages, for injuries to her wrists, shoulders and arms, including bruising and “extreme mental distress, anguish and fear,” according to the filing.

“Blaming President Donald Trump’s budget cuts for Chicago’s meltdown is political theater. The city’s chronic deficits are homegrown and fueled by reckless borrowing, bloated pensions and decades of unchecked spending.”

It’s unclear what the impact of the restructuring will have on its Chicago headquarters, or where layoffs will happen in the Americas.

“We really need to grow the size of the city, and what that’s going to require is affordable housing as well as jobs,” said Ald. Bill Conway. This budget really hurts both those things by taking a massive TIF surplus, which often is used in affordable housing, as well as the jobs tax, which I worry certainly won’t create jobs and will add a tax on people who are trying to do that.”

Asked if his budget will drive businesses away, the mayor replied, in part, “… (W)e’re talking about 3 percent of large corporations who just received a tax benefit from Donald Trump. So I think when it comes to the number one issue in Chicago, which is to keep us safe, these investments and our police officers, these investments and survivors of domestic violence, our investment in young people, which is important to me, and of course our investments in violence prevention, our CVI workers, that’s a worthwhile investment to continue to drive violence down on the city of Chicago.”

With less than 1-in-5 of all such crimes ending in arrest, data highlights most of the carnage was concentrated in the same areas of the city, topped by the South Side’s Red Line at over 3.5 transgressions out of every 100,000 riders. While the most common crime reported was battery, statistics also show at least four murders took place on CTA property.

The Financially Distressed City Law allows for the creation of a financial advisory authority for a distressed home rule municipality, with the power to reject loans, budgets and contracts, and otherwise oversee the city’s finances. In other words, the buck stops with them. Records indicate that only one other municipality, East St. Louis, has sought state oversight under this act since it passed in 1990.

…with most examples being public school teachers or in Chicago.

The city council of Harvey, Illinois, voted to declare the long-troubled city distressed in a bid for state oversight, as Mayor Christopher J. Clark warned of an impending city government shutdown. The vote clears the way for the state to assume financial control of Harvey and possibly, city leaders hope, to bail the city out. But the tools the distress declaration makes available may not meet the magnitude of Harvey’s financial problems.

Martin Redish, a professor of constitutional law at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law, said, “I can’t believe the people in the corporation counsel couldn’t advise him better than this. This is a complete loser.”

A group of students is suing Northwestern University, alleging that the school’s anti-bias training and policies “prohibit expressions of Palestinian identity” by characterizing “criticism of the state of Israel as antisemitic.”

Mayor Katrina Thompson said she wants to permanently shut down the ICE facility, and that the protests and feuds with federal agents cause division, pain, and fear in the community. “I believe in democracy, and I believe in protesting, but I also believe in the safety of my community and that’s why the executive order (restricting protest zones and times is going to stay in place …” she said.

The move comes less than a week after Harvey City Council voted unanimously to designate the city as “financially distressed.” According to reports, the city has more than $100 million in debt after decades of financial mismanagement and federal investigations during former mayor Eric Kellogg’s tenure, with the State Comptroller still seizing funds.