Lightfoot’s feel-good budget forecast is a re-election game plan – Crain’s*

What’s behind this sudden, seemingly dramatic improvement in the city’s financial condition? According to Lightfoot, the sunny 2023 outlook reflects her success in shoring up Chicago’s fiscal foundation for the long run. A more accurate description would call the forecast a mixture of helpful short-term factors and election-year hopium. Lightfoot and the aldermen who will approve or reject her budget are all up for re-election next year.