Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson delivered his first budget address to the City Council, proposing a $16.6 billion budget plan for 2024. Keeping true to his campaign promises, he pledged not to raise base property taxes.
Acknowledging the city’s $538 million gap caused by the migrant crisis, Johnson outlined plans to fill it through revenue projections and other funding sources. He emphasized that this would be achieved without layoffs but acknowledged that it may take time for Chicago to become a “better, stronger, safer” city according to his vision.
Johnson aims for approval of the budget next month and has preserved some policies from former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration such as contributing towards pension funds and prioritizing mental health support resources like CARE (Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement) pilot program.
