Ten of the alderpeople who voted against the budget are among the most conservative members of the City Council, including Ald. The 2023 budget deficit was the smallest since 2019, allowing Lightfoot to quickly drop a proposed property tax hike that became politically toxic. Harry Osterman (48th Ward) and David Moore (17th Ward) - who voted for the budget - nevertheless blasted the mayor for failing to make good on promises to use nearly $2 billion in federal relief funds to strengthen the city’s tattered social safety net, as reported by WTTW News.Ĭhicago’s financial picture has been buoyed by the city’s red-hot real estate market, faster than expected recovery from the depth of the economic ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic and billions in federal aid. “We all want to go to heaven, but none of us want to die,” Ervin said.Īlds. Jason Ervin (27th Ward), the chair of the Black Caucus, said the 2023 spending plan was not perfect - but moved the city toward a more equitable future. Those who voted for the budget on Monday helped “right historic wrongs.”Īld. That margin was surprisingly narrow for a budget designed to easily win the approval of the City Council, whose 50 members also face re-election in February - or retirement in May.Īfter the vote, Lightfoot delivered a campaign-style speech that touted her 2023 spending plan as the best way to build on what she says are her progressive accomplishments, even as spent nearly her entire term at odds with Chicago’s progressive political community. The final vote on the tax levy was 29-21.
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